Carles Suñé - This Bearded Life

This Bearded Life is an interesting collection of observations, musings, advice and recommendations about the world of beards, barbers, and the bearded masses. Its structure, its informative content and its photos and illustrations make this book something akin to a style guide, a how-to manual and a collectors item all rolled into one perfect for beard connoisseurs, for experts and for the curious, and for those with a simply undeniable affinity for all things facial hair.

Weve loved every moment of making this book a reality, and we hope that you enjoy it every bit as much.

Heres to this bearded life!

THE ROLE OF BEARDS IN CULTURE AND SOCIETY

The relationship between men and beards dates back to the very beginning of our existence

TO GIVE UP ONES BEARD IS TO GIVE UP MANS MOST FUNDAMENTAL ESSENCE: HIS HAIR.

The relationship between men and beards dates back to the very beginning of our existence. Our faces and other body parts were already covered in hair long before we even learned to walk upright. Throughout their meandering history, beards have taken up residence on the faces of countless men, from pharaohs, to Greek philosophers, to absolutist monarchs. Some even claim that, in early forms of civilisation, only shamans were entrusted with the responsibility of looking after the beards and hair of their cave-dwelling fellow citizens.

Indeed, the role of barber was once such a position of responsibility that, during the Middle Ages, in addition to trimming beards and cutting hair, barbers also carried out tasks usually associated with other professions: taking out teeth, treating patients with cataracts and hernias, drawing blood, and even removing tumours. Fortunately, these practices became much better regulated once the 15th century began, and eventually they were taken out of barbers hands altogether.

Under the influence of the Roman and Carolingian Empires, beards were demonized for many centuries. Anyone seen sporting one was considered, at best, a slob or, at worst, an atheist, and some were even excommunicated. Luckily, the passage of time softened this radical approach, and during periods such as the Renaissance and the Victorian era, beards once again became a sign of sophistication and elegance.

But if there has been any point at which beards have truly taken centre stage, its the 20th century and now the 21st as well. In the 1940s and 50s, bikers began using beards as a demonstration of identity; and the 60s saw the birth of the hippie movement, among whose members beards took on an almost mystical quality. Today, beards are making a Madonna-esque comeback thanks to the rise of hipsters, lumbersexuals and the Twitter generation. But what kind of future lies ahead for our beloved facial hair?