30 French Beard Styles to Stand Out
French Beards are so-called because they have been a popular beard style in France for the last few centuries. They are really popular with modern men across the Western world because they look great and they are low maintenance.
There are multiple variations of the French beard, including the french fork, petite goatee, anchor, van dyke, etc. With so many options, there’s bound to be a French beard style that’s perfect for you. Let’s find out everything about French beard.
What Is a French Beard?
The French beard is a style of facial hair that consists of a mustache and a small beard on the chin. It is also known as the Van Dyke. With a French beard, your mustache curves down and connects with the chin beard, but leaves the cheeks clean, similar to a goatee.
In some variations, you also grow a thin strip of hair up the center of the chin, connecting the chin beard to the lower lip as a soul patch.
This is a beard style that suits men who keep their facial hair well-groomed. It requires regular trimming and clean, sharp edges to look its best.
You have a few options when selecting your French mustache style. You can point the tips or leave them natural, and go thick or thin depending on your growth pattern.
A thinner mustache pairs well with a fuller chin beard, while a thicker mustache works better if your hair comes in a little patchy. Either way, keep the mustache light enough to reveal some of the upper lip on both sides.
Who Should Try A French Beard?
If you can grow a thick beard without too many gaps, you’ll look great with a French beard. Just trim it regularly and clean up any stray stubble as soon as it emerges. Strong cheekbones and slimmer cheeks are an even better reason to give this style a go.
Who Should Avoid a French Beard?
The biggest enemy of a French beard is neglect. Men who prefer long, low-maintenance beards should steer clear, because this style falls apart fast when it gets unkempt.
It also performs better on slimmer face shapes. Round cheeks will only appear fuller next to the sharp, sculpted edges of a French beard. Dense, even growth is a must, and a patchy mustache will work against you here.
French Beard or Van Dyke
There has long been some debate over the differences between a Van Dyke beard and a French beard. Historically, the two terms were used interchangeably. The original French beard kept the mustache and chin beard separate and distinct.
Over time, though, French beard has come to describe a style that encircles the mouth, with the mustache and chin beard connected.
How to Grow and Style a French Beard
Growing a French beard starts the same way as any other beard. Let all your facial hair grow out first, until the skin on the relevant areas is covered, then begin trimming it into shape.
Once you’re ready to trim, you’ll need to settle on a style. Decide whether you want the mustache and chin beard to connect, whether you’ll keep a soul patch, and how long you want the goatee portion to be.
Not sure where to start? Check out our French beard style recommendations below.
#1: Two-Tone Disconnected Goatee Without Soul Patch
This is an attention-grabbing look built entirely on contrast. A completely gray chin beard sits against a dark mustache, and removing the soul patch keeps the gap between them clean and sharp, so nothing muddies that two-tone effect.
#2: Red Bushy Full Goatee with Mustache Disconnect
If your beard grows fiery red, show it off with a full, bushy goatee. The thick chin beard pairs well with a mustache disconnect, keeping the lips and chin visible even through all that volume.
#3: Extended Goatee with Chin Strip and Soul Patch
Grow your beard to a heavy stubble to nail this one. Shape it into an extended goatee by shaving the cheeks clean while leaving growth along the jawline. Then connect the chin hair to the lower lip with a chin strip running through the soul patch zone.
#4: Coily Extended Goatee with Light Stubble Mustache
For guys with sparse growth on the cheeks and sideburns, an extended goatee that covers a small portion of the jawline is a smart move. Shave off the soul patch and trim the mustache down to a very light stubble.
That way, the chin beard stays the focal point of the whole look.
#5: Thin Van Dyke with Triangular Soul Patch
Want to add some chin projection or soften a round face? Keep the beard very thin and well-trimmed, and grow a triangular soul patch below the lower lip. Paired with the mustache, the soul patch forms a natural downward point, creating the impression of a sharper chin and a more heart-shaped face.
#6: Tough Guy Full Goatee with Sharp Edges
Like a traditional goatee, a French beard with a sharp beard sculpt on the sides and full chin coverage projects serious authority. You’ll be sporting facial hair in the same territory as a pro wrestler or powerlifter. Skip the chin strap and soul patch to keep the lines clean and powerful.
#7: French Beard with Thin Chin Strap
If you grow dense, even hair on your cheeks and jaw, there’s no reason to shave it all off. Incorporate that coverage into your French beard by adding a thin chin strap. Instead of clearing the cheeks completely, leave a razor-thin line of hair tracing the jawline from ear to chin.
#8: Long French Beard
#9: Braided Long Beard with Bead Accessories
Expanding on the long French beard, if you want to get even more unique, you can add some braids. You’ll have to let your chin hair grow extra long, then braid it into one or two strips finished with bead accessories for a bold, Viking-inspired look.
#10: Van Dyke with Handlebar Mustache
This classic look was made famous by the Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck. The chin beard is always kept fully disconnected from the mustache, and a well-waxed handlebar mustache makes the whole combination genuinely spectacular.
#11: Full Goatee with Light Stubble Cheeks
A thick, full goatee helps to elongate the face and strengthens the chin projection. Keeping the cheeks at a light stubble length prevents the overall look from getting too heavy, so all the visual weight stays right where you want it.
