I have always thought that of all the jazz men, Thelonious Monk had the coolest beard. This year I have decided to try and grow a Monk Beard (which works out well because my scruff gets a little patchy on the sides).
Here is the progress so far:
Eventually I may get here:
The other day someone asked me what my wife thinks of my beard. I replied that my wife is just like every other wife, not a big fan of the scratchiness.
Unfortunately ladies, I think beards are in this winter.
3 Comments
so one can grow a patchy beard and still look cool?.. still not a believer i can pull it off. good luck jackson
Yeah, my wife hates beards bit my annual beard growth is in full swing. I bet there is club somewhere for guys like us.
I found this because I was searching google images for beards… I’ve found myself with quite the full-on beard after spending most of my time doing sound & tour management since November of last year. Now I’m in Paris with a few weeks off, it’s the day after my birthday, and I’m wondering what I’ll do with this thing! (the facial hair, not my birthday or vacation)
I’m in an opposite situation with the girl though, because my girl actually likes the beard. On the one hand, I don’t think of myself as a bearded guy. So wrapping up another tour + having a birthday + some time to do what I want makes me think, “step 1: SHAVE!” On the other hand, I definitely have a beard right now (it’s a good 4-fingers deep from my chin) so I might as well consider whether I like it or not. Regarding my girl, she has to look at me more than I do, so I have to weigh her in on this. After all, what’s the point of designing / cultivating a look if it’s not going to attract the person or people you want attention from? So for now I’m not doing anything rash with scissors or razor…
On the can-a-patchy-beard-be-cool question, I think that one look at the photos on this blog & it’s an easy “YES.” But then cool follows intent, I think. Intent or sincerity maybe, and / or proliferation. If you’ve got patchy growth or other distinguishing feature generally not considered cool, it can easily become a trademark sort of thing depending on your behavior or accomplishments, thus becoming a positive feature. Big, crooked noses, unibrows, patchy beard - whatever. But if you’re self-conscious about it, it won’t help you with coolness. But then the eternal coolness paradox is that it’s most un-cool to worry about being cool or seeming cool… it’s only when you accept your own individual coolness- the coolness that is created by the combination of what you were born with, what you cultivate, and to a greater or lessor extent what you produce- that you become truly cool. After that comes recognition of your coolness and ultimately imitation of your coolness.
Only a personal observation of course, but I find it proven true often!