# Beard stubble: When and why did it become chic? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 16, 2005, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beard-stubble-when-and-why-did-it-become-chic/331405 "2005-11-16T23:04:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Resalg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cab0a1/32.png) [@Resalg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Resalg)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beard-stubble-when-and-why-did-it-become-chic/331405/1 "2005-11-16T23:04:01Z")
At what point in time did a one or two-day growth of facial hair become fashionable, and how is it maintained? I mean, if it’s so chic, it seems one would have to hide out during the one day one is embarrassingly clean-shaven. Or are there men gifted with perma-stubble? I just saw a film which had a time frame of at least one week, yet the hero had the same amount of stubble each day. Is this possible, or did the actor take a day off every two days? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beard-stubble-when-and-why-did-it-become-chic/331405/2 "2005-11-16T23:09:06Z")
When _Miami Vice_ was popular in the 80’s, Don Johnson became the poster boy for the 5 o’clock shadow look. One company even sold an electric razor that would allow you get the look easily. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beard-stubble-when-and-why-did-it-become-chic/331405/3 "2005-11-16T23:17:28Z")
I don’t have very aggressive facial hair growth. To stay fairly clean shaven I would have to shave only every other day and at the end of the second day my beard stubble is what most men would consider a very full day’s growth. Having said that, I shave once every 4 days to a week. I like the perma-stubble look. It suits me and shaving more often just irritates my skin. I use a manual razor (3 blade) and a high end shaving cream because I do enjoy that weekly ritual. Caveat: I do “tidy” or touch up my stubble around my cheek bones and my neck under the jaw line. Yeah, it’s kind of a GQ look. Why did it become popular… I’m guessing it’s like anything else having to do with fashion and what’s considered fashionable at any given time. Though facial hair in various forms has been fashionable for a very long time now. In case you’re wondering if this is acceptable in the workplace… my experience is that it is. I’ve been doing this for a few years on multiple projects and nobody has said a single word to me about it. There are dress codes but no facial hair codes that I’ve been warned about. And yes, I’ve got a white collar job. I’m a senior level IT manager so appearances matter as I get noticed. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beard-stubble-when-and-why-did-it-become-chic/331405/4 "2005-11-17T00:23:23Z")
Stubble became popular once when Ken Curtis became a regular on “Gunsmoke” as Festus Haggen. That was in 1964. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beard-stubble-when-and-why-did-it-become-chic/331405/5 "2005-11-17T00:29:18Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > In case you’re wondering if this is acceptable in the workplace… my experience is that it is. I’ve been doing this for a few years on multiple projects and nobody has said a single word to me about it. There are dress codes but no facial hair codes that I’ve been warned about. I know someone (young) who works in a grocery store. All the men are required to be clean-shaven. You’d think it would only be the ones in the bakery or deli, but he explained that it has to do with looking presentable, rather than food contamination. ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beard-stubble-when-and-why-did-it-become-chic/331405/6 "2005-11-17T00:45:36Z")
It’s a pretty good look, but highly depends on the person. Hugh Laure in house = good stubble. He looks sort of like a dork without it, IMO. But I have seen plently of bad stubble - there is a fine line on length/thickness you just cant cross for it to be “stylish stubble” and not “scraggly start of a beard.” ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beard-stubble-when-and-why-did-it-become-chic/331405/7 "2005-11-17T01:25:56Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > When _Miami Vice_ was popular in the 80’s, Don Johnson became the poster boy for the 5 o’clock shadow look. One company even sold an electric razor that would allow you get the look easily. I remember those-- they were called The Miami Device! (I swear, I am not making that up) ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beard-stubble-when-and-why-did-it-become-chic/331405/8 "2005-11-17T02:48:05Z")
Nooooo. Dont tell me stubble is becoming fashionable again. It should make it to Australia in another 2 years. George Michael in Wham also popularised the 2 day growth look around 1983 in the video (I think) “Wake me up before you go-go”. This spread the affectation from gun-slingin’ cowboys and hillbilly yokels to ravers and other people who liked wearing lots of white, apricot and assorted pastels in dance-clubs. I am not about to google this for a verification - it send shivers down my spine just typing the above. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beard-stubble-when-and-why-did-it-become-chic/331405/9 "2005-11-17T13:10:57Z")
Probably a question as naive as it is blunt, but how can it be attractive to women to have a facial surface that abrades one’s inner thighs? ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beard-stubble-when-and-why-did-it-become-chic/331405/10 "2005-11-17T13:21:04Z")
> [@BobT](#): > > Stubble became popular once when Ken Curtis became a regular on “Gunsmoke” as Festus Haggen. > > That was in 1964. I would have attributed it to Yasser Arafat, but he didn’t really take control of the PLO until about 1969. Now it’s possible that Ken Curtis fought with or against Arafat in the early sixties, and they developed this style together. But for now I’ll have to assume that your earlier cite is correct. ---
**Author:** ![MizGrand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cdc98d/32.png) [@MizGrand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MizGrand)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beard-stubble-when-and-why-did-it-become-chic/331405/11 "2005-11-17T13:36:38Z")
> [@Slithy Tove](#): > > Probably a question as naive as it is blunt, but how can it be attractive to women to have a facial surface that abrades one’s inner thighs? That is the _precise_ reason my hubby keeps his cheeks smooth. He does have a “tickler” though. Another side of this issue is the men that are enduring laser hair removal so that the stubble is perfectly tended – upper cheeks lasered can really define that look. ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beard-stubble-when-and-why-did-it-become-chic/331405/12 "2005-11-17T16:08:39Z")
> [@Slithy Tove](#): > > Probably a question as naive as it is blunt, but how can it be attractive to women to have a facial surface that abrades one’s inner thighs? Its not as bad as when the lady doesn’t shave her inner thighs. That hurts my baby cheeks! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![power\_sawyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/839c29/32.png) [@power\_sawyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/power_sawyer)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beard-stubble-when-and-why-did-it-become-chic/331405/13 "2005-11-17T20:21:32Z")
I just want to know when it will pass. I think it’s actually only chic in NYC casting offices for soap operas and Vogue models. They like scary, near-ugly people in NYC. Nobody knows why. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beard-stubble-when-and-why-did-it-become-chic/331405/14 "2005-11-17T21:13:04Z")
It is not hard to maintain the same level of stubble. I usually have 2-3 day stubble. As soon as it gets longer than that, I shave with hair clippers. It keeps my face looking fresh and disreputable. I hate the feel of my face clean-shaven, so I never shave with a blade unless there is a special occasion.