Don't Grow Yourself a Jacob Elordi Goatee Unless You Have These Facial Features

Jacob Elordi is a follicularly gifted man. Not just on the top of his head, where he favors a mini mullet, but also when it comes to his mighty facial hair. A few years back he trialled a full Heathcliffe beard for Wuthering Heights, and now he's gone for something equally as impactful.

The 29-year-old Australian actor has been flaunting a goatee, bringing it along to date nights with Kendall Jenner and to the Bottega Veneta show in Milan. It’s a divisive facial hair style, but not one without precedence in Hollywood, being a long-time favourite of Robert Downey Jr, Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp. Longer on the chin, a little wispy around the edges, with clean-shaven cheeks and a moustache up top, it’s a look that has fallen by the wayside in recent years. But, like baggy slacks and flatform trainers, this Nineties trend might be making a comeback.

Should Elordi’s power be great enough to influence you, we did the work and called upon our go-to barber to find out what's going on with Elordi's facial hair, who this style actually works for (remember, we’re not all blessed with Elordi’s looks), and who should avoid it. Max Oakley, co-founder of London-based barbershop Supply 91, gives the deets.

"Elordi’s goatee works particularly well because his naturally defined jawline gives the style a strong foundation, while the slightly softer, fuller shape through the chin and moustache adds definition without making the overall look feel too sculpted," Oakley says. That being said, you actually don't need to have a razor sharp jawline to have a goatee, as it can actually help carve one out for you. "A goatee is particularly flattering on rounder or fuller face shapes, such as Leonardo DiCaprio—the added length and definition around the chin can help create the appearance of a more elongated, structured jawline, while those with oval or angular faces can generally carry the style with more flexibility."

Now, Elordi's goatee is just one iteration on the style. "There are several variations of the goatee, depending on the finish you’re after," Oakley says. "The classic goatee is a simple patch of hair focused on the chin, although the term is now often used more broadly for styles that follow a similar shape. The anchor goatee extends further along the jawline, creating a sharper, more angular finish—a style Robert Downey Jr. has made his own.

"Then there’s the circle beard, where the chin hair connects seamlessly with the moustache to create a complete ring," he continues. "It might not sound immediately appealing but look at Idris Elba and you’ll see how well it can work. Elordi paired his goatee with a moustache, using the shape to add definition around the jaw while keeping the overall look relaxed and modern."

Whatever the style, the key to a good goatee is definition. "Start with a quality beard trimmer and an adjustable setting so you can control the length but define the shape before taking the overall length down," says Oakley. "Symmetry is particularly important with a goatee, so take your time when outlining each side and check your shape as you go. My advice is always to trim gradually—you can take more off, but you can’t put it back."

This story originally appeared on Esquire.com.

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