Even though the fashion world is currently trying to rush this trend out of the door as fast as they can, you can’t deny that the reality is quite a different one: Beards are still going strong! With the rise of the bearded hipster and the “Lumbersexual” the beard has become the subject of trends in the past decade, and of course trends come and go. But to be honest, beards have been there before these trends, not just in the hip metropolises of the world, but also in many other cities and cultures. And I think they will survive the passing of trends and will hopefully remain in many men’s faces!
In Berlin apparently 53% of men are wearing some kind of beard. 33,5% are sporting a full beard which is my personal favorite, not only for my own face, but also for other men. In fact I believe that every man looks better with a beard, only few men actually look good without one. The grooming brand Braun has now released the results of a survey they conveyed in major cities of Europe. They show similarly high numbers for beards in London, Milan, and Barcelona. With 63% beards Istanbul is actually the most beardy city and with 48% beards Paris makes the end of the ranking.
So, Berlin is not the winner of the beard race, as I would have guessed, but we are still a big player in the field. Of course a beard alone is not enough for a good style. While nicely groomed and trimmed facial hair is a good start we also need some clothes, design and other items that go along with it. To celebrate a little bit the ongoing appreciation of beards in Berlin we selected some of the nicest shops and places that we think somehow relate to the lifestyle of bearded men. Dive in and enjoy our Bearded Gentleman Guide for Berlin after the jump.
left: Paris, right: London
left: Istanbul, right: Berlin
Before we dive into our guide let’s have a look at these 4 charming bearded gentlemen. They are some of the guys that Braun interviewed for their survey in different European cities. In Berlin they spoke with 1000 men about their beards and came up with a detailed ranking of all the different beard styles that guys seem to have here. I was a bit surprised about the variety and some of these names I have never heard of! Let’s have a look at the top 5 beard styles of Berlin: 1. Full Beard (33,5%), 2. Balbo (17,6%), 3. Goatee with Moustache (12,1%), 4. Long Goatee (9,4%), and finally 5. Chin Puff with Moustache (7,6%). While it’s not surprising that the full beard is in the first position I’m a little surprised not to find the simple Moustache anywhere in the list, even though I feel like you see that one so much in Berlin lately. Well, now enough about beard style, not let’s have a look at our new guide!
This bright and friendly boutique is one of my favorites for menswear in town. Here the sporty men get dressed with a really good selection of young Scandinavian and British brands. For the bearded guys they also have a couple of amazing grooming and beauty products, for example the Organic Argan Oil Products from Mühle Shaving and the complete Windsor line of Dr Harris & CO.
Weinbergsweg 22, 10119 Berlin-Mitte
Soto is pretty much a classic for menswear in Berlin. The double store at Torstraße carries a wide range of menswear from established international brands and designers and all the accessories and shoes that go with it.
Torstrasse 72, 10119 Berlin-Mitte
Berlin-based menswear label A.D.Deertz and their little boutique at Rosenthaler Platz is a treasure trove for the bearded man with lots of amazing shirts and jackets that match every beard. We especially like the cool hats from Berlin-based label NCA that they also have in the store.
Torstr. 106, Berlin-Mitte
The casual gentleman dresses at Trüffelschwein. The store at Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße is another one of the Berlin classics in terms of menswear and their selection of international labels never disappoints.
Rosa-Luxemburg-Str 21, 10178 Berlin-Mitte
Of course the sophisticated man of today needs a little bit of beauty from time to time. And his beard too of course! Wheadon has all you need in terms of products and equipment with a focus on fair trade products with natural ingredients. They also offer grooming, hair cuts and beauty treatments in the salon in the basement.
Steinstr. 17, 10119 Berlin-Mitte
What would a bearded man be without a cool bicycle? Standert has all you need for the perfect customized bike. And as bikes match so well with coffee the place is also a cafe. In the summer they also have delicious popsicles.
Invalidenstraße 157, 10115 Berlin-Mitte
What could be more charming than some milk foam in the moustache? One of the best coffee shops in town is The Barn on Auguststraße and the bigger Barn Coffee Roasters on Schönhauser Allee. They have their own roast of coffee here that is quite the feast for coffee lovers. Mind you, they have quite special rules how they serve their coffee, no exceptions made.
Schönhauser Allee 8, 10119 Berlin-Mitte
One of the best selections of style magazines for men you can find at the newly opened Soda Books store at Rosenthaler Platz. They have a mix of books and magazines ranging from art, lifestyle, fashion, architecture, design, travel, cooking and so much more.
Weinbergsweg 1, 10119 Berlin-Mitte
Of course a man is only half a man without a house. And the house needs to look proper! We find that Danish teak-wood furniture from the 60s are the perfect match for most beards and therefor our recommendation goes out to Vintage Galore at Sanderstraße that has one of the finest selection of said type of furniture.
Sanderstrasse 12, 12047 Berlin-Neukölln
The Gin & Tonic Bar on Friedrichstraße is a really gentlemen style bar that serves excellent drinks and cocktails with a special focus on Gin. In the atmosphere of an old English hunting room it all tastes just so much better.
Friedrichstraße 113, 10117 Berlin-Mitte
Thanks for the support by Braun
