Goatees – Hot Or Not? Everything You Need To Know

The goatee won’t ever be considered as divisive as the Chinstrap or the Horseshoe mustache. However, as with any facial hairstyle, it’ll have its fans as well as its detractors. But the question remains – are goatees hot or not? 

Goatees are widely considered to be hot right now for multiple reasons. It’s a universally accepted style with a global presence that few other styles have.

It’s a fantastic style for men with naturally patchy cheeks – a problem that’s otherwise hard to remedy. Plus, goatees are able to contour the face very nicely, adding definition, structure, and shadowing. 

Its widespread adoption has led it to become extremely versatile, fitting seamlessly into almost any situation be it casual or formal. 

But it isn’t all peaches and cream. As with every other known facial hairstyle on the planet, it does come with a couple of downsides. I’ll come to these later on in the article. 

First, I wanted to go through exactly what a goatee is. Its definition can confuse people as there are quite a few wrong ones floating around. Then I’ll go through some common reasons people give for goatees being hot, as opposed to not. 

What Exactly Is A “Goatee”?

In all fairness, the reason the definition of “goatee” is hard to pin down is that it has shifted shape quite dramatically over the last 30 years or so. 

The style was traditionally just a patch or tuft of hair on the chin and nowhere else. This is what people would immediately think of when the term “goatee” was used. 

It was particularly popular among artists and poets during the 40s, together with the soul patch which definitely had its time to shine. 

In the 90s, however, “goatees” regularly started incorporating mustaches as well. This trend has remained extremely popular up to the present day. 

The only cardinal rule that has remained sacred to the definition of “goatee” is the clear absence of hair on the cheeks. In other words, if there’s hair on the cheeks, it isn’t a goatee. 

This might be oversimplifying things a little, as there are styles such as the goatee with stubble which do blur the lines a little. This consists of a goatee beard with stubble on the cheeks. 

However, in general, a simple, slick definition of “goatee” would be any style that consists of hair on the chin but not on the cheeks. 

Etch that definition into your mind and it will continue to serve you well during what may be a long and illustrious journey as a goatee enthusiast. 

Are Goatees Hot Or Not – 5 Benefits Explored

This is probably what you’ve been waiting for. An in-depth dive into why goatees have been considered “hot” for a long, long time. It’s important to note that these benefits have remained true for decades, despite waxing and waning trends over time. 

For the purposes of this article, we’ll mainly be referring to the Full Goatee which consists of a chin beard and mustache connected to each other. This is currently what most people think of when they hear the term “goatee” now. 

However, the benefits I’m about to list do apply to most goatee variants, including the Traditional Goatee, the Goatee With Chinstrap, etc. 

1. They’ve stood the test of time

As I mentioned above, goatees have been around for a long, long time. Although its definition may have changed over time, the overall response to the style has remained very, very positive. 

There are few styles that have remained fashionable in Western society over such a long period of time. For example, the Chevron mustache was very popular in the 1980s, but you’d go weeks without seeing a single one these days. 

Having said that, you’d be just as likely to see a goatee today as you would have in the mid-90s. 

The style has also spread like wildfire across the globe. Its resilience hasn’t just been in the West – it’s stood the test of time around the world. It’s difficult to know why this is. What makes goatees so resilient against the perils of shifting trends and cultures that other styles have fallen to?

One reason may be its huge popularity among celebrities such as athletes, actors and pop stars over a very long period of time. Trendsetters around the world have been wearing goatees for a long, long time. As you’d expect, the general public would tend to follow suit. 

It’s fun to speculate and theorize, But ultimately, the point is that goatees have just refused to fade away and they haven’t shown any signs of slowing down anytime soon. 

2. They’re incredibly versatile

The versatility of a beard style is defined by its “acceptance” in the spectrum of society as a whole. 

One of the beauties of facial hair is how it can be an unabashed, unapologetic expression of individualism. That’s something you should never forget. Your beard is for you and not anyone else. 

However, it would be naive to believe that every beard style would be acceptable in every situation, context, and environment. 

For example, corporate workplaces can be very strict on what length and style of facial hair you choose to wear. The military is also very clear on what length of facial hair they’d say was acceptable. 

Along the same lines, there are plenty of professions where certain facial hair lengths and styles wouldn’t be considered acceptable for health and safety reasons.

But “versatility” can also take on a much more personal meaning. Although this may be more important to some men more than others, having your loved ones like your facial hair is always a nice feeling. Being “versatile” can also mean it draws a warm reception from most people around you. 

The reason the goatee will always be considered very, very versatile, is entirely down to its subtlety. 

Although some goatee variants are more attention-grabbing than others, in general, they can slip by unnoticed most of the time. This is mainly due to how common and universally accepted the style is. 

If you’re looking for a style that you could safely wear to a job interview, a wedding, a formal dinner, or just lounging around the house, the goatee may be for you. The options are endless. 

3. They add definition and structure to the face 

It’s truly fascinating how beards can completely change the shape of a face. Growing some facial hair in the correct distribution and in the correct areas can do so, so much to add definition. 

