In 5 years time the beard grooming industry is expected to grow from £17 billion to a whopping £30 billion worldwide, with Europe and North America set to be the driving force behind the staggering increase. Facial hair trends seem to be changing very quickly and in 2021 it seems that a less scruffy, well groomed facial hair is the overwhelming beard of choice amongst the men out there. Whether you are growing your beard to show off your masculinity, or are simply feeling too lazy to shave, there are many styles available for the modern day man to explore. Here we take a look at some of the most popular… and less popular beards you may come across.

2 day stubble, 3 day stubble, everyday were stub-stub-a-ling. We’ve called this one the 3 day stubble, but the truth is everyone’s whiskers grow at a different rate. You need to find your optimum length of growth for this look, whether you prefer the sandpaper stubble, or a slightly fuller look will determine what day you fall on and the shaving instrument of choice. Ex Premier League and England football star Jamie Redknapp was a master of the stubble, of course being extremely attractive helps him to pull it off.

It’s no secret that not every man out there has the ability to grow the beauty that is a full beard. The first thing to consider is that you have to have patience when it comes to growing such a masterpiece. Unfortunately, unlike in the film Evan Almighty, full Noah beards do not magically appear after rubbing your face with a towel – it is a gradual process with lots of grooming required.  Bristol and Fiji rugby star Semi Radradra provides the inspiration for many young men in our home city but due to image royalty rights, you will have to make do with the image below.

Now I’m pretty sure that if you are a man that shaves, at some point in your life you will have shaved your cheeks first to check what you look like with a goatee, stood in the mirror for a few moments, and then proceeded to shave the rest of it off. But if you ever wanted to try a goatee now is the time what with the resurgence of beards over the past decade. Popular amongst men with patchy or uneven growth of facial hair, the goatee can be groomed to many variations. Comedy legend Billy Connolly has sported one for years, although we’ll leave the colour choice up to you if you aren’t as brave as Billy!

Taking their name from a piece of chopped lamb, the mutton chop look is not one of the most common beards out there. But hey, if you want to stand out from the crowd it might just be the facial hair that you need in your life. Essentially a full beard with the chin and mustache shaved, Mutton chops were the beard of choice for X-Men’s Wolverine and the late, great John Lennon. Are we about to see a lot more of them over the coming years?

Often referred to as the Amish look, a chin strap beard runs from one side of the hairline to the other following the jawline. A style which was famous during the late 18th century through to the mid 19th century, the chin strap is now a lot less common than other designer beards. Although British F1 star Lewis Hamilton and Rapper Stormzy may disagree with that view as they are regularly spotted sporting the infamous style.

‘Silver Fox’ is a term that is bounded around the place when it comes to handsome older men. Normally the colour change is down to a reduction of melanin in the hair follicles as a man ages that causes the grey look, although beard dye is on the increase amongst younger men chasing the distinguished look. Ageing like a fine wine, the master of this beard is probably George Clooney, however hot on his heels is Ant Middleton. The SAS Who Dares Wins star and inspirational author has been blamed by the military for an increase in new recruits with beards. Now, with a few greys starting to come through he looks set to take the crown as the new silver fox in the coming decade as his beard transitions.

Effectively a small tuft of hair that sits under the bottom lip, the soul patch first came to prominence in the 50’s and 60’s most commonly amongst jazz players. It’s purpose started off as a comfort tool for musicians playing the trumpet, as it provided relief for the lower lip area to prevent discomfort from the rubbing of the instrument on the skin. Requiring very little maintenance due to its size, the soul patch has been popular amongst many people, including the self proclaimed ‘Mr Worldwide’ rapper Pitbull & former football player David Villa.

You guessed it, the Viking beard is named after the fierce scandinavian warriors of the late 800-1100’s. However the beards were not so much a fashion statement, rather more of a way of keeping their faces warm during the bitter temperatures they faced. Fast forward to the 20th century and the introduction of Ragnar Lothbrok to our screens in the TV Series Vikings, and there has been an explosion in the popularity of the style which portrays raw manliness and strength. Longer Viking beards are often combed, braided and even donned with jewellery.

Named after the late Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, the ‘Verdi’ beard features a handlebar moustache and a fully rounded beard. Requiring a high level of maintenance and up to 8 months worth of growth, the moustache is generally maintained using a rounded brush and some styling wax. I’m sure you will agree, the end result can be somewhat of a masterpiece!

To be honest, we are not actually sure if this is a thing, we just made it up. With the arrival of a worldwide pandemic caused by Covid-19 and half of the world entering lockdown, we saw the birth of a new beard, the Corona beard. With little to no maintenance required, the Corona beard is a great option for people that have stopped caring about their appearance whilst at home. All you need to do is let your beard grow and gradually morph into Tom Hanks in Cast Away!

Did we miss any of your favourite beard styles?  Let us know on social media.