The Walrus Mustache: How to Pull Off the Boldest Look

Whether your point of reference is the beloved Captain Kangaroo or U.S. National Security Advisor John R. Bolton, it’s likely that each man’s walrus mustache is the most memorable facial feature you recall. The walrus mustache has an old, proud, and respected heritage, remembered throughout the world as a defining part of the facial hair movement men adopted during the 19th century.

According to historical records, the shaggy walrus style was a favorite of fashionable men, and grooming required specific attention to detail so the hair drooped dramatically over the lip and just slightly down the sides of the mouth.

Like many styles, the walrus mustache comes and goes, often the result of being adopted by a celebrity or noted public figure. Do these ‘staches come with grooming conundrums? Just ask any man sporting a walrus whose passion for beer or lattes is equally strong!

What Does a Walrus Mustache Look Like

Not every mustache style in the annals of facial hair fashion is as intriguing as the walrus, partly because it’s so closely linked to the chevron mustache that even seasoned style editors get them confused. The truth is that the walrus is one of four distinct styles belonging to the handlebar mustache family.

In terms of evolution, the handlebar gave birth to the chevron, which in turn fathered the walrus, so its pedigree is somewhat complicated. Don’t let that throw you, though. This contemporary iteration remains as distinct as its relatives, which is why it’s easy to identify, even for mustache newcomers.

Like the chevron, the walrus is relatively easy to grow and groom. Facial hair is brushed down to line up with the upper lip, then scissors follow the upper lip line to produce the look.

Here’s a quirky fact for trivia fans: while the walrus mustache is called “the behemoth” of ‘staches, named after the marine mammal, those actual walrus bristles have nothing in common with the mustache style.

You’ll find the walrus gracing the faces of everyone from German statesman Otto von Bismarck to the beloved Mark Twain, and most recently Sam Elliott, whose star turn in the latest version of “A Star is Born” earned him a 2019 Academy Award nomination. If you’re growing one, welcome to the club.

Who Should Try a Walrus Mustache

Must you resemble Freddie Mercury to pull off a walrus mustache? Hardly. There is a process, though, and experts suggest it can take up to three months to grow enough hair to sport a properly bushy walrus.

Hanging a reference photo beside your mirror can help keep you motivated during the growth phase, because even if you’re a fast grower, patience is still part of the deal.

Before you get busy, be realistic about whether a walrus is your look. This breakdown of face shapes can help you make a smart call:

• If your face is oblong, it’s the perfect canvas for the walrus.
• If your face is large and round and you want to optically minimize its size, a walrus can help reduce those proportions.
• A square face shape gives you the surface area you need to grow and groom a walrus with confidence.
• Guys with triangle-shaped faces need a mustache style that softens hard features. A walrus emphasizes the widest points of the face and could visually weigh it down.
• Diamond face shapes face a similar challenge, since a walrus can accentuate the mid-face and vertically expand an already prominent center zone.
• In general, the broader the upper lip, the more mustache you can carry, since that real estate above your lip is made to show off a beautifully trimmed walrus.

The Evolution of the Walrus Mustache

Just in case you’ve never heard of it before now, there’s an organization called the American Mustache Institute dedicated to paying tribute to this storied area of a man’s face. If you’re a history buff, you can tell your friends that your bushy walrus has roots in ancient Egypt, where Pharaoh Teqikencola once committed the unthinkable by banishing mustaches under penalty of death around 1800 BC.

We have no idea what happened to her, but by the time Rome was ruling the world, and on the other side of the globe where Chinese wise men grew lengthy beards and mustaches, the mustache had been restored to its formerly glorious place in history. Scythian horsemen were celebrated for their exquisite mustaches, and these nomads did plenty to spread the word about how virile and commanding a bearded, mustachioed man could look.

During Medieval times, mustache styles followed the preferences of royal dynasties. With each era, the ruler’s mustache became the must-have look for men, especially those in upper society.

By the late 17th century, mustaches had become bold, iconic affairs, like the one worn by Tsar Peter the Great. He actually discouraged beard growth by imposing a beard tax, nudging men to compensate by pouring their energy into growing a serious mustache instead.

It’s rumored that Celts and Gauls were among the first to sport the walrus style, and given that they were busy conquering vast territories, the peoples who came under their rule were quick to adopt their customs, including this thick, drooping mustache trim that would eventually carry the walrus name.

How to Grow, Trim, and Style a Walrus Mustache

What’s the most important part of growing, trimming, and styling a walrus? Patience. These mustaches take serious time to develop, and if your facial hair runs on the fine or sparse side, even all that patience may not deliver the fullness you’re after.

On the other hand, if you’ve got a natural propensity for dense, coarse growth, plan on roughly three months to go from clean-shaven to mustache-cover-ready. During that growth window, resist every urge to trim until the hair starts interfering with your ability to eat a bowl of soup in peace. That’s your cue to begin the mustache trim ritual.

Shave everything outside your mustache zone, then grab a mustache comb and work the hair on your upper lip downward in smooth, consistent strokes. Use sharp scissors to cut back the hair so the upper lip is covered and both drooping ends fall just below the corners of your mouth.

