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.
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by Frank | Bars, Cafés, Mitte, Neukölln, Shops
You open your eyes. And the first thing you see is a poster of Venice. You ask yourself every time why somebody chose such a kitschy poster to hang over that chair.
If you were in Venice right now, it would be embarrassing to send a postcard with that picture to your loved ones.
But when you lie in that bed, in which you sleep a few nights every year, you are happy about that yellowed sunset over the Rialto Bridge.
Because you know that if you are in Venice, you are in Paris.
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by Alicia | Photos, Stories
photo: Patrick Mettraux
If you walk around in Berlin with open eyes and with a bit of attention towards the male sex you might have noticed: People love beards here. And it’s not just a hipster thing like in many other big cities. Here in Berlin a man needs a beard, the bigger the better. Girls love, boys love it and can’t have enough of it.
I personally think that every man looks better with a beard. Certainly there are men who look amazing without it too, but surely will look even better with some facial hair. I guess it’s no coincedent that the core I HEART BERLIN team of Claudio, Devid and myself sport a beard as well. And it’s no coincedent either, that one of our favorite series on the blog is the Beard Monologues by our guest contributor Alicia Kassebohm.
So with all this beard loving it was about time that someone wrote a book about it. Apparently this is what a good friend and work mate of mine thought. Together with author Kevin Clarke he compiled a great compendium of manly beards with lots of photos and texts about the history of facial hair, the styles in different cultures and it’s meaning and appearance in pop culture and fashion. The book was released by Berlin-based publisher Bruno Gmünder and has the spot-on title BEARDS – An Unshaved History. You can win a copy now on our Lucky Thursday! They also have their own dedicated beard lover Facebook page – make sure to follow.
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by Frank | Misc.
