Moustache - WikiHQ

A moustache () or mustache () is a growth of facial hair grown above the upper lip and under the nose.

Moustaches have been grown in various styles throughout history.

150px|thumb|right|Count [[Gaishi Nagaoka, Japanese officer and Vice Chief of the General Staff in Japan during the Russo-Japanese War.]]

Etymology

The word "moustache" is French, and is derived from the Italian mustaccio (14th century), dialectal mostaccio (16th century), from Medieval Latin mustacchium (eighth century), Medieval Greek μουστάκιον (moustakion), attested in the ninth century, which ultimately originates as a diminutive of Hellenistic Greek μύσταξ (mustax, mustak-), meaning "upper lip" or "facial hair", probably derived from Hellenistic Greek μύλλον (mullon), "lip".

An individual wearing a moustache is said to be "moustached" or "moustachioed" (the latter often referring to a particularly large or bushy moustache).

History

Research done on this subject finds that the prevalence of moustaches and facial hair in general rise and fall in direct relation with the saturation of the marriage market. Thus, the density and thickness of the moustache or beard may help to convey androgen levels or age.

Earliest depictions of moustache trace back to Ancient Egypt old kingdom era (ca. 2649–2130 B.C.)

150px|thumb|right|Stone sculpture of a Gaul wearing a [[torc, with curled moustache and eyebrows, c. 400 AD]]

One of the earliest documents of the usage of moustaches (without the beard) can be traced to Iron Age Celts. According to Diodorus Siculus, a Greek historian:

Moustaches would not go away during the Middle Ages. One prominent example of the moustache in early medieval art is the Sutton Hoo helmet, an elaborately decorated helmet sporting a faceplate depicting the style on its upper lip. Later on, Welsh leaders and English royalty such as Edward of Wales would also often wear only a moustache.

Moustache popularity in the west peaked in the 1880s and 1890s coinciding with a popularity in the military virtues of the day. In Islam, trimming the moustache is considered to be a sunnah and mustahabb, that is, a way of life that is recommended, especially among Sunni Muslims.

The moustache is also a religious symbol for the male followers of the Yarsan religion.

Shaving with stone razors was technologically possible from as far back as the Neolithic times. A moustache is depicted on a statue of the 4th Dynasty Egyptian prince Rahotep (c. 2550 BC). Another ancient portrait showing a shaved man with a moustache is an ancient Iranian (Scythian) horseman from 300 BC.

In ancient China, facial hair and the hair on the head were traditionally left untouched because of Confucian influences.

Development and care

thumb|260px|A moustache spoon, dated 1904, used in [[Edwardian England to protect the moustache while eating soup.]]

The moustache forms its own stage in the development of facial hair in adolescent males.

As with most human biological processes, this specific order may vary among some individuals depending on one's genetic heritage or environment.

Moustaches can be tended through shaving the hair of the chin and cheeks, preventing it from becoming a full beard. A variety of tools have been developed for the care of moustaches, including safety razors, moustache wax, moustache nets, moustache brushes, moustache combs and moustache scissors.

In the Middle East, there is a growing trend for moustache transplants, which involves undergoing a procedure called follicular unit extraction in order to attain fuller, and more impressive facial hair.

The longest moustache measures and belongs to Ram Singh Chauhan from India. It was measured on the set of the Italian TV show Lo Show dei Record in Rome, Italy, on 4 March 2010.

Dalí – narrow, long points bent or curved steeply upward; areas past the corner of the mouth must be shaved. Artificial styling aids needed. Named after Salvador Dalí.
English moustache – narrow, beginning at the middle of the upper lip the whiskers are very long and pulled to the side, slightly curled; the ends are pointed slightly upward; areas past the corner of the mouth usually shaved. Artificial styling may be needed.
Freestyle – All moustaches that do not match other classes. The hairs are allowed to start growing from up to a maximum of 1.5 cm beyond the end of the upper lip. Aids are allowed.
Hungarian – Big and bushy, beginning from the middle of the upper lip and pulled to the side. The hairs are allowed to start growing from up to a maximum of 1.5 cm beyond the end of the upper lip.
Imperial – whiskers growing from both the upper lip and cheeks, curled upward (distinct from the royale, or impériale)
Natural – Moustache may be styled without aids.

