In the early 1900s, a thick and bushy growth on the upper lip was a sign of power and military prowess; in middle school that slightly disgusting fuzz was the first sign of manhood; today it’s the perfect party accessory.
Whether drawn, adhesive or homegrown, right now facial hair is a hot commodity.
Perhaps the most popular place the trend manifests itself is at social functions (like the mustache party) where mustachioed attendants sport a desired style for the evening.
Middler music industry major Joe Merturi said he threw a party he called Mustachio Bashio last year. Merturi said he and his friend, sophomore Andrew Bercik, both had really big beards and thought everyone else should come with facial hair.
Merturi said he can’t pinpoint the appeal of mustaches.
“It’s kind of like asking why people laugh at farts,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a real rhyme or reason to it, mustaches are just funny.”
Sophomore behavioral neuroscience major Lindsey Knox said she threw a mustache party last month because it was something different.
“We decided that we didn’t have to have a party where girls wore no clothes,” Knox said. “We’d rather have a party where girls dressed up like men and wore mustaches.”
Knox said that when everyone’s upper lip is covered in fur, it breaks the ice and lightens the mood.
“No one really has a giant French mustache, so if you’re looking at someone who has one you just have to laugh,” Knox said.
Some are taking their mustache obsessions to extremes by tattooing them to their pointer fingers.
Tattoo artist Brenda Wymme at Stingray Body Art and More said she’s had quite a few people request this novelty tattoo.
“I think people just think it’s funny,” Wymme said. “It’s a trend-there are a ton of trends with anything. There were people getting tattoos in the early 90s that we would laugh at now and call early 90s tattoos.”
Wymme said that while tattoos are supposed to be permanent, because of the finger location where skin sheds rapidly, the mustache can rub off in as little as a week. For those who want to keep it, touch-ups are essential, she said.
For others who are seeking a less permanent solution, a simple black Sharpee can do the trick.
To suit up for these events, many grab a permanent marker and do a little upper lip doodle. The more committed throw out their razors and grow some scruff. But perhaps most commonly, kids run to Newbury Comics or Dorothy’s Boutique on Massachusetts Avenue to grab a variety pack of adhesive mustaches.
Newbury Comics employee Tom Flanagan said the Day of the Week Mustache kit is a No. 1 selling item. He said while customers don’t always say it’s for a mustache party, he assumes that is often the case.
“It’s just an easy way for people to look sleazy but not,” Flanagan said.
The mustache obsession is more than an outrageous party theme. It has begun tackling the college-kid calendar with Facebook-promoted months and events.
Countless Mustache March groups have been popping up at universities nationwide. The largest has more than 1,000 members who are asked to grow a mustache and post a picture on the webpage.
Similar organizations have started peppering the campus, encouraging males to get a little grisly.
Sophomore undecided major Evan Goldsmith said that last year his fraternity Pi Kappa Alpha participated in Mustache March, encouraging anyone who was interested to grow a mustache for fun. He said about 25 people took part and they took a picture at the beginning and end of the month.
“It’s pretty cool to have a mustache,” Goldsmith said. “Most other people don’t have one so it’s pretty awesome.”
Sophomore behavioral neuroscience major and Resident Assistant Jonathan Cybulski said he wanted to use the facial hair obsession for the betterment of others-his inspiration for his resident hall event, No Shave November in Smith Hall. Cybulski said he will collect five dollars from each participant to donate to the Jimmy fund, which will go to cancer research.
Cybulski said he thinks the witty titles-Octobeard, Mustache March, No Shave November-are what help these events catch on.
“It can be anything really. It’s more of just a bonding thing, it gets people talking and it’s just a fun thing for everyone. It’s just goofy,” he said.
Senior English major Chessie Monks doesn’t restrict herself to one month of the year-her obsession is so huge, she said, that people associate her with mustaches, which she collects and sells.
“I just like facial hair in general-I think it’s a fun way of changing the way you look,” Monks said. “I carry [a fake mustache] with me in my backpack at all times, just in case. It’s good for parties because I can suddenly be wearing a mustache.”