Man Face Pizzaz Is Over

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Beards, like skinny jeans and nail art, are over. Very 2012. Shave immediately. Essayist Peter Lawrence Kane opines in the The Bold Italic that the mainstream fascination with beards is likely nearing its end, partly because "mainstreaming of the three-day stubble 'hipster' look" is a phrase recently spoken by Proctor & Gamble's CFO while discussing lagging razor sales. Also, the White House press secretary now has a beard. The Guardian called it last July.

We've previous discussed Looking's Frankie J. Alvarez's beard situation. Beard enthusiasm among gays, however, is different and not likely going anywhere, Kane says. The hipsters and press secretaries of the world may be clean shaven six months from now, but "Gay World" will remain beardy.

However fluctuating and fashion-forward gay male styles may be, the lines drawn around beards and who's got one remain pretty fixed. (The long, bushy-yet-manicured beard is more recent, though. And sexy.)

We hope beards stick around for a while—like Kane says, they're "a splendid way to add pizzazz to your face."
· Beards Are Over [The Bold Italic]
· Frankie J. Alvarez Digs SF Men and Their Beards [Racked SF]