Other types of moustache include:

Chevron – covering the area between the nose and the upper lip, out to the edges of the upper lip but no further. Popular in 1970s and 1980s American and British culture. Worn by Ron Jeremy, Richard Petty, Freddie Mercury, Bruce Forsyth and Tom Selleck.
Fu Manchu – long, downward pointing ends, generally beyond the chin.
Handlebar – bushy, with small upward pointing ends.
Horseshoe – Often confused with the Handlebar Moustache, the horseshoe was possibly popularised by modern cowboys and consists of a full moustache with vertical extensions from the corners of the lips down to the jawline and resembling an upside-down horseshoe. Also known as "biker moustache". Worn by Hulk Hogan and Bill Kelliher. Recently re-popularized by Gardner Minshew and Joe Exotic.
Pancho Villa – similar to the Fu Manchu but thicker; also known as a "droopy moustache". Also similar to the Horseshoe. A Pancho Villa is much longer and bushier than the moustache normally worn by the historical Pancho Villa.
Pencil moustache – narrow, straight and thin as if drawn on by a pencil, closely clipped, outlining the upper lip, with a wide shaven gap between the nose and moustache. Popular in the 1940s, and particularly associated with Clark Gable. More recently, it has been recognised as the moustache of choice for the fictional character Gomez Addams in the 1990s series of films based on The Addams Family. Also known as a Mouth-brow, and worn by Vincent Price, John Waters, Little Richard, Sean Penn and Chris Cornell.thumb|[[Robert Mugabe, sporting an extremely thin variant of the toothbrush moustache that only covers his philtrum]]
Toothbrush – thick, but shaved except for about an inch (2.5 cm) in the centre; worn by Charlie Chaplin (mainly in his Tramp character), Oliver Hardy, Ron Mael (before he switched to a pencil moustache in recent years), and Adolf Hitler, the latter of whom being responsible for the style becoming extremely unpopular, and remaining so for the nearly-century-long period extending to the present day.
Walrus – bushy, hanging down over the lips, often entirely covering the mouth. Worn by Mark Twain, David Crosby, Joseph Stalin, John Bolton, Wilford Brimley, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, Sam Elliott, Albert Einstein, Jamie Hyneman and Robert Johansson .
Pornstache – A thick, heavy moustache with slightly elongated ends. The style originates among male pornographic actors in the 1970s and was most popular in the 1980s. The pornstache has been worn by celebrities such as Freddie Mercury, Lionel Richie, and Pedro Pascal.

File:Dali-moustache.svg|"Dalí" moustache style

File:English-moustache.svg|"English" moustache style

File:Fu-manchu-moustache.svg|"Fu Manchu" moustache style

File:Handlebar-moustache.svg|"Handlebar" moustache style

File:Horseshoe-moustache.svg|"Horseshoe" moustache style

File:Imperial-moustache.svg|"Imperial " moustache style

File:Mexican-moustache.svg|"Mexican" moustache style

File:Natural-moustache.svg|"Natural " moustache style

File:Pencil-moustache.svg|"Pencil" moustache style

File:Toothbrush-moustache.svg|"Toothbrush" moustache style

File:Chevron-moustache.svg|"Walrus" moustache style

File:Freestyle-moustache.svg|"Freestyle" moustache style

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Occurrence and perceptions

thumb|Self-portrait of sculptor Friedrich Hammer, 1542 ([[Musée historique de Haguenau)]]

