Style is something that reflects personal preferences. It is a clue into what is appealing to someone. There really is no exact guide as to what should and what should not be done when it comes to a person’s fashion sense. What is in vogue one season might be seen as faux pas in the next. Everyone is free to decide how to express himself. Perhaps the main considerations would be if it were offensive to the public in general such as being patently obscene. The observer is likewise free to form his own opinions about a person’s appearance as long as it is not meant to be libelous in nature.
There have been different beliefs of what constitutes a good beard style. The classic look is probably the safest way to go. This would cover the entire jaw area, with everything below the line where the head meets the neck being clean-shaven. The angle just beneath the ears is rounded out to create a more natural appearance. Other styles such as the Van Dyke are for those who would like to have a sharper image. It is mainly made up of a disconnected moustache from the goatee, with an optional soul patch for an added effect. A Chin Strap beard on the other hand is something that has divided the opinion of current beard enthusiasts.
This style might have had its origins from the chin curtain beard. The latter would cover the entire jawline as well as have hair growth underneath the chin. It was worn by the American president, Abraham Lincoln and is still popular among the Amish. A Chin Strap beard is different in that it only covers the outer edges of the chin and jaw. It does not include anything beneath it. This style requires very little facial hair, making it popular among younger men. A modern day celebrity that uses this look is the NBA superstar, Dwane Wade.
Creating a Chin Strap beard requires the usual essentials for shaving: warm water, soap, a good razor and shaving cream. A moderate amount of beard growth must already be present before proceeding. It does not need to be a full month’s worth but only a two-week stubble would suffice. Begin with washing the face with warm water and soap to clear away any dirt as well as excess oil. Apply shaving cream over the moustache, jaw and neck area. Proceed by trimming the hair off the cheeks while leaving a thick beard line at the outer edges of the jaw and chin. This can be made thinner later, after the rest of the beard has been shaped. The moustache should be shaved next, taking care while trimming at the sides of the mouth. There should be a slightly thick portion left in the chin area even after the soul patch is taken out. Next comes the part where the Chin Strap beard comes into full form. Everything at the bottom of the jaw, chin and neck area is to be shaven off. The only hair that would be left will be in the jawline and upper chin region. Its thickness can be reduced further, as preferred.
There are beard growing enthusiasts that feel this style is a bit juvenile or even unnatural looking. It makes the head look entirely separated from the neck, making it appear lopsided. While some will agree with this opinion, there are also others who believe that this look is for them. The Chin Strap is simply an extremely trimmed full beard. This is what most beard connoisseurs might feel adamant against. They might be of the opinion that a man’s facial hair should appear as naturally thick as possible, which is the exact opposite of this razor-like style. It is of no moment however because anyone is free to wear his beard in whichever way he feels comfortable.
