The best beard styles, like haircuts, tend to get recycled. “For the most part, there’s nothing new under the sun,” says celebrity barber Jomo Kenyatta, whose A-list clientele includes everyone from A$AP Ferg to Jamie Foxx. That said, while rotation is inevitable, you can rest assured that facial hair, in one form or another, will always be in style. “Beards aren’t going anywhere,” says Matty Conrad, GQ’s go-to beard expert and founder of Victory Barber & Brand. “But they are changing.” And that’s something to embrace.
“A lot of people are afraid to make a change, or do something drastic, because of what they think other people might think. But it’s just like buying clothes: The clothes don’t make you; you make the clothes,” Kenyatta says. “I feel that everyone should get out of their comfort zone at some point.” From red carpet-ready stubble to the perfect beard to pair with a fresh fade, here are the seven styles that have our favorite barbers buzzing right now.
The Tapered Beard
PARIS, FRANCE – JANUARY 21: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY – For Non-Editorial use please seek approval from Fashion House) Skepta attends the Louis Vuitton Menswear Fall-Winter 2025/2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 21, 2025 in Paris, France. (Photo by Marc Piasecki/WireImage)Marc Piasecki
Skin fades are everywhere, but the ubiquitous style can make pulling off a full beard tricky. Enter the tapered, or faded, beard. Tightly cropped towards the temples and ultimately trimmed down to zero, it’s effectively an inverted skin fade. It’s an ideal style for wider face shapes, as it tends to make the face look narrower, but also perfect for anyone anticipating a stint away from the barber. (The blended sides allow the beard to maintain its gradient as it grows, instead of forcing you to keep a clean line at the top.) “I refer this look to a lot of people that go on the road,” says Kenyatta, who counts frequent fader Skepta among his celebrity clients. “With a line, you get it right and then for a few days it looks clean, but a week later it’s not looking as sharp. So I always recommend the blend, because as it grows it just looks natural.”
Get the look:
The Beardstache
Henry Cavill arrives for the world premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Justice League,” November 13, 2017 at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California. / AFP PHOTO / Robyn Beck (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)AFP Contributor/Getty Images
