Fashion trends and grooming styles tend to be cyclical. "There is nothing new under the sun�?has never been truer than when it comes to how humans, and men in particular, outfit and groom themselves.

If what goes around comes around, then one has to wonder what grooming style is on its way back next? We’ve seen a return of long hair from the 70s and 90s. Hair products like gel and mousses that were once popular in the 50s and 80s have come back around too. If one looks at the current pattern, it appears that every 30 years or so, trends repeat. So if we look back to the 1970s, we should be able to see what’s in store. Tight jeans and long flowing hair have begun to creep in. Vintage clothes from the decade are being sold in every shop. It appears the only thing missing is…the moustache.

Could the moustache possibly be on its way back into popular culture? Will we soon be seeing whiskers sprouting on every post-pubescent man? If loosely interpreted historical grooming trends are any indication, all signs point to yes.

Star Power

The moustache has enjoyed wide scale popularity in the 1920s, 30s, 50s and 70s. This was largely due to many charming, attractive and popular cultural icons sporting the look. In the 20s and 30s many silver screen heroes like Clark Gable had a ‘stache and uber-masculine author Ernest Hemingway proudly wore his. In the 1970s you couldn’t throw a dart without hitting a rock star wearing his whiskers.  The key to sparking any fashion revolution has always been in the domain of celebrities. Simply put, if someone rich and famous grows a moustache, people will follow suit.

The Seeds Have Been Planted

In our present day, many stars have begun to grow moustaches. Will Ferrell had one in Anchorman, George Clooney has grown many for film roles, Jack Black flashed one proudly in Nacho Libre and even Casey Affleck has tried to bring the moustache back with his character in the Ocean’s Eleven franchise. In the music world, members of the pop rock band The Killers all recently grew a hairy upper lip. Even heartthrob, Orlando Bloom, had a moustache in The Pirates of the Caribbean. Granted, most of these stars grew their moustaches as a joke, but the seed has still been planted. Popular culture is growing accustomed to seeing men with moustaches. All that is required is a new hot, young, mustachioed male star to break into Hollywood and the rest will fall in place like dominoes.

Breaking the Boredom

Nearly every grooming trend has come back in some form or another. People are getting restless. The time is nigh for the return of the moustache. Any man with a half decent beard growth has experimented with a moustache - if only for an hour or so - in the bathroom when shaving off a beard. They can be a ton of fun and have the power to turn an average Joe from a mild mannered male into a cowboy, a bandito, a used car salesman creep, a pirate, a swashbuckler or even a chief of police.

The moustache is incredibly diverse and has the power to completely transform a man’s look. At least ten distinct styles are easily recognized by most people (Fu Manchu, Dali, handlebars, Van Dyke etc.) and each with its own characteristics and attributes. It is an incredibly malleable look that completely opens up a man’s grooming arsenal and in some cases, can look downright dapper. It is a blessing that we as men get the opportunity to experiment with a look so completely free and open to interpretation. When it comes to grooming gifts, women got makeup and men got moustaches.

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beat the bandwagon

Moustaches will be popular again, mark my word. No longer will they be relegated to fringe society, belonging only to dirty teens and trailer park rednecks. They will again grace the cover of magazines and appear on the average man on the street.  It is just a matter of time, and the minutes are ticking away.

As a young man who helps define the style world in our time, the choice will ultimately lie with you. You can either fight the inevitable and ballyhoo the moustache or start the revolution by growing one yourself. When it comes to style, being ahead of the curve is always the preferred place to be. With any luck your moustache will look so damn good, you will be the one to spark the trend. Only time will tell, so gentlemen, the next time you shave, ignore your upper lip and do as the once mustachioed Paul McCartney said and “let it be.�?Bring back the moustache!