Darah Hubbard
There was once a dark period, one that happened in our lifetimes, when the mustache fell out of vogue. It was the late 1990s when the above-the-lip bristles tumbled to a point that a New York Times article wondered if this trim of facial hair would ever return to its former glory. It was an epoch that saw the mustache relegated to a comedy bit or attempts to dress as Magnum PI for Halloween. The period rivaled the stache’s lowest point, one which followed a 1907 science experiment that determined kissing a mustached man would pollute a woman’s lips “with tuberculosis and diphtheria bacteria.” This has since been disproven.
But, thanks to many factors and a few celebrities who champion the facial coif, the mustache might now reign supreme on the facial hair hierarchy. And Fort Worth, a city with a penchant for nostalgic looks and thick bristles, is a welcoming home for the mustachioed man.
And one of the city’s most vocal lip mane advocates is Matt Davis, full-time owner of a sign-making company (Dynamic Graphics), part-time whisker warrior, and owner of one of the region’s most robust handlebar mustaches that he regularly enters into competitions. Yes, those really are a thing.
We sat down with Davis, 41, a full-blown mustache advocate and educator, at Low Doubt Bar for what turned into a very enlightening chat about men’s facial hair, proper grooming, and even a little etiquette. Take notes, y’all.
Darah Hubbard
FW: So, when and where does your mustache journey begin?
Matt Davis: Every Christmas, our church puts on a Christmas skit, and I play this Shakespearean Bible story reenactor named Reginald Fastidious III. He’s as wild as you’d think. We’ve been doing different variations of the same character for a few years, and in 2020, I said, “Hey, it would really make this character over-the-top if I grew a mustache. And not just this over-the-lip Chevron [a trimmed mustache angled downward]; we’re talking full-blown handlebar mustache. And it just became its own thing.”
FW: And you’ve since entered it into competitions. What are those like? How do they judge?
Davis: Well, there are two types: online and in-person. For in-person competitions, you’ve got very selective styles. For instance, I would enter the handlebar mustache category, and I’d have to shave my lower lip hair because the lower lip hair means it’s no longer a handlebar. And they’ll judge you on its length, whether you have symmetry, and whether everything looks nice dependent on the style you’re going for. I’ve got a curl. If I were to straighten [the curl] out, that’d be an Englishman-style mustache. There are tons of different [styles].
Online is more flexible. There are three to four judges, and each judge will give you a challenge. For example: They’ll ask for you to take your mustache outdoors and do something outdoorsy with it. And you make a goofy little video doing something outdoorsy. And some will ask questions, like, “How do you share kindness in the world?”
FW: Kind of like a beauty pageant.
Davis: Yeah, it’s kind of like a beauty pageant. Kind of “‘What’s the perfect date?’ ‘April 25.’”
FW: What made you decide to go with the handlebar look?
Davis: I wanted to stick with the Shakespearean look for the Reginald Fastidious III character. I thought he’d have this very elegant, fancy mustache. And, honestly, I can’t grow anything on the side of my face.
FW: Your secret’s safe with me.
Davis: Don’t write that down (laughs). Yeah, I just embrace it. And, apparently, [what I have right now] is a style. It’s called the musketeer. It’s the goatee combined with the handlebar mustache. That’s what that is, and I embrace it.
FW: What makes a good mustache?
Davis: Honestly, it’s the confidence you have when you carry it. Every guy has a terminal length to their mustache — you can only grow it so long. I’ve seen some people where it’s just barely over their lip and others two feet long. That doesn’t matter. What matters is your confidence in it, your care for it, and how you style it.
Darah Hubbard
FWM: Any recommendations for people considering growing a mustache?
Davis: Be patient. You’re going to have a very uncomfortable 12 weeks where it’s poking your lip. It itches. It’s not curling. You got to give it time. You’ve got to let it grow. When I started mine, I got a lot of unflattering comments. Don’t let that negativity sway you into shaving. Give it room and give it time to fill out. And just have fun with it.
Also, never trim in the middle. If you trim anything over your lip, you won’t be able to pull [the hair] back to where it [flares out]. The middle is what holds it up. In order to get lift, you’ve got to just leave it growing.
If I trim, I only trim on the ends — light snips only.
FWM: And once you have a mustache, how do you care for it?
Davis: I’ve got a sizable collection of beard oils and balms and washes that I use. You don’t want to use shampoo or body soap. Such products will strip your face of its special oils and cause dryness and itchiness. So, you want to make sure you’ve got your mustache moisturized with oils.
I would highly recommend getting a beard oil and beard balm before you get a wax. When you first start growing your mustache, you’ll get the beard itch really bad, and beard oil will help reinvigorate your skin. Then, once you get a wax, you’ll decide if you like a light, medium, or strong hold. You’ll then, naturally, want to get a wax remover oil. This way you don’t have wax just sitting in [your mustache] for a few days. It builds up quickly.
FWM: What do you look for in a mustache wax?
Davis: I usually go for a stronger hold because I want it to stay [in place] on an off day. [My mustache] is usually pretty wild and all over the place. So, I want [the wax] to actually grip it, but not so strong that I’m pulling hairs out when trying to style it.
FWM: I would assume once you’ve committed and you’ve grown it, you’ve got a stache for life.
Davis: My marriage is dependent on it. My wife has told me that if I shave, it’s a no-go for her. I love her dearly, so I’m sticking with it.
FWM: What are some issues that arise when one grows such an impressive mustache?
Davis: Oh, man, saucy foods, wings, yogurt. You’re going to just get it everywhere. But you can learn to drink a certain way or eat a certain way so you don’t mess yourself up as much.
FWM: Is the mustache fully back?
Davis: I feel like COVID changed the game for facial hair. I think a lot of guys were at home not having to shave for work, and they started growing [facial hair]. Since then, I’ve noticed a lot more mustaches in particular.
And, of course, when you see it in the mainstream, when you see celebrities wearing it, it has that trickle-down effect. So, yes, it’s back.
FWM: Who has the better mustache, Sam Elliott or Tom Selleck?
Davis: It depends. Sam Elliot’s got more of a walrus-style mustache where you just have that straight-down comb — big, burly cowboy mustache. Tom Selleck has the Chevron, where it’s real nice and clean. It’s kind of like asking, “What’s your favorite music?” OK, well, what mood am I in? Where am I at? Everybody has preferences and everybody puts their own spin on it. A mustache says a lot about a person.
FWM: What would yours say about you?
Davis: That I’m patient, creative, and probably just a little bit out there.
You can follow Matt Davis on Instagram @mustachedmrmatt
