The Van Dyke beard style is a unique and fun way to do your facial hair. It’s not too common, so it will stand out against the usual styles.
It is a goatee variation and follows the same rules as a goatee. It is composed of a mustache and a soul patch connected with a medium-length pointy chin beard.
The main difference between the classic goatee and the Van Dyke is that the mustache doesn’t connect with the chin beard.
But let’s see what a Van Dyke beard is and how to do it!
What is the Van Dyke Beard Style?
As already mentioned, the Van Dyke beard style is a unique goatee variation. The chin hair should be shaped into a “V,” and it should have a thick mustache and a soul patch.
It was named after the 17th-century Flemish painter Anthony Van Dyke, who was very famous for his portraiture. He became so talented that he managed to get a position in the British court, and he even managed to convince King Charles I of England to let him paint a portrait of the Queen. His style was unique, and people loved it!
While we like his paintings, we have to admit that his facial hairs are even more distinctive. It was so outstanding that it received its own name years after Van Dyke’s death!
Best Face Shape for the Van Dyke beard style
Before you start growing a Van Dyke, you should know which face shapes it will suit best.
I guess you already know your face shape, so we are not going to talk about it here. If you don’t, you need to find out which face shape you have here.
The Van Dyke will make your chin look slightly longer, so if you have a face shape with a strong chin like the heart, diamond, or triangle face shape, the Van Dyke beard will not be a good idea because it will lengthen your chin even more.
On the other hand, if you have a round or oval face, the Van Dyke beard style will be perfect for you because it will lengthen your face.
Related Article: Find the Best Beard Style for Your Face Shape
Best Van Dyke beard styles and Examples
Like all beard styles, there are many variations of the Van Dyke beard.
Let’s see some of them and give you some inspiration!
The Classic Van Dyke Goatee
This is the classic and original Van Dyke. It has a thick mustache and a soul patch connected with a chin beard that is shaped in a “V” and has a medium length. The Van Dyke mustache should not connect with the chin beard.
Van Dyke with a stubble beard
The Van Dyke style is great with a stubble because it gives a more rugged and masculine look. To achieve this look, all you have to do is to grow your Van Dyke and not shave the rest of the beard. You just need to trim the rest of your facial hair weekly, depending on the stubble length you want to achieve.
Van Dyke with a full beard
If you want to be extra dapper, the Van Dyke with a full beard is perfect for you. It looks like the ducktail beard but is a bit more pointy.
To achieve this beard style, you will need more time as you have to grow your beard. Just wait until you have a full beard and then use a trimmer to trim it, as shown in the picture. Just make sure that the Van Dyke goatee will be visible, and the sides will be shorter than the chin.
Short Van Dyke beard
While one of the rules of the Van Dyke is to have medium-length chin hair, some people prefer it with short facial hair.
If you want to have a short Van Dyke, you need to grow a Van Dyke as you would do for the classic one. When your facial hair reaches a quarter of an inch or shorter, all you have to do is to trim it with a beard trimmer.
Van Dyke with a chinstrap
Another variation of the Van Dyke is to grow a chinstrap and connect it with your chin beard.
The most important thing about this style is to make sure that the chinstrap is connected with the chin beard; otherwise, it will look like you are wearing two separate beards.
Patchy Van Dyke
Who said that guys with patchy beards could not have a Van Dyke?
Patchy beards can also have a Van Dyke if it is properly styled. The areas you need to grow are the mustache, soul patch, and chin beard. Even if you have a patchy beard, these areas can be grown out so you can have a dapper-looking beard.
Van Dyke without the soul patch
The rules are made to be broken! If you don’t want to have a soul patch, please feel free to skip it. Just make sure that the rest of the Van Dyke elements are there, and you will look dashing. If you want to, you can always wear a soul patch later.
Long and bushy Van Dyke
If you like your Van Dyke long and bushy, that is fine as well. All you have to do is to grow a Van Dyke and don’t trim it. Just leave it as is and wait until the whole beard reaches about two inches. When this happens, all you have to do is to style your long and bushy Van Dyke.
Van Dyke beard with a handlebar mustache
You can also play with different mustache styles together with the Van Dyke beard.
For instance, you can have a handlebar mustache or a pencil mustache with a Van Dyke.
