Moustache Styles Compared: Chevron, Handlebar, Pencil and More

How style choice interacts with face shape

Face-shape advice for moustaches is convention-based opinion, not a scientific rule, and grooming sources often disagree. The most common framework treats seven basic face shapes and suggests that a moustache can either balance or exaggerate the proportions of the face depending on where it adds width and length.

Gillette's US guide offers a quick-pick approach: square faces are best fit by the chevron and horseshoe, round faces by thin styles such as the pencil and the English, and nearly all moustache styles work for oval faces. Cremo describes the oval face as the most versatile and advises round faces to favour narrower styles. Zeus lists the English moustache for oblong, square and triangle faces and suggests skipping it for heart and round faces, while also noting the horseshoe suits round faces and should be skipped on a long narrow face.

Because these recommendations vary between sources, treat them as starting points for your own trial rather than fixed rules. If your face is between two shapes, pick the style that addresses the feature you want to balance. A wider style adds visual width to a long or narrow face; a thinner style keeps the focus away from a rounder jawline.

• Square face: Gillette suggests chevron and horseshoe; Cremo favours thicker styles and advises avoiding pencil.
• Round face: Gillette and Cremo both point toward thin styles such as pencil and English; Zeus also suggests the horseshoe.
• Oval face: Gillette says almost all styles work; Cremo calls the oval the most versatile.
• Oblong or triangle face: Zeus lists the English moustache as a fit.
• Long narrow face: Zeus advises skipping the horseshoe.
• Heart-shaped face: Zeus advises skipping the English moustache.

Sources: Zeus Beard, Cremo Company, Gillette (US)

Chevron and natural full styles

The chevron moustache is a thick, full style that follows the shape of the upper lip and forms a slight inverted-V line. Wikipedia describes it as covering the area between the nose and the upper lip out to the edges of the upper lip, and associates the look with 1970s and 1980s American and British culture and wearers such as Freddie Mercury and Tom Selleck.

Maintenance is low. Gillette lists the chevron as needing only weekly trimming and light combing, and Beardbrand describes chevron grooming as minimal. A natural chevron does not need wax, so trimming scissors are the main tool.

Growth time is an estimate, not a guarantee. Beardbrand states a chevron typically takes two to three months to reach the thickness and length that define the style, though individual genetics affect how quickly facial hair fills in. Beardbrand also notes that style naming has no law or order, so the chevron shape may appear under other labels, such as a pyramid variant, in some guides.

• Shape: thick and full, following the upper lip with a slight inverted-V line.
• Maintenance: low; weekly trimming and light combing per Gillette.
• Tools: trimming scissors; no wax needed for a natural chevron.
• Typical grow-out time: about two to three months for thickness and length, per Beardbrand.

Sources: Beardbrand, Gillette (US), Wikipedia

Handlebar and curled styles

The handlebar moustache is defined by a thick centre with ends grown long, waxed and curled upward into points. Beardbrand and Wahl both describe this defining feature, and the style is one of the most recognisable curled looks.

It is a higher-maintenance choice. Gillette lists the handlebar as requiring daily waxing and shaping, and Zeus describes it as demanding patience, product and precision. Mustache wax and a comb are the core tools, with a firmer hold used for classic curls and a lighter hold for minimal styling.

Milkman Grooming estimates the handlebar typically takes around two to three months to grow, though this is a single-source estimate that depends on genetics. Beardbrand notes that the field of moustache style naming has no law or order, so some sources use handlebar and horseshoe interchangeably even though the two styles differ.

• Shape: thick centre with ends grown long, waxed and curled upward into points.
• Maintenance: high; daily waxing and shaping.
• Tools: mustache wax plus a comb for shaping curls.
• Typical grow-out time: around two to three months, per Milkman Grooming.

Sources: Beardbrand, Wahl (US), Zeus Beard, Gillette (US), Milkman Grooming Co (Australia)

Pencil and thin styles

The pencil moustache is a thin, precisely trimmed style that sits just above the upper lip and can be parted at the philtrum. Zeus describes it as a tight, narrow line, and Beardbrand covers the parted pencil variant.

Upkeep is high even though the style is small. Beardbrand states the pencil requires frequent edge maintenance, with the upper line potentially needing shaving several times per week or daily. GQ adds that the pencil is the easiest style to reset, but it requires shaving the rest of the upper lip and face much more frequently because contrast with a bare face matters.

Growth is comparatively quick. Beardbrand states a pencil moustache can take two to four weeks to grow, with darker hair showing up more quickly. The main tool is a razor or trimmer for the upper line and edges.

