Counting down top 5 moustaches
On the back of our popular feature on famous historical beards, we present to you now a collection of history’s most distinctive or memorable moustaches. Read on for some examples of whiskers both stately and surreal, a bit about their owners, and what tools they could have used to maintain their look. Who gets your number 1 moustache award? Lets get started…
The Moustache List
1. Salvador Dali
First edition cover of ‘Dali’s Mustache’
Dali with his pet Ocelot, sporting his trademark moustache
Moustache type: Heavily waxed upturned
Famous for: One of the most high profile surrealist artists, he produced over 1500 works in his career, including the widely recognised ‘The Persistence of Memory’ depicting melting clock faces. He also sculpted, wrote, acted in and directed films.
Moustache Fact: A book was published on Dali’s moustache in a collaboration between himself and his friend the photographer Philipe Halsman and contained 28 black and white portraits of Dali with different uses of his whiskers. From the self titled ‘smallest mustache of the world’ up to his trademark heavily waxed, dramatic and gravity defying signature moustache, it is thought that it is the only book ever published on an individuals facial hair. In a poll conducted for Movember by MSN, Salvador Dali came out on top as the best-known moustache of all time.
Ideal Barber Tools: To give the moustache such a prominent feature on the face, there should be no other whiskers detracting from it. A good wet shave is needed, perhaps by a barber using a cut throat razor or a safety razor if attempted at home. The moustache should then be grown out and kept in check using a pair of special scissors for the job. Beard and moustache scissors are very good at allowing a person to get fine control when shaping any facial hair.
2. Errol Flynn
A true gentlemans moustache, but was he really a gentleman?
Errol’s autobiography
Moustache type: Debonair Pencil Moustache
Famous for: Handsome Hollywood star of the golden age who had a scandalous reputation as a playboy, often shared the screen with beautiful starlett Olivia de Havilland. Typically played the swashbuckling lead in films such as ‘Captain Blood’, ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’, and ‘The Sea Hawk.’
Moustache fact: Alongside Clark Gable, Mr Flynn popularised this minimalist facial hair style, and became such a notorious womanizer that the phrase ‘in like Flynn’ refers to the successful seduction of a lady – an act which he is said to have found easy. Was it the moustache?
Ideal Barber Tools: Once growth has been trimmed back with some beard and moustache scissors, a nice sharp shavette can be carefully utilised for shaping. A safety razor such as the SR+ is perfect for keeping the face beard free to allow the pencil moustache to shine.
3. Albert Einstein
The twinkly-eyed German genius as he is best remembered
Einstein in his 30’s
Moustache type: Bushy full top lip moustache
Famous for: Einstein was the godfather of modern science contributing amongst many others, the theory of relativity – considered to be one of the two pillars of modern physics (the other being quantum mechanics). Widely known for what is often called the worlds most famous equation E=mc2, and easily recognised of course, by his eccentric appearance.
Moustache fact: In addition to his wild hair, his famously bushy moustache created an iconic image that meant Einstein unwittingly helped to popularise the mad scientist/quirky genius stereotype, depsite being anything but.
Ideal Barber Tools: Considering that his moustache is not particularly kempt like his hair a little trim from the Dark Stag beard and moustache scissors may have been all that was needed. Keeping his cheeks clean would not take a genius – rather a swift shave every morning with a shavette. Eureka!
The film that marked the first appearance of Chaplins ‘The Tramp’ character sporting the distinctive moustache
Chaplin as he appeared in The Great Dictator.
Moustache type: Toothbrush moustache
Famous for: Despite a childhood steeped in poverty, Charlie Chaplin become a stand out slapstick comic performer in the era of silent film. He became a global icon with his character “the Tramp” (debuted on film in Kid Auto Races at Venice), and is considered to be one of the most important figures in the history of the film industry. Something of a perfectionist, he wrote, directed, produced, edited, starred in and composed the music for most of his films. This perfectionism may have given rise to his adoption of the famous toothbrush moustache for comedic effect.
Moustache fact: The myth that Hitler copied Chaplin’s moustache is false. Despite satirising Hitler in his film ‘The Great Dictator’, and records showing that Chaplin’s name was listed in a book for Nazis to exterminate, there is no connection. The real reason Hitler adopted the similar style was allegedly through orders in the trenches so that it would fit properly under the respirator mask which was introduced in response to British mustard gas attacks.
Ideal Barber Tools: Cut throat razor for shaping, but it would have taken a skilled barber to do so. Regular wet shaving at home with a safety razor such as the SR1, and use of a Beard comb for regular grooming and to aid trimming with beard and moustache scissors would have all been required to maintain the distinctive look which is either comedic or sinister depending on the owner.
5. Freddy Mercury
Immortalised in wax at Maddame Tussauds, London
If you take away the moustache what would you be left with?
Moustache type: Chevron Moustache
Famous for: Are you kidding? Freddie Mercury was the iconic, flamboyant, four-octave range singer of quintessential British rock band Queen, who boast anthems Bohemian Rhapsody, Don’t Stop Me Now, We Are The Champions along with others, in their extensive discography.
Moustache fact: Audio exists of him asking a crowd during a concert if the girls like the moustache, and if the boys like the moustache. After screaming from both addressed subsets of the audience, Freddie proclaims that a lot of people don’t like it. Before pausing and announcing that he doesn’t give a fuck.
Ideal Barber Tools: Regular trimming with the beard and moustache scissors in tandem with the beard comb to keep the shape neat. Keep the face cleanly shaven with a luxurious wet shave with any of our razors. Freddie would have like the extra style offered by the premium steel straight razor.
And there we have it – the top 5 famous moustaches.
Until then, tight fades.
Dark Stag Team
All images displayed in this article are used from wikimedia commons.