Like many other fashion trends, the moustache is subject to shifting popularity through time. Though modern culture often associates moustaches with men of the Victorian era, Susan Walton shows that at the start of the Victorian era facial hair was "viewed with distaste" and that the moustache was considered the mark of an artist or revolutionary, both of which remained on the social fringe at the time. This is supported by the fact that only one Member of Parliament sported facial hair from the years 1841–1847. However, the next generation of men perceived facial hair, such as moustaches, to be an outdated emblem of masculinity and therefore there was a dramatic decline in the moustache trend and a clean-shaven face became the mark of a modern man. By comparing the number of males pictured in Illustrated London News sporting a moustache against the ratio of single women to single men, the similar trends in the two over the years would suggest that these two factors are correlated. Barber suggests that these perceived traits would influence a woman's choice of husband as they would suggest likely high reproductive success and other good biological qualities, and a capacity to invest in children, so when males must compete heavily for marriage they are more likely to grow a moustache in an attempt to project these qualities. which then relates to the correlation between dress fashion and the marriage market, as shown in Barber's 1999 study.

Age perception

The moustache and other forms of facial hair are globally understood to be signs of the post-pubescent male; however, those with moustaches are perceived to be older than those who are clean-shaven of the same age. the moustached subjects were also perceived to be far less socially mature. Although men with beards overall scored better than men with only moustaches, the moustached men scored much higher than those men who were clean-shaven. would suggest that moustaches are not favourable to all professions as it has been shown that clean-shaven men are seen as more reliable in roles such as salesmen and professors. Other studies have suggested that acceptability of facial hair may vary depending on culture and location, as in a study conducted in Brazil, clean-shaven men were preferred by personnel managers over applicants who were bearded, goateed, or moustached.

Cultures

In Western culture, it has been shown that women dislike men who displayed a visible moustache or beard, but preferred men who had a visible hint of a beard such as stubble (often known as a five o'clock shadow) over those who were clean-shaven. This supports the idea that in Western culture, females prefer men who have the capability to cultivate facial hair, such as a moustache, but choose not to. However some researchers have suggested that it is possible that in ecologies in which physical aggressiveness is more adaptive than cooperation, bearded men might be preferred by women. Similarly, a study performed by Kenny and Fletcher at Memphis State University suggested that men with facial hair, such as moustaches and beards, were perceived as stronger and more masculine by female students. However, the study performed by Feinman and Gill would suggest that this reaction to facial hair is not nationwide, as women studying in the state of Wyoming showed a marked preference for clean-shaven men over men with facial hair. Some accredit this difference to the difference between region, rurality, and political and social conservatism between the various studies.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Though it is never explicitly stated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that all male members must be clean-shaven, within Latter-day Saint circles it is often considered "taboo" for men to have moustaches as the missionaries of the church are required to be clean-shaven as well as the honor code of Brigham Young University requiring students to have similar grooming standards. This has become somewhat of a social norm within the church itself. This often leads those members who do choose to wear moustaches feel somewhat like they do not quite fit the norm, and yet in the studies shown done by Nielsen and White, these men reportedly do not mind this feeling and that is why they continue to grow their facial hair. In one such example, Muhammad advised that men must grow beards, and as to moustaches, cut the longer hairs as to not let them cover the upper lips (as this is the Fitra, the tradition of prophets). Thus, growing a beard while keeping the moustache from covering the upper lip is a well-established tradition in many Muslim societies.

In some cases, the moustache is so prominently identified with a single individual that it could identify him without any further identifying traits. For example, Kaiser Wilhelm II's moustache, grossly exaggerated, featured prominently in Triple Entente propaganda. Other notable individuals include: Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Saddam Hussein, Hulk Hogan, Freddie Mercury, Salvador Dalí, Theodore Roosevelt, Frank Zappa, Sam Elliott, Tom Selleck, Burt Reynolds, and Steve Harvey. In other cases, such as those of Charlie Chaplin and Groucho Marx, the moustache in question was artificial for most of the wearer's life.

File:Hitler portrait crop.jpg|Adolf Hitler

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Following a moped accident that left him with a scar on his upper lip, Paul McCartney decided to grow a moustache in order to hide it. The other members of the Beatles decided to do the same. They were first seen with this new look on the cover of their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. This marked the return of young men wearing moustaches in the 1960s.