I’ve written about goatees and face shape before. The core principle is that goatees can elongate the chin and subsequently the face. This makes sense because the focus of the style is the chin. The longer and pointier you make the chin beard, the more pronounced the effect. 

This makes goatees a dream style for men with round or square faces, as well as weak chins. Not only do they elongate the chin, but they also add depth and fullness to the chin. 

There are goatee variants that can contour the face even further and in different ways. For example, the goatee with chinstrap combines a Full Goatee with a Chinstrap running from earlobe to earlobe, along the length of the jawline. What this does is define the jawline very effectively, as well as retain the usual benefits of a lone goatee. It’s phenomenal. 

But it’s ability to elongate the chin is, for some men, a double-edged sword. Men with longer faces, such as rectangular or triangular ones, need to be more careful. Growing a goatee might simply make the face shape even longer. 

There are options, however, including the stubble goatee, as well as the Chin Puff. 

But overall, goatees work best for men with “shorter” faces, oval-shaped faces, or weaker chins. Their effects are often pretty remarkable for men who fall within this category. 

4. They’re easy to maintain

The simplicity of goatee styles allows for a level of convenience that some men definitely prioritize. 

It doesn’t take long to trim and maintain a goatee. In a world where time is a commodity, this is certainly appealing. 

There’s a caveat to this, however. Its ease of maintenance depends on the length, as well as the specific style. Short and stubble goatees are very popular and really don’t take much time to maintain. 

Running an electric trimmer or clipper over it every few days and lining up the edges are all you’d need to do. 

However, with a Long Goatee, additional requirements may be necessary. These include brushing, combing and oiling. 

But overall, a goatee is typically short, and short styles are easy to maintain. 

It’s actually this subtlety that makes goatees hot, as opposed to not. Simplicity, subtlety, and a man that doesn’t spend ages preening his beard all day are all attractive traits.

5. Patchiness is rarely a problem

Patchy beards can really get an aspiring beardsman down. Particularly in the more awkward phases of growth, it can feel like no matter what you do, those patchy spots just won’t fill out. 

The most notoriously patchy areas of the beard are often the cheeks. In many men, the cheeks tend to grow thinner than the chin and mustache areas. Although these men try every trick under the sun to accelerate growth in these areas, there’s often very little that can be done. 

Growing and styling a goatee often solves this problem in the quickest, most logical, and most effective way possible. If you have patchy cheek hair, why not remove it altogether? 

A lot of men continue to try and go a thick, full beard without it considering growing a goatee as an option.

The goatee completely removes the need for any cheek hair whatsoever. It’s defined by an absence of hair on the cheeks, which is the perfect solution for a man with patchy cheek hair.

It’s a style that puts all of its focus on the thickest areas of facial hair – the chin beard and mustache, and completely removes the need for the typically patchiest areas. 

Patchiness is often a hotness determinant. When determining whether a goatee is hot or not, it’s important to take this into consideration. 

Disadvantages You Should Know About

As I mentioned earlier, not everyone is a raving, die-hard goatee fanatic. There are definitely those with reservations, some of which are more valid than others, in my opinion. Here are a couple you should know about. 

1. It’s a very common style

There are definitely two sides to this coin. On the one hand, you could argue that it’s common because it’s very popular. Surely this is a good thing? It’s a universal style that’s been worn by millions and stood the test of time. 

On the other hand, it isn’t unique enough to get excited about anymore. That’s what some people argue, and whether you agree with that or not will be down to personal opinion. 

A workaround of this problem is to try out the countless different goatee variants you could use to spice things up. For example, the pencil goatee, the goatee with stubble, the goatee with soul patch, the Van Dyke, etc. 

The list goes on.

Sure, the Full Goatee might be everywhere. But if you keep the definition of a “goatee” as broad as it should be, the number of style options you have available to you are endless. 

So although its overwhelmingly huge presence around the world could be framed as a disadvantage, you should never feel as though there’s no scope for making it unique. 

2. You’ll have to shave regularly

There are some men who absolutely despise shaving. Trimming might be fine, but cutting so close to the skin can be much more irritating to some men than others. 

This may be due to actual skin sensitivity, or simply disliking the feel of a blade so close to the skin. 

A goatee is usually a style defined by clean-shaven cheeks, sharp edges, and no neck stubble. Shaving often does play a large role in accentuating and enhancing the look. 

If you’re a man that cannot stand shaving, whether it’s the feel of the blade or the post-shave irritation, this may not be the style for you. 

Conclusion

There you have it. An in-depth analysis of goatees and their hotness. We’ve talked about what makes them attractive, what might make them unattractive, and also touched upon a couple of other important features. 

The beauty of it is, even if you weren’t sure whether this style was for you, there’s absolutely nothing stopping you from just trying it out. 

It really doesn’t take much time to trim one. If you do decide to do it and you eventually decide it’s not the style for you, it’ll grow back. No harm done. Facial hair will grow back, and so you shouldn’t ever be afraid to experiment. 

You’ll probably lose more in the long run if you don’t. Have fun with it.