How To Grow & Trim The Perfect Designer Stubble

Once an undesired trait synonymous with neglect and bad hygiene, designer or sport Stubble has become a hallmark of masculinity. The term’s etymology predates the 13th Century as the name for stalks of grain left after harvest.

During the majority of the 20th Century, clean-shaven was the accepted norm in Western society and denoted smartness and cleanliness.

It wasn’t until the 1980s that the so-called 5 o’clock shadow became a fashion statement. Late British pop singer, George Michael, can be credited for pioneering designer stubble. It exuded a carefree image with a rebellious and masculine streak.

The calculated unkempt aesthetic was reminiscent of bad-boy anti-heroes portrayed by actors such as Clint Eastwood and Kurt Russell.

Throughout the 1990s until the early 2000s, the look was still considered inappropriate for many workplaces.

It wasn’t until the beard’s renaissance that it became almost universally accepted as a fashionable and even desirable look.

Is Stubble Attractive?

In 2008, biological psychologists, Dr Nick Neave and Kerry Shields of Northumbria University studied the effects of facial hair on female perceptions of attractiveness, masculinity and dominance in male faces.

Analysing 60 women, they concluded that men with light Stubble were considered to be the most attractive. Furthermore, it was also preferred for both short and long-term relationships.

You could interpret these findings by concluding that Stubble appears more attractive as the onset of facial hair displays a man’s capabilities of growth. Facial hair denotes maturity and masculinity, which equally denotes strength and vitality.

Every man has worn it numerous times in their life but often the look is incidental rather than intentional. When deliberately crafted, Stubble’s laissez-faire imagery appears effortless and edges towards Sprezzatura (studied carelessness).

However, although it does require effort, some is needed to avoid appearing dishevelled.

Why Wear Beard Stubble?

Stubble is ideal for men who refrain from going Full Beard but do want to lose the baby face. It creates the desired texture that can enhance a man’s features like a beard. What’s more, it structures a man’s jawline and can create angular shadow on round cheeks.

Men who suffer from skin irritation due to regular shaving can greatly benefit from growing a healthy 5 o’clock shadow.

Decreasing the frequency and simply grooming the hair growth can soothe the skin and allow it to heal between shaves. Alternatively, men with sensitive skin can simply let it grow out and just trimmed it short every few days.

Unlike many beards, well-groomed stubble is actually excellent for men with patchy facial hair growth. Consider both Ryan Gosling and Leonardo DiCaprio. Their ventures into Stubble are not only iconic but have also cast away their baby face features.

How To Trim Beard Stubble

Growing beard stubble is relatively easy. Meanwhile, trimming it is challenging. We recommend following the following steps to trim your stubble beard:

• Trim length away in increments to avoid taking away too much.
• Decide on the length according to follicle density.
• Be mindful of the colour too as light beards need more length to be noticed.
• Play with length to create gradients and contours.
• Trim in multiple passes until arriving at the desired length to ensure consistency.
• Use a shavette to contour the cheek and necklines.
• Fade the neckline if desired by decreasing the guard number and pressure on each pass.

For the best results, we recommend using a high-quality beard trimmer. Head to our dedicated guide to the best beard trimmers to stock up!

Best Stubble Length

The French appropriately call stubble “la barbe de trois jours” or the three-day beard. A flawlessly unkempt 5 o’clock shadow is around 1/8th of an inch (3 mm) in length. This usually represents 3 or 4 days of the average man’s hair growth.

Meanwhile, heavy stubble can represent as much as a week’s worth of growth but after that, it can quickly venture into Boxed beard territory.

Men with thick and fast hair growth may like to oscillate between clean-shaven and stubble. However, beard trimmers or at least clippers with a number 1 guard are essential for stubble management. For perfectly-sculpted stubble, consider growing a beard for at least one week, which allows any patchier areas to fill out.

How To Care For Stubble

Stubble requires revising every three to four days to keep its structure and contours in check. Although it can be left for longer, it can very quickly appear shaggy and lose the calculated rugged appearance.

Be sure to invest in skin and haircare products. It’s important to exfoliate and moisturise the skin beneath the stubble to ensure it remains healthy. Professional beard oil is also highly recommended, which softens sharp hair and reduces irritation.

Furthermore, it will make you considerably more kissable for your significant other by avoiding the fiendish “pash rash”.

On a final note, be sure to consider how the beard style complements and contrasts the final ensemble. Stubble should be paired with a hairstyle and attire that denotes a well thought-out and intentional appearance. Should it seem incidental, you may inadvertently appear scruffy and bedraggled.

Will Stubble Suit My Face Shape?

Although Stubble will suit the majority of face shapes, it comes with caveats to take into account their specific requirements. To some extent, it can be used to redistribute the face’s proportions. However, its major strength derives from how it can emphasise, harden or indeed soften facial features. Be sure to identify your face shape before you continue reading this section.

Ideal Matches

The following face shapes won’t have any issues wearing stubble.

Heart Face Shapes

Heart shapes can suffer the most from baby face features, a 5 o’clock shadow creates maturity. The result is a layer of texture that denotes experience whilst still retaining the hallmarks of their youthful complexion.

Oblong Face Shapes

Oblong faces can enjoy the benefits of a light coat to provide texture and adding emphasis to the jawline. However, heavier Stubble can be used to reduce face length by trimming short below the jawline.

Although this may require some experimentation to get right, it can drastically reduce face length and provide some width.

Oval Face Shapes

Oval face shapes can experiment with both light and heavy Stubble with the least restraint as it will unlikely affect their facial proportions. Try to avoid very soft finishes and aim for more angular contours. This will make the face appear slightly squarer.

Square Face Shapes

Square face shapes are better suited to light stubble. This populates their pronounced features without risking any overemphasis. Longer growth can be used to soften the face but the finishes should be keep neat to avoid blowing features out of proportion.

Triangle Face Shapes

Triangle face shapes fare far better with light Stubble. The added texture retains their angularity and flaunts their strong jawlines without overemphasis. Longer growth can soften these traits if they’re too strong.

However, it’s advised that if heavier growth is desired, the cheeks are kept straight and tidy to avoid exaggerating the jaw.

Acceptable Matches

The following face shapes can wear stubble but just need to be mindful of certain caveats and pitfalls.

Diamond Face Shapes

Diamond faces can struggle to wear Stubble. The short hair growth can risk severely exaggerating their angular features and quickly appears scruffy. Short Stubble can make their cheeks appear hollow and the chin appear pointed.

Heavy stubble would be more effective but it may be even more effective to grow a fuller beard style instead.

Round Face Shape

The use of Stubble is somewhat more complex for Round face shapes. Although light fuzz can be exploited to break away from the monotony of absent features, it doesn’t do much to redistribute structure.

Using heavy Stubble to offset the face and make it squarer is certainly worth attempting by keeping the sides trimmed. Stubble must be kept in check as the hair contours will fade and soften the features when growing out.

What Next?

Now that you have read about how to grow a stubble beard, check out some of our related guides:

• Top 10 Best Beard Trimmers
• Best Beard Oil To Use
• How To Grow & Trim A Beard
• Moustache Guides
• Hairstyle Guides
• Bespoke Unit Grooming Home