A Tiny Visual History of the Moustache

The moustache, a facial hair feature that has adorned the faces of men (and some women) throughout history, is more than just a style choice. For men, it is a symbol of masculinity, cultural identity, and even social movements. From ancient civilizations to modern times, the moustache has experienced an evolution, weaving through patterns of the world’s cultural, fashion, and societal trends. I certainly want to add here at the beginning of this text that many women have natural facial hair, and it is part of our patriarchal dominance that keeps surpressing free facial hair growth or even style for women. There are very few examples in documented history of female moustaches. I added a photo of the painter Frida Kahlo and the princess of Qajar in this book, both incredible women whose moustache was indeed part of their activism. On page 24 and 136 are example of women with nicely groomed facial hair. The images in this book certainly don’t include all moustache styles in every country or geographic territory; it merely provides a small visual voyage of the male moustache.