(http://cydwicker.com/images/imaginative/renaissance_man.jpg)
I believe to be HA, men should have some kinda of facial hair. I haven't looked too much into it, but my understanding is that a full beard was common back in the day. Though I have also heard that sideburns were not HA, so maybe that was just for guys that keep it clean shaven.
So now I ask you gents, how do you do your facial hair for faire? What is your preferred style?
I wear a moustache on a daily basis, and of course have it for faire. My main difference is that I will tend to go a couple of days of not shaving right prior to fair to give at more rough look and not so clean. I also tend to let my moustache to get a little longer than normal during main faire season.
I am personally not a big fan of beards, and really haven't given much of a try into growing one. Besides, my company allows me to have the long hair, which of course is for faire!
My fiance has some pretty good facial hair. Here he is with some shot glasses braided into it.
(http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/61788_433527156198_629511198_5578506_1085829_n.jpg)
"Back in the day" is a pretty big time and space span--basically all of Europe for 200-300 years. Portraits show men with a full range of facial hair (from full beards to clean shaven).
Personally, I like a man with a beard. Milord has sported a full (neatly trimmed) beard for several years, but this spring shaved it into a goatee. I am not sure what is going to happen for Fair season (it will depend on Comic-Con and also his work schedule; he's an officer so can't go to the office all scruffy-like).
(http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL417/1033223/23241773/387656748.jpg)
(http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/198445_1024788578747_1196239965_63796_9523_n.jpg)
The Earl sports a mustache and goatee. He has been wearing that now for 7 years.
Got rid of the lot. Beard, moustache, gone. Don't miss it a bit. Makes me look years younger too, so there's another plus.
Facial hair came and went, hair got shorter and hair got longer. You could wear whatever and be correct for some specific year between 1490 and 1600.
(http://www.oceansbridge.com/paintings/artists/special/art/new/big/Jan-Gossaert-XX-Portrait-of-Baudouin-of-Burgundy-XX-Staatliche-Museen-Berlin.jpg)
Had a full beard and handlebar mustache for some 30 years but have been clean shaven for about 4 years now. It took some getting used to at first (my own family didn't recognize me!) but now, I kind of like the freedom of it. I can eat ice cream cones again and not worry about where the ice cream is ending up, and I can wash my face and not have to wait for the beard to dry before going out in freezing weather! I liked the beard while I had it and now I like not having it. :)
I had a full beard since my college days in the mid 80's, when I started going bald shaving my head I trimed it back to a Van Dyke.
I used to do something just for faire, which was to let it grow in on the sides a little, 'Anchor' style, like this guy;
(http://i1036.photobucket.com/albums/a441/Drakul75/Braveheart/Bruce.jpg)
Since my beard is mostly grey now it isn't that noticable, but it was just a kind of mental "faire is coming up" thing I'd start in September before TRF. I didn't do it last year because I was starting a new job, etc. But I'll likely start doing it again this season.
I have worn the chin curtain, mustache, full (as I can get) beard, Van Dyke, and a few mixes of each. Even rocked a mohawk one trip. Not once did historical accuracy determine my choice. It's just not how I do faire. To each their own.
If you are imitating a person from history, I think it would be prudent to match their style of hair. Or a common archtype. I.E. A musketeer without a mustache, just isn't the same.
The last time I shaved my beard completely off, circa 1976, I contracted pneumonia. Haven't done it since. At its current length, it can be problematic at times, but because it is so long, I can tuck it into my shirt. Once, while getting hooked up for an EKG, the beard was getting in the way, so I grabbed it and tucked it behind my head, prompting the technician to note, "Now there's something I've never seen done before!"
For faire, I normally have some small braids on the outside, and sometimes will wear a spiral wrap in the center. Opening weekend of Scarby, Doña Catalina and I were conversing, and she just reached up and braided the center. I've done that myself in the past to keep it out of my bass strings while I'm playing.
I am clean shaven. Wore a full beard (trimmed) and a handle bar mustache to the St Louis Ren Faire last year. HATED wearing facial hair! Have been clean shaven (again) since Jun 2010.