How To Rock The Stubble Look
by Jamie | June 16, 2011 | In Grooming
While some people have to be clean-shaven for work every day, others have more flexibility in how they wear their facial hair. We’ve already told you we don’t approve of hair shaved into shapes… so let that be clear.
Many women find a little scruff on a guy very sexy. On the other hand, if you don’t do it right, what you think might be sexy actually will make you look totally frumptastic (bad).
Rules for rocking stubble:
- Shave at night (your whole face). If you shave at night, you’ll already be on your way to some decent stubble by morning. Also, let’s say you shave every five days… shaving at night will give your skin more time to recover from shaving five days of hair growth.
- Don’t try to shape it. Some people will tell you to shave your neck when rocking stubble, meaning the chin line and below. I strongly disagree with this. If you’re growing a full on beard, then yes, you should clean up the edges. However, the whole point of stubble is to look cool/sexy without trying. Having your neck obviously shaved negates that entire point.
- One exception to the no-shaping rule. If you have some stray hairs growing too high on your cheeks, you should get rid of them. If there are only a few, plucking them with tweezers is the best method for removal. If you have to shave them, do it very carefully and make sure it’s not noticeable that you shaved.
- Watch the length. Stubble is not a full beard, make sure you shave (or trim) it regularly enough to keep up with the speed your hair grows.
You should NOT wear stubble if:
- Your facial hair does not grow in evenly. Patchy hair or a neck beard is never a good look, so just shave it clean.
- You have a chubby face. Not going to sugarcoat it… if you have a little pudge on your face, letting it get covered in stubble will most likely accentuate the problem.
- You have uneven skin tone. This one is a bit subjective, but if your face looks patchy due to any skin conditions, adding extra contrast with facial hair may not help you out. Best bet is to ask one of your chick friends for an honest opinion.
- Your hair is a weird color. Lets be honest… some dudes have weird color facial hair. If this is you, the stubble look might not be for you. Typically, dark hair works best for the stubble look. As mentioned previously, skin tone also plays a role. So, getting an objective opinion from someone is a good idea.
- It doesn’t fit your style. Stubble isn’t meant for everyone. It sends a subtle, “I don’t need to bother shaving because I look good anyway” message. So, if you’re totally straight edge, wearing your khakis and dress shirt every day… this look might not be for you.
A little scruff, a little scrape on your body when he is kidding you…very sexy. A weird "flavor savor" or other shaped facial hair is very creepy though. A nice 5 o'clock shadow is sexy as hell though. Thanks for spreading the word!
The first person I remember with scruff was the Ayatollah Khomeini and the question was: "Is that a beard, or WHAT?" I am hoping that men with white hair are reading this–white scruff is NEVER sexy! This is just one look that needs to be left to the darker haired men. Also, I have not seen scruff cover acne scars, sorry. Chick scruff is right down there with geezer scruff.
So, does Hugh Laurie have geezer scruff?
After college, I went to nightclubs constantly and got ignored by women. Then one weekend I forgot to shave, and had some stubble that was about 2 days old. I got 4 phone numbers that night and it was a complete 180 in terms of girls giving me attention. From that weekend on, for the first time in my life, I had no problems getting dates and girlfriends. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, had changed except the stubble. Needless to say, I haven't gone clean shaven since, and that was over 12 years ago. It works for my style and facial structure; see if it works for you.
Very cool story, thanks for sharing. And, it's true, some guys look best clean shaven, others just don't.
I disagree with the chubby statement. Most men with a chubby face have the saggy/fatty area between the jawline and neck. Having stubble that is closely lined to the jawline will help define it, thus slimming the chub.
It sounds good in theory, but doesn't always hold true. Good for the guys where it does.
I disagree with the chubby statement also. My face looks a little chubby and I don't like my chin when I am clean shaven. For some reason with scruff, it feels like I cover it up and don't look as chubby.