Once you’ve nailed that initial shaping session, you’ve got the foundation for every future grooming visit. Before you reach for the scissors again, try working a little mustache wax through the hair first. You may find that’s all you need, especially when you want to keep things polished and under control at an important moment.

Precautions

Men who grow walrus mustaches are a very distinct breed. They like to get to the heart of any matter because they don’t have time to waste. Dare we say they don’t take crap from anyone, either? If you wear one, you’re somewhat rugged, but you’ve got a heart of gold.

That said, be extra cautious at mealtime if you’re aiming to leave the table looking like a distinguished grandpa rather than a kid whose ice cream adventure ended up on his face instead of in his stomach.

Adopting these tips can help any guy wearing a Walrus walk away from the table looking as clean as he did when he arrived:

• Mustache wax can tame your upper lip hair and keep it from being infiltrated by food and drinks.
• Take your time every time you take a bite. Use your pointer finger to gently lift hair aside if necessary.
• Cut up your food into manageable bites so your fork can take proper aim and avoid your mustache.
• Don’t laugh, but some guys use small hair clips and bobby pins to clear a path to the tongue.
• Ask for a second napkin so you always have one in close proximity to dab at your mustache area.
• Grab a straw, and you can bypass your mustache effortlessly if you drink a lot of beverages.

Walrus Mustache Grooming

Must you get up before the sun to apply due diligence to your ‘stache once it’s been established? Not if you develop a routine that has been finely honed by previous Walrus wearers. In general, best practices include:

• Using electric clippers set to the longest guard setting, aiming for uniformity as you trim those edges.
• Make sure the sides of your mustache remain no more than an inch beyond the corners of your mouth.
• Shave rogue hairs that interrupt the outline and shape of your Walrus.
• Use a mustache comb to wrangle any strays, then do a final mustache trim with your scissors.

Keep this in mind: no two Walrus mustaches are exactly alike, so as long as the shape you create meets the standard for this particular style, your version should be unique and beautifully groomed at all times.

Famous People With a Walrus Mustache

To be truthful, a quick internet search is going to bring you face to face with a lot of marine wildlife before you get to images of men sporting this bushy mustache style, but once you do, you may find some surprises on the following list.

Friedrich Nietzsche

German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche sports the most philosophical Walrus of all.

Joseph Stalin

The most menacing Walrus in the history books was worn by the late dictator Joseph Stalin.

Teddy Roosevelt

Most presidential Walrus kudos go to Teddy Roosevelt, a genuine rough rider. You can try adding a beard with this mustache; it should look classy!

Wilford Brimley

Actor Wilford Brimley’s mustache is one of the most iconic celeb ‘staches ever grown.

Mark Twain

Mark Twain’s words were as celebrated as the Walrus that set him apart from every other writer and philosopher of his era.

James Taylor

Singer James Taylor rocked long hair and a cool chevron mustache throughout the 1970s.

Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury is probably still wearing his distinct chevron mustache somewhere up above.

Nick Offerman

Actor Nick Offerman’s mustache is nearly as famous as his fictional character Ron Swanson.

Alex Trebek

Jeopardy’s Alex Trebek hosted the popular TV show wearing his version of the chevron mustache for years, and it aged about as gracefully as the man himself.

Burt Reynolds

Burt Reynolds sported one, and not much else, when he posed nude for Cosmopolitan magazine around 40 years ago.

Best Walrus Mustache Styles

1. Walrus Mustache with Ducktail Beard

The style is quite distinctive here. The Walrus mustache is somewhat tamed, with the hair not drooping too heavily onto the upper lip.

Paired with it is a beautiful ducktail beard that sits shorter along the jawline but hangs a couple of inches off the chin.

2. Trimmed White Walrus Mustache with Clean Shave

What you’re seeing here is a classic, traditional Walrus mustache, trimmed short enough that you can still see a hint of the upper lip. The white hair makes it a sharp choice for older men.

The rest of the face is clean-shaved to keep all the focus on the mustache.

3. Blonde English Mustache with Slightly Long Sideburns

If you have a square face, this English mustache might emphasize that squareness. But if you grow blonde facial hair, you’ve every reason to go for a bold mustache style.

The straightened ends add width across the face, while the slightly long sideburns help pull the overall shape toward a more rectangular look.

4. Long Handlebar Mustache with Gray Stubble

This handlebar mustache commands attention, largely because of the striking color contrast. The big, sweeping handlebar is jet black while the heavy stubble covering the rest of the face is completely gray.

Somehow, even with all that length, the mustache doesn’t swamp the upper lip.

5. Horseshoe Mustache with Mid-length Sideburns

The mustache here is actually closer to a horseshoe than anything else. The hair above the upper lip is thick, while the branches taper slightly thinner than what you’d expect from a classic horseshoe. Mid-length sideburns are a smart call here, since longer ones would stretch the face even further.

6. Dark Fu Manchu with Salt and Pepper Draping Ends

You might clock it as a horseshoe at first glance, but since the hair hangs well past the chin, this one earns its Fu Manchu title. It also qualifies as a proper walrus mustache because the growth is long enough to completely cover both the upper and lower lip.