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Handlebar moustache

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Not to be confused with Horseshoe moustache.
Copenhagen wigmaker about 1893

A handlebar moustache is a moustache with particularly lengthy and upwardly curved extremities. These moustache styles are named for their resemblance to the handlebars of a bicycle.[1] It is also known as a spaghetti moustache, because of its stereotypical association with Italian men.[2][3] The Handlebar Club humorously describes the style as "a hirsute appendage of the upper lip and with graspable extremities".[4]

History

Similar styles of moustache are quite ancient, appearing on statues and other depictions of Iron Age Celts.[5] In the United States, handlebar moustaches were worn in the later part of the 19th century by Wild West figures like Wyatt Earp.[6][7] In Europe, handlebar moustaches were often worn by soldiers during the 19th century until roughly the era of World War I.

English comedy actor Jimmy Edwards grew his trademark handlebar moustache in the late 1940s in order to disguise facial injuries sustained as a pilot in World War II.[8]

In 1972, to win a $300 "best facial hair" prize offered by team owner Charlie O. Finley, Oakland A's pitcher Rollie Fingers grew a handlebar moustache which he sported throughout his career.[9][10]

More recently, the contemporary hipster subculture has embraced the handlebar moustache by mocking conventional ideals of fashion, and by combining a highly manicured handlebar moustache with the portrayal of an unkempt appearance or a haphazardly selected clothing ensemble.[11]

Handlebar moustache are often used for Circus people.

Famous handlebar moustaches

Company mascots

Styles

This style is usually achieved by the use of moustache wax,[27] although hair gel, a curling iron, or natural curling can suffice. Generally, the greater the curl of the extremities, the more dramatic the appearance achieved. When worn without wax or grooming, the moustache style may more closely resemble a walrus moustache.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Handlebar moustaches.

References

  1. ^ Dictionary.com Unabridged. "handlebar moustache". Random House, Inc. Retrieved 2011-02-23.
  2. ^ Gauri Shah. "'Moonch'as Gracias: Salman's Dabangglook has brought the good 'ole moustache in the spotlight". Times of India. Retrieved 2012-08-15. The handle-bar a.k.a 'spaghetti moustache' grew in popularity thanks to Italian men.
  3. ^ Clements, Caroline (29 October 2010). "Broadsheet's Guide to Movember". Broadsheet. Retrieved 2012-08-15. Handlebar or Spaghetti Moustache: Curling upwards at the sides like an Italian lion tamer
  4. ^ "London's Handlebar Club campaigns against sacking of Indian airline steward". The Economic Times. 16 Feb 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-27.
  5. ^ "The Celts Themselves". www.unc.edu. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  6. ^ Barnett, Ryan. "Top 10: Outrageous Moustaches". Ask Men.
  7. ^ "Handlebar moustache is a work of art to Russell". Daily News. Dec 27, 1993.
  8. ^ Davis, Veronica (2004). "Edwards, James Keith O'Neill [Jimmy] (1920–1988)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/39930. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  9. ^ "Biography". Rollie Fingers Official Website. Retrieved 2011-09-22.
  10. ^ Armold, Elijah (January 25, 2007). "A Man and His Famous Moustache: Hall of Fame reliever Rollie Fingers and his facial hair visited York Area Sports Night". York Daily Record.
  11. ^ Nelson, D. (14 June 2011). "What is a Hipster Mustache". Wise Geek.
  12. ^ "The 20 Best Politician Beards And Mustaches". Complex Pop Culture. Retrieved 2013-04-04.
  13. ^ "The 20 Best Politician Beards And Mustaches". Complex Pop Culture. Retrieved 2013-04-04.
  14. ^ "Manly Facial Hair: 11 Different Types Of Mustaches". The Huffington Post. 4 May 2011. Retrieved 2013-04-04.
  15. ^ "The Greatest Western Moustaches". American Cowboy. 11 February 2013. Retrieved 2013-04-04.
  16. ^ "AIFB : Election Candidate". Archived from the original on 2014-09-02. Retrieved 2014-10-04.
  17. ^ "The Idea of Bhagat Singh". Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2014-10-04.
  18. ^ "Shaheed Bhagat Singh: Youth Icon of India - Mulnivasi Sangh". Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2014-10-04.
  19. ^ "Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh Foundation organizes free medical camp | News- Early Times". Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2014-10-04.
  20. ^ "Bhagat Singh remains the most sustaining symbol of the national freedom movement". India Today. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  21. ^ Says, Vikas Singh (2013-07-23). "106th birth anniversary of Chandrashekhar Azad". The India Post. Retrieved 2019-01-31.
  22. ^ "Rare pic: The moment when India's hero Chandra Shekhar Azad chose death over subjugation". Zee News. 2016-02-27. Retrieved 2019-01-31.
  23. ^ "If I Were A Rich Man". Frieze Magazine. Retrieved 2014-07-07.
  24. ^ "National Bohemian". Pabst Brewing Company. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  25. ^ "Long Live The Maharaja, The Maharaja Is Dead!". www.rajeevmahajan.com. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  26. ^ Mohan, Rama (23 June 2014). "Modi Wants to Replace Air India's 'Maharaja' Mascot with Common Man". International Business Times. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  27. ^ "The Wax FAQtor: Questions about Moustache Wax". The Handlebar Club. Retrieved 2011-09-21.
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