28 Types of Moustaches

Moustaches were a rage during the 80s but dipped in popularity since then. But if you wish to create some variety with your look without putting in much effort, then a moustache can serve as your ultimate ally. If you are ready to jump onto the moustache bandwagon, then read on to know about the different styles and select the one which will suit you best.

Different Types Of Moustaches

1. The Natural
2. Dali
3. Painter’s Brush
4. Plumber (Mario)
5. Hungarian
6. Shadow
7. Professor
8. El Bandito
9. Lampshade
10. Fu Manchu
11. Asterix
12. Handlebar
13. Cowboy Moustache
14. English
15. Horseshoe
16. Chevron
17. Walrus
18. Pencil
19. Imperial
20. Toothbrush
21. Dallas
22. Pyramid
23. Wild West
24. Zappa
25. Gunslinger
26. Cantinflas
27. Petite Handlebar
28. A La Souvarov

1. The Natural

This is the perfect moustache for those who are venturing for the first time into the facial hair game. The best thing about Natural moustache is that it doesn’t have any rules and expresses masculinity in an unstated and unfussy way. Natural serves as the ideal middle ground between Walrus and pencil-thin moustaches.

• Best Suited For: All face shapes.
• Who Wore It: Actor James Franco

2. Dali

This type of moustache draws its nomenclature from surrealist painter Salvador Dali who sported signature curly whips. Magicians used to swear by this style given the aura of mystery it radiates. Corners of this moustache are grown long so that they stretch up to the cheekbones on being tilted upwards.

• Best Suited For: Men with oblong faces having scanty moustache growth.
• Who Wore It: Salvador Dali

3. Painter’s Brush

The Painter’s Brush moustache holds a close resemblance to Chevron style. However, it doesn’t extend past the mouth and has a curve on its underside.

• Best Suited For: Men with square faces.
• Who Wore It: Brad Pitt in the movie Inglourious Basterds

4. Plumber (Mario)

The Mario or Plumber moustache draws inspiration from Nintendo’s classic Mario Brothers and Donkey Kong video games. This moustache is characterized by an upward curve at the top and a scalloped bottom design. Low maintenance requirement has made this style an absolute hit amongst tradesmen.

• Best Suited For: Men with less angular and more rounded or oval faces.
• Who Wore It: Mario and Luigi of Super Mario Brothers fame.

5. Hungarian

Making a bold statement becomes easy with the Hungarian moustache where the hair is pulled on opposite sides so that the centre remains big and full as it tapers towards the ends. This big and bushy style takes around four months to reach its full stature. But you need to style it properly as otherwise, the facial hairs can droop over into the mouth.

• Best Suited For: Men with a strong and square face since it offers a solid foundation.
• Who Wore It: Kaiser Wilhelm

6. Shadow

Create a mere hint of the moustache by not shaving your facial hair for one day. The ultimate outcome will however be determined by the rate of hair growth.

• Best Suited For: All face types.
• Who Wore It: Hollywood heartthrob George Clooney at various red-carpet events.

7. Professor

Just as the name suggests, this classic style is an absolute favourite of professors. It tags along with an air of playful wisdom and maturity which is why most movies showcase college professors sporting this style. However, you need to have strong facial hair growth for trying out this style. The rugged moustache also speaks out in favour of chivalry and discipline as you pair this style with trousers and V-neck sweaters.

• Best Suited For: Men over 35 have thick facial hair.
• Who Wore It: Robert Winston

8. El Bandito

Men of all ages can try out this classic Spanish style of moustache having curved upper ends. This can be achieved easily with minimal maintenance making it perfect for men who can’t devote enough time to daily grooming.

• Best Suited For: Men with a well-defined jawline and narrow facial structure.
• Who Wore It: Hugh Jackman

9. Lampshade

This close cousin of Paintbrush moustache comes with angled edges which make it resemble a lampshade. Actors playing authoritarian roles in movies can often be seen sporting this style which looks elegant on mature men with chiselled features.

• Best Suited For: Men with square face shape as it accentuates the strong jawline.
• Who Wore It: Dave Lewis

10. Fu Manchu

This iconic style of moustache begins neatly from the mouth corners and extends into your tendrils. It carries a resemblance to the horseshoe style and is often sported by actors in Oriental movies. This moustache never fails to portray a sense of aloofness and exclusiveness which can surely make you grab the spotlight in a crowd. You need to keep the area above the mouth ends clean-shaven to keep the Fu Manchu style looking different from a classic horseshoe.

• Best Suited For: Older men having diamond-shaped faces.
• Who Wore It: Christopher Lee in Fu Manchu series.

11. Asterix

Growing the Asterix style of moustache is pretty easy although it has considerable grooming requirement.

• Best Suited For: Men with long and thin faces.
• Who Wore It: Asterix

12. Handlebar

It is impossible to miss the Handlebar moustache style having long and upward curves along with its tips. A sheer resemblance to bicycle handlebars has led to its nomenclature. You need to apply some styling wax for curling up the edges of this extremely bushy moustache. Handlebar style was a rage amongst the cowboys of the 1800s and have made a comeback amongst 21st-century hipsters. An advanced level of difficulty makes this moustache ideal for people who can devote considerable time to styling.

• Best Suited For: Men with long and thin faces.
• Who Wore It: Rollie Fingers

13. Cowboy Moustache

Though a cowboy moustache might not impress you with its neatness it can carry vibes of the wild west. Growing this moustache is time-consuming and best suited for people with thick facial hair growth.