In art, entertainment, and media

Alias

Moustache was the alias name of a French comic actor, François-Alexandre Galipedes (b. 14 February 1929 in Paris, France – d. 25 March 1987 in Arpajon, Essonne, France), known for his roles in Paris Blues (1961), How to Steal a Million (1966), and Zorro (1975)

Fictional characters

Moustaches have long been used by artists to make characters distinctive, as with Charlie Chan, Mario, Revolver Ocelot, Daniel Plainview, Omni-Man, Mike Haggar, Tony Stark, Doctor Strange, King Bradley, Ned Flanders, Ron Swanson, Saxton Hale, Hercule Poirot, Ted Lasso, The Lorax, Yosemite Sam or Snidely Whiplash.
The Bollywood film Sharaabi had a character Natthulal whose moustache became a legend. Munchhen hon to Natthulal jaisi, warna na hon (Moustaches should be like Nathulal's or should not be at all) became one of the most quoted pieces of dialogue from the film.
At least one fictional moustache has been so notable that a whole style has been named after it: the Fu Manchu moustache.
In the children's series In the Night Garden..., Mr. Pontipine has an oversized fake moustache, which covers up his mouth. In the episode titled "Mr. Pontipine's Moustache Flies Away", his fake moustache flies off, but he retrieves it later.

Literature

In 1954, Salvador Dalí published a book dedicated solely to his moustache.

Visual art

They have also been used to make a social or political point as with:

Marcel Duchamp's L.H.O.O.Q. (1919), a parody of the Mona Lisa which adds a goatee and moustache
Frida Kahlo's moustachioed self-portraits

In the military

thumb|right|200px|[[Abhinandan moustache, named after Abhinandan Varthaman, wing-commander in the Indian Air Force, during the 2019 India-Pakistan standoff; the style is similar to a combination of an old, horseshoe-style gunslinger moustache and mutton chops worn by Franz Joseph I of Austria.]]

In the Indian Army, most senior rifle Rajputana regiment soldiers have moustaches, and the Rajputana Moustache is a symbol of dignity, caste status, and the spirit of Rajput soldiers.
Moustaches are also noted among U.S. Army armour and cavalry soldiers.
Moustaches were a compulsory part of the British Army uniform until 1916, and were quite often worn by soldiers later in the Falklands Campaign.

In sport

Swimmer Mark Spitz grew a moustache for the 1972 Summer Olympic Games, winning seven gold medals. When asked why he initially grew one, he stated: "I grew the moustache because a coach in college said I couldn't grow one."
Notable soccer players who sported moustaches include David Seaman, Graeme Souness, Toni Schumacher, Frank Worthington, John Wark, Rudi Voller, Ian Rush and Ruud Gullit.
In the early-1970s, Major League Baseball players seldom wore facial hair. As detailed in the book Mustache Gang, Oakland Athletics owner Charlie Finley decided to hold a moustache-growing contest within his team. When the A's faced the Cincinnati Reds, whose team rules forbade facial hair, in the 1972 World Series, the series was dubbed by media as "the hairs vs. the squares".
For the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, the Croatia men's national water polo team grew moustaches in honour of coach Ratko Rudić.
During the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London Chileans supporters painted moustaches on their skin as a sign of support of gymnast Tomás González. A site called bigoteolimipico.com (olympicmoustache) was created to allow people create Twitter avatars and Facebook images with moustaches in support of González.
NHL player George Parros was so well known for his moustache that replicas were sold by his team, with proceeds going to charity.
Formula 1 driver Nigel Mansell wore a famous chevron moustache during his racing career. While he shaved it off twice, once during the season, and again after his retirement, he did later grow it back.
NASCAR legends Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt was well known for their moustaches.

Gallery

References

External links

Photos of famous composers' moustaches in recognition of Movember
French documentary (52min) about history of moustache