Make no doubt about it-not all beards were created equal. There are some that look a little too manicured, others that make you look like Tom Hanks’ character from Cast Away.

What you want is something in between those two extremes.

Something that will set you apart while not drawing all the wrong attention.

When it comes to manly beards, there’s a definite aspect of length that has to be addressed. While a simple cool beard could be as short as something that Robert Downey, Jr. is rocking, a manly beard will require a little bit more length. You might choose to let the sides out, but be careful here. Let them grow too scraggly and wild and you’ll be drawing attention for all the wrong reasons.

Instead, it’s best to maintain some fullness in the front and bottom while keeping the sides trimmed. This will let you show off the length of hair you’ve been able to achieve without getting too far into wildman territory.

Having a manly beard is a strange sort of paradox-it requires confidence to pull off, but it also imbues its wearer with confidence as well. You’ll be able to pull off just about any kind of look with the right manly beard for you. Just try something out and see what it does for your look.

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