• Best Suited For: Men with long and triangular faces.
• Who Wore It: Sam Elliott

14. English

This narrow moustache is divided along the centre of the upper lip and pulled in either side for imparting an elongated appearance. While the whiskers are long, they are not very bushy. This classic style is favoured by men as it helps them in exuding a classy and elegant style. The English style of moustache requires more growth time and you need to maintain the same with extra precision.

• Best Suited For: Men with long and thin faces as it diverts attention away from the pointier face edges.
• Who Wore It: David Niven

15. Horseshoe

Vertical extensions growing out of the corners of the lips adds a masculine touch to this moustache which resembles an upside-down horseshoe. While this style can flatter almost all face types, it is difficult to both achieve and maintain. This moustache can commonly be seen amongst athletes and bikers having a sturdy chest and bulging biceps.

• Best Suited For: Men with round and oval faces.
• Who Wore It: Hulk Hogan

16. Chevron

This man next door style is characterized by a full and bushy moustache that is worn through the entire upper lip and climaxes at the corners of your mouth. You can nail a fierce look with this moustache style which needs to be trimmed occasionally so that the hair doesn’t cover the upper lip. It takes around five months to grow this moustache and yields the best results on men having thick and coarse facial hair.

• Best Suited For: Men with oval faces.
• Who Wore It: Tom Selleck

17. Walrus

Walrus moustache is characterized by bushy hair which droops down below the upper lips. This style is more rounded and overgrown than Chevron but works only on men with thick facial hair.

• Best Suited For: Men with larger facial features.
• Who Wore It: American actor Jamie Hyneman of MythBusters fame.

18. Pencil

A pencil moustache resembles an even line tracing the upper lip. This line can either be thick or thin but needs to be worn with care. The low-maintenance pencil moustache is best for workaholic people who are passionate about the things they do.

• Best Suited For: Men with a round face structure.
• Who Wore It: John Waters

19. Imperial

Make a bold statement with the thick Imperial moustache which grows from both the cheeks and upper lips. This style looks best on mature men and youngsters should stay away from it. However, it tends to get messy very easily and so you need to shave your chin and cheeks regularly.

• Best Suited For: Men with a rectangular or large square face.
• Who Wore It: Ambrose Burnside

20. Toothbrush

Also known as a Soul Patch worn above the upper lip, a toothbrush moustache was worn by the likes of Adolph Hitler and Charlie Chaplin. You need to shave this extremely thick moustache around 1-2 inches across the centre and above the upper lip.

• Best Suited For: Men with thick lips and rounder faces.
• Who Wore It: Adolph Hitler

21. Dallas

Ooze out major cowboy vibes with this iconic moustache which carries an aura of an oil tycoon. However, you need to shampoo and trim your beard on a regular basis.

• Best Suited For: Men with square faces having round features and a strong jawline.
• Who Wore It: Actor Matthew McConaughey

22. Pyramid

The shape of this moustache is similar to a pyramid as they are narrow at the top and widen out slowly at the end of the whiskers. However, the width and density of moustache hair vary from one person to another. Maintaining this style is easy provided you have a stubble or precision trimer in your arsenal.

• Best Suited For: All face types.
• Who Wore It: George Clooney in the movie Men Who Stare at Goats.

23. Wild West

You can think of a Wild West Moustache as a combination of Cowboy style having a slight hint of the handlebar. This looks great on men of all age groups having a flamboyant personality.

• Best Suited For: Men having triangular and longer faces.
• Who Wore It: Kurt Russel in the movie Shootout at the OK Corral.

24. Zappa

Creating a Frank Zappa stache can be an easy affair for men who don’t face any difficulty in growing facial hair. It is characterized by a bushy upper lip and a square-shaped soul patch on the chin. This style has minimal maintenance requirements and looks exceptionally well on being paired with stubble.

• Best Suited For: Men having square and oblong faces.
• Who Wore It: Guitar maestro Frank Zappa.

25. Gunslinger

Charm women with the rugged gunslinger moustache which oozes out raw sexuality to help you grab the limelight. Once your thick stache grows out naturally just pinch the ends so that they appear narrow like a handlebar but with a more rounded look.

• Best Suited For: Men with larger facial features.
• Who Wore It: Actors in most western movies.

26. Cantinflas

This unusual style can be attained by shaving off your entire beard while keeping the hair at the corners of your mouth intact. You can attain a sufficient length following 3 weeks of hair growth after which it needs to be trimmed into a triangular shape pointing towards your nose.

• Best Suited For: Men with triangular-shaped faces.
• Who Wore It: Mexican comedian and actor Mario Moreno.

27. Petite Handlebar

If you are looking for a less intense look than the traditional handlebar, then you can opt for a petite handlebar. It looks best on a clean-shaven face and an undercut hairstyle. This trimmer variant of the handlebar is slightly more curved and neater than its big brother.

• Best Suited For: Men with oval and longer face shapes.
• Who Wore It: Joseph Stalin

28. A La Souvarov

This old-style of moustache draws its name from Russian General Alexander Suvorov who could be seen sporting the same. It combines long sideburns which connect to form a moustache. You need to first grow a full beard and trim it for achieving thick sideburns.

• Best Suited For: Men with larger facial features.
• Who Wore It: Russian general Alexander Suvorov.

If you are a novice, then you need to start with a simple style. Growing and maintaining a moustache is easier than a beard. But you need to be patient along this whole process for the best results. Once the facial hair grows, you will have to trim it for attaining the perfect shape. The hair growth process can be further boosted up by getting proper sleep and following a balanced diet.