In case you missed it, the clean-shaven look is out. Sorry, straight-laced mama's boys, you're not en vogue anymore. Our society is in full-throttle scruff mode.
We've been slowly moving entering the dawn of the mustachioed man for a few years, but now it's here. Mustaches are fuller, beards are thicker and a man's face will never be subject to the wind and cold.
The ever-popular muttonchops, the delightful hybrid between sideburns and mustache, is also making its harshest comeback since the '70s and '80s. Follicle-friendly men, you might as well ride the beard bandwagon while it's still around.
Perhaps you're not a trendy guy, but facial hair is one accessory you don't have to buy. If it goes out of style, you can just shave it off. What are you going to do now that you've spent $40 on that fedora hat you got last summer? Or $15 on those neon Kanye West "sunglasses?"
This trend is especially useful for the gents who feel like they've been blessed (cursed?) with a perpetual baby-face. Instant man-ification: grow some facial hair. You'll instantly feel more mature and confident; especially since that cute alternative girl in your literature class is eyeing you (just remember to buy a pair of Converse All-Stars, or else she'll lose interest in a few days).
Merely having the ability to grow a patch of hair on your face is not enough to suffice though. Cultivating a stellar 'stache takes more care and responsibility than that. Grooming is key - no one likes an unruly mass of face-pubes.
If you don't trust my authority on the matter (since I don't have the ability to grow facial hair, nor would it be socially acceptable for me to do so), take a note from Brad Pitt - with a trimmed goatee, he looks suave and devastatingly handsome. Left un-groomed, however, he looked like something the Cowardly Lion would have a crush on.