All you have to do is to let the mustache grow, just like the rest of your facial hair, and then shape and style both the Van Dyke and the mustache.
Related Article: Do You Have A Patchy Mustache? 7 Tips On How To Grow A Thicker Mustache
Minimalist Van Dyke
If you like the Van Dyke, but you do not like to look like a dandy, then the minimalist Van Dyke is for you.
The minimalist version of the Van Dyke is a variation of the original, and it is made to be worn at formal occasions like black tie events like Johnny Depp does. All you have to do is to have very clean and clear lines and keep your Van Dyke to the short side.
How to grow a Van Dyke beard
Growing a Van Dyke is not difficult; all you have to do is to be patient. It takes time for facial hair to grow and can take up from one month to four months, depending on the desired length.
You can trim or shave the rest of your facial hair from the second week or wait and do it when the Van Dyke is at the desired length.
How to shape a Van Dyke
This is the most difficult part of growing a Van Dyke.
The first thing to do is to shave the cheek hair and the sides of your face with a razor or a beard trimmer, depending on how clean you want it. Do not trim the mustache and chin hair; just shave the sides.
The next thing to do is take the razor and shave the hair below your chin and neck. This will be the outline of your beard.
Now you have to do the details, meaning shape your mustache and chin beard.
So, take your beard trimmer and shape your chin hair. Remember you want it to be pointy and in a V shape.
Once you have shaped your chin beard, it is time to play with the mustache. If you go with the classic style, all you have to do is to cut any stray hair that might be outside the line.
The final check is to see if any hairs connect the mustache with the chin. If there are, just shave them so they don’t connect, and the Van Dyke goatee will look perfect.
It is important to make sure that these steps are followed carefully in order for you to achieve the desired result.
After you have shaped your Van Dyke, it is time to use a beard balm or a beard wax to style it. Beard balms are designed to shape, hydrate, and give your beard that shiny look.
You can find here our list of the best beard balms.
The best time to apply it is when your beard is damp, making the hair more manageable.
If you use beard oil, make sure you only use a few drops otherwise, your Van Dyke might end up looking greasy or oily.
Now your Van Dyke beard is ready to make an impression!
Related Article: Coolest Beard Styles for Men in 2022
Celebrities with a Van Dyke beard
If you are wondering who wears a Van Dyke goatee, you might be surprised to learn that there are several celebrities with Van Dykes.
Johhny Depp
First of all, let’s mention Johhny Depp. He is not only one of the best actors in Hollywood, and he also wears a Van Dyke.
Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson is another celebrity that sports the Van Dyke beard.
Pierce Brosnan
A very stylish celebrity with a nice Van Dyke is Pierce Brosnan.
Christian Bale
Christian Bale is also going through a phase where he sports the Van Dyke beard, which looks great on him.
Robert Downey Junior
Tony Stark, aka Robert Downey Junior, has worn several styles of beards, but this is one of his favorites, and he made a unique variation called the iron man beard.
David Beckham
Another Hollywood star with a Van Dyke, is David Beckham. He has worn several styles in the past, and this one is quite popular among celebrities.
Colonel Sanders
Finally, no other than Colonel Sanders is a legend and not just a man with one of the most iconic Van Dyke beard styles.
Colonel Sanders is the mascot of KFC, and he has been promoting their products since his face was first seen in 1963.
Related Article: 74 Best Celebrity Beards To Get Some Inspiration!
The difference between the Van Dyke and the Anchor beard
While these two beard styles look similar, there is one main difference: the chin beard.
The chin beard in a Van Dyke is longer and more pointy. On the other hand, the anchor beard has a rounder chin beard that extends to the jawline.
Conclusion
The Van Dyke is a very stylish and classy beard style that has been around for many years and still remains one of the most popular beards to this day.
It is very easy to grow, maintain, and style. All you need is patience until your beard reaches the desired length. Then, it is up to you how you want to shape it.
No matter what you choose, the Van Dyke beard will always make a statement. Just remember to use beard balm and beard oil to hydrate and shape it.
Now that you know everything there is to know about the Van Dyke beard style, why not test it out right away?
Let us know if you liked it and how it worked for you; we would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section.
Russell is the founder of themensattitude.com. He is a barber a beard enthusiast and he is obsessed with trying men’s lifestyle products and blog about them. If you have any questions you can hit him up via the contact page.
