The ‘Stache Returns

 

Written by Oscar Hernandez and Victoria Mossa-Mariani


Though the Mustache has experienced a renaissance as of late, it’s important to address how we arrived here. The mustache was not always brandished as a look of satire worn by skinny kids in girls’ clothing, as it is today. Rather, it was wielded by real men to set themselves apart from the drones of average men.

The word mustache according to the American Mustache Institute is originally derived from Middle Greek as a diminutive of the word mystak meaning upper lip. The organization states that the oldest portrait showing a shaved man with a mustache is a Scythian horseman from the Gilliette Dynasty in the year 300 BC. The mustache’s history goes deeper than what will be discussed in this article but, the first sign of cool for the mustache was when the sexiest man alive wore his: dark, thick and proud.  The man I am referring to is, of course, Burt Reynolds. At the height of his 1970’s fame, mustached Burt did the first male nude centerfold for Vogue Magazine, a publication directed primarily toward the female demographic. From this point forward, the mustache was never to be the same. Men took note of females’ love for Burt and began to cultivate their own above the lip creations. While some were dead sexy in similar ways, many fell short of the high expectations set by Burt. Most of the men that could successfully pull this look off were artistic sorts, openly gay or both, such as the late, great Freddie Mercury of Queen whose mustache was coveted by men and boys alike.

Many of these same men became fathers in the 1970s and 1980s; in fact, I dare anyone reading this article to pull out a picture of their father in his prime. You’ll no doubt find pops not only sporting a mustache, a beard, or side burns but wearing corduroy OP shorts with a tall boy in his hand as well…the possible combinations are endless. While these men were considered to be men’s men at the time, they did little to further the mystique of the mustache.  After the demise of disco, the gay community managed to keep the mustache alive for a brief period but they too had all but abandoned the look by the 1990s.

Fast forward to 2008, the mustache has been hijacked from its humble beginnings as a 70’s sex symbol, repackaged and …

Ironically, straight indie liberals have adopted several of the fashion trends that were once considered by some to be an indication of one’s sexual preference for same sex partners. Which brings us back to the mustache, from The Kings of Leon, and Go, Go Bordello, to Jack White and Nick Cave of The Bad Seeds, the mustache has been at the very least, tried on for size by a myriad of indie music celebs. Their legions of devoted fans have taken note and mirrored their adoration on their furry albeit sometimes fledgling faces. This new generation of flavor saver fanatics has started their own bands, their own clothing labels and their own counter culture endeavors which have certainly enabled the mustache to have another go ‘round in the limelight.

As of today, one of the most popular mustaches in the United States belongs to New York Yankee, Jason Giambi. The mustache is so in demand in The Big Apple that last year, Yankee Stadium gave away Jason Giambi mustaches to every fan in attendance! Even in its heyday, the mustache was never given out to honor a baseball star.  Which is tragic, as Rollie Fingers, a man who arguably had the best mustache in baseball history once graced the San Diego Padres with his presence and rusty colored handle bars! Legend has it that Rollie grew his out alongside his 1972 Oakland Athletics teammates under the challenge of eccentric team owner, Charley Finely. You can read more about it in the book, The Mustache Gang written by Ron Bergman available on Amazon.com.

One point must be noted, the mustached look may run its course just like any other fashion trend, but it is the mark of a survivor worn by some of the greatest figures in history of the world, both good and bad. The comeback of the mustache is inevitable; the true question is what will the mustache say about those that wear it in the future? What will it say about who they are as a people? Who will the mass demographic that wears it be in the next generation? The Mustache has been regal, sexy, gay and indie, could it’s’ next time around be hip-hop infused? Only time will tell.  Until then, amuse yourself as I did with the plethora of variations of the mustache and the colorful names that accompany them at www.americanmustacheinstitute.org