The moustached gentleman in my mind, I’ll admit, is a romanticised figure. He is dashing yet also slightly roguish and usually wears the uniform of a Second World War fighter pilot. For me, however, my affection is not just for the physical moustache itself but the qualities and values in an age gone by which were associated with the figure whose face it used to adorn.
In the land of yesteryear a well groomed, and well-grown, moustache indicated the wearer to have style and awarded him a subconscious air of masculine authority. Why in the First World War the moustache provided an essential companion to young officers in displaying their power; the bigger the ‘tache, the higher the rank. It could also be assumed on glancing upon a man’s moustache that by nature he was a respectable chap. It is a symbol that bears for many, myself included, nostalgic connotations of an age when moustache-wearing actors, such as Clark Gable and Errol Flynn, were considered benchmark males. The epitome of masculinity. They were often remembered as much for their upper lip accessory as the films in which they starred.
Alas of late the moustache has received some bad press. It seems to have become nothing more than the trademark of unsavoury characters such as pimps, porn stars and, of course, the village people. Everything the noble moustache once stood for appears to have been lost in a sea of perverts. And so it is that for numerous women, whilst unquestionably for an excellent cause, the dawn of Movember comes with the sinking feeling that the faces of attractive, eligible young men are once again to be marred by an unnecessarily hairy upper lip.
Enthusiasts, however, should fear not, for the moustache is fighting back! With events such as The Chap Olympiad encouraging although things dandyish, pipe smoking and tweed wearing included, it appears that support for the moustached fellow is on the rise. Could this signal that the elusive figure formerly known as the gentleman is set to make a comeback? Is the moustache set to twirl its way back into our homes? This year’s launch of the world’s first moustache themed film festival, Stache Fest, says yes. With the aim of this charitable event to ‘better celebrate moustaches and to maximise the moustache man’s moment of expression’ all, it appears, is not lost.
The moustache, however, should perhaps come with a note of warning. There is, lets face it, nothing worse than one that is poorly executed. For men whose upper lip hair is anything other than thick and lustrous it may be best to wait a few years for risk of looking questionable. After all, no one wants to be banished to the wrong side of the facial hair scale. It is also essential that dapper dress accompanies your moustache; a handlebar paired with jeans and trainers probably won’t have the desired impact. Those who are still determined to don some facial furniture should, however, not be disheartened for there are some wonderful self-adhesive options available on the market.
It is no secret that a most honourable bunch, with the exception of Hitler, has sported the moustache. With famed wearers including Salvador Dali, Charlie Chaplin, Albert Einstein, and Hercule Poirot retro-themed moustache inspiration is almost unlimited. So instead of groaning upon seeing a moustached man in the street congratulate him for representing such an admirable legacy. And remember, the old English proverb states that ‘a man without a moustache is like a cup of tea without sugar’. And whilst I don’t like sugar in my tea, I most certainly do like a man with a moustache.
Movember doesn’t come often enough.
You have ignited a moustache love for me. Bring on the mighty tache!
It seems as though you haven’t included a picture of Vincent Price – I am just correcting this for you.
http://i2.listal.com/image/501423/600full-vincent-price.jpg