• Shape: thin, precisely trimmed, sits just above the upper lip; can be parted at the philtrum.
• Maintenance: high; the upper line may need shaving several times per week or daily.
• Tools: razor or trimmer for the upper line and edges.
• Typical grow-out time: about two to four weeks, faster with darker hair, per Beardbrand.

Sources: Beardbrand, Zeus Beard, GQ

Horseshoe, English and walrus: other named styles

The horseshoe moustache consists of a full upper-lip moustache connected to two vertical strips of hair that run down toward the jawline, forming an inverted U. Wikipedia notes it is also known as the biker moustache and is often confused with the handlebar. Gillette lists square faces as a good fit for the horseshoe, while Zeus suggests it for round faces and advises skipping it on a long narrow face. Tools are trimming scissors or a trimmer and a comb to hold the shape.

The English moustache is a thin, straight style trimmed narrow so it never covers the lip, with ends that stretch just past the corners of the mouth and can be centre-parted at the philtrum. Zeus advises it for oblong, square and triangle face shapes and suggests skipping it for heart and round faces, with mustache wax and a comb used for shaping.

The walrus moustache is a thick, bushy style that covers the upper lip and extends past the mouth corners, combed straight down without curls. GQ describes it as the biggest, bushiest moustache and warns it is famously annoying to wear. It requires regular combing and trimming to prevent overgrowth, and Beardbrand states a solid walrus can take six months to a year to grow, depending on the hair's terminal length, which is determined by genetics.

• Horseshoe: full upper-lip moustache joined to vertical strips forming an inverted U; Gillette suggests square faces, Zeus suggests round faces and advises skipping on long narrow faces.
• English: thin, straight line that never covers the lip, ends just past the mouth corners; Zeus advises oblong, square and triangle faces and suggests skipping heart and round faces.
• Walrus: thick, bushy, covers the upper lip and extends past the mouth corners, combed straight down; takes six months to a year for a solid version, per Beardbrand.

Sources: Beardbrand, Zeus Beard, Gillette (US), GQ, Wikipedia

Maintenance and product needs per style

Cremo states that moustache styles generally require more upkeep than the average beard because they must be kept tidy to hold their shape. The general grooming kit Cremo lists is beard balm or mustache wax, a comb with a smaller side, trimming shears, and regular trimming and training. Zeus lists a similar product set including beard shampoo and conditioner, wax, combs and scissors.

Zeus also notes that mustache wax comes in light, firm and stronger-hold versions, with lighter hold used for minimal styling and firmer holds used for classic curls or heavy structure. GQ supplies useful vocabulary for this maintenance work: a moustache style is built from two parts, the peak (the upper rows, trimmed shorter for control) and the points (the longer, more stylable ends).

The table below compares the named styles on the attributes that the grooming sources describe in common. Face-shape fit reflects convention-based opinion from the cited guides and is not a rule.

Sources: Beardbrand, Gillette (US), Wahl (US), Zeus Beard, Milkman Grooming Co (Australia), GQ, Wikipedia

How to transition between styles

Cremo advises growing a full beard and trimming down once it reaches about one inch of growth, as a way to transition into a moustache style. This is presented as a general styling suggestion to avoid awkward growth stages, not a guaranteed method, and individual hair growth will vary.

A practical transition plan is to decide the destination style first, then let the areas you will need grow out while keeping the rest tidy. Moving from a chevron to a handlebar means letting the ends extend past the mouth corners before you start training them. Moving from a chevron to a pencil means keeping the upper line narrow and shaving the rest of the lip and face much more frequently, as GQ notes. Moving from a chevron to a horseshoe or walrus means letting the moustache or cheek strips grow for several months or longer before trimming to the target shape. Moving from a handlebar to a chevron means stopping the wax and trimming the ends back to follow the upper lip. For pencil to English, keep the upper line thin and straight and let the ends grow just past the mouth corners, using wax for shaping.

The field of moustache style naming has no law or order, so styles frequently overlap between sources. Beardbrand notes that styles are often mislabelled, which is why a style you see called a chevron in one guide may appear as a pyramid variant in another. Choose the shape that matches your face and routine rather than chasing an exact label.

1. Choose the destination style and note which areas need extra length or width.
2. Let those areas grow while keeping the rest of the moustache and face tidy.
3. Once growth reaches roughly one inch, trim down toward the target shape, as Cremo suggests.
4. Adjust the upper line and edges frequently, especially for thin styles such as the pencil.
5. Train the ends with wax if the style needs curls or points.

Sources: Beardbrand, Cremo Company, GQ