Men: how do you do your facial hair for faire?

[Valiss]

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?

[Kruzar]

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!

[Sitara]

My fiance has some pretty good facial hair.  Here he is with some shot glasses braided into it.

[gem]

"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).

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

The Earl sports a mustache and goatee. He has been wearing that now for 7 years.

[Captain Jack Wolfe]

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.

[DonaCatalina]

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.

[Bob of the Lake]

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. 

[Zardoz]

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;

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.

[Grov]

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.

[Merlin the Elder]

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.

[Butch]

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.