#12: W-Shaped Circle Beard with Patchy Disconnect
To form a W-shaped beard, you need to grow a soul patch that connects up toward your lips. A patchy mustache disconnect keeps the style from looking too heavy and gives the whole look a bit of that effortless, lived-in character.
#13: Thin Dark Disconnected Goatee
A thin, dark disconnected goatee carries a real edge to it. Keep the perimeter clean with precise detailing and chase down any strays to make sure those razor-sharp lines stay on point.
#14: Thick Wide Boxed Beard
A thick, wide boxed beard creates a genuinely commanding presence. The density of the beard amplifies the color, and darker shades carry the most visual punch. Square up those corners and let the fullness do the talking.
#15: French Stubble Beard
A French stubble beard is a solid pick for guys who want the shape without committing to serious length. Trim it every morning to keep the guard length consistent, and hit the cheek line and neckline with a detailer to keep the outline crisp.
#16: Rounded Chin Beard with Patchy Disconnect
Rounding the chin beard creates an open, approachable look. The soft corners are far more relaxed than a hard-edged boxed shape. Pair it with a patchy mustache disconnect and the whole thing stays light and easy to wear.
#17: Square Boxed Beard
A square boxed beard does a great job of strengthening your face shape. Use your trimmers to carve hard corners at all four points of the outline. Blunt, straight edges are what lock in that sharp, structured finish.
#18: Salt and Pepper French Beard
A white or salt-and-pepper beard is a striking contrast on someone with naturally dark hair. Beards often go gray or lighten at a different rate than head hair. If you want a uniform tone, beard dye can even things out beautifully.
#19: Full and Tight French Beard
Cropping the beard close to the lips keeps everything compact and precise. That tight perimeter brings out your bone structure, while the overall fullness and density add a confident, polished weight to the look.
#20: Wide French Beard with Soul Patch
A small soul patch sitting just below the lip gives the whole setup a bohemian, artistic feel. Surround it with a wide French beard and you’ve got a style with real personality without trying too hard.
#21: Thin Manicured French Beard
If the heavier French beard styles feel like a bit much, keeping things thin and precisely trimmed is a perfectly solid move. This style stays friendly and approachable while still showing you put thought into your grooming.
#22: Disconnected Chin Beard and Mustache
Another variation of the French beard, this simple style pairs a disconnected chin beard and mustache with no soul patch. The rest of the face is clean-shaved.
#23: Handlebar Mustache with Extended Soul Patch Goatee
This style takes serious commitment, both in the mustache and goatee departments. The goatee is essentially a deep, elongated soul patch with strong downward growth.
The mustache is shaped and waxed to sharp, upswept points at each end. Cheeks and neck stay clean-shaved to keep all the focus up front.
#24: Salt and Pepper Full Goatee with Jaw Extension
This look takes a classic full goatee and lets it grow dense before extending the perimeter along the jawline and into the submental area. It keeps a natural finish, while a clean outline along the jaw gives it just enough shape to stay polished.
#25: Pencil Mustache with Disconnected Soul Patch and Chin Beard
Minimal and precise. A small amount of facial hair is grown around the chin and lower lip, with the chin beard and soul patch kept deliberately disconnected. A razor-thin pencil mustache sits above, completing the trio without connecting to anything below.
#26: Disconnected Long Chin Beard with Mustache
Any facial hair on the chin qualifies as a chin beard, and one of the most popular takes is growing it out to a few solid centimeters of length.
Pair it with a disconnected soul patch and a mustache, and you’ve got yourself a legitimate French beard. Just keep the cheeks and neck clean-shaved to let the chin piece do the talking.
#27: Walrus Mustache with Elongated Soul Patch
What makes this one stand out is the soul patch, carved into a straight vertical line extending down to the chin apex. The mustache above is dense and full, carrying serious weight.
Everything else is clean-shaved, so the eye goes straight to that bold mustache and the slim soul patch strip below it. Another sharp French beard variation.
#28: Thick Chevron Mustache with Dense Soul Patch
If you have a wider face and strong facial hair density, this one is built for you. Both the soul patch and mustache are grown out and kept as natural as possible, while the rest of the face stays clean-shaved for contrast.
#29: Asymmetric French Beard with Waxed Pointed Mustache
This French beard is worn with an uneven, asymmetric outline that gives it a raw, lived-in character. The mustache is heavily grown and shaped to sharp points at the corners for a striking contrast against the looser chin growth.
#30: Silver Walrus Mustache with Sparse French Beard
Chinstrap Beard Styles to Copy
Whether you call it a French Beard or something else entirely, there’s no denying the look has real character. For plenty of other cool beard and mustache styles, check out one of our other lists. There are plenty of great options across the site.
Tips to Maintain a French Beard
Here are some practical tips for keeping your French beard healthy and sharp.
Condition Your Beard
If you condition the hair on your head, you should absolutely condition your beard too. Relying on shampoo alone, or worse, body wash, will dry out the beard and leave it looking rough and unkempt.
A quality beard conditioner paired with a good post-shower leave-in treatment will keep it soft, shiny, and manageable.
Buy a Goatee Mold
A sharp French beard lives and dies by its clean lines. Guiding a razor or trimmer in a perfectly straight line freehand is genuinely tricky, and that’s where a goatee mold earns its keep. It’s an adjustable plastic shaping tool you place over your chin and mouth to nail a consistent, precise beard trim every single time.
