Van Dyke

The Van Dyke beard is one of the most distinguished and historically significant facial hair styles still worn today. Named after the famous 17th-century Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck, who famously sported and depicted this style in his portraits, the Van Dyke combines a pointed chin beard with a separate, styled mustache—neither connected to each other.

This separation between mustache and chin beard is what defines the Van Dyke and distinguishes it from connected goatee styles. The gap creates a more formal, aristocratic appearance that has been associated with artists, intellectuals, and refined gentlemen for centuries.

The chin beard portion of a Van Dyke typically comes to a point, though variations exist with rounded or squared-off ends. The mustache can be styled in various ways, from a simple, natural shape to an elaborate handlebar. This flexibility allows wearers to express their personality while maintaining the essential Van Dyke characteristics.

The Van Dyke requires more precision and maintenance than most other goatee styles due to the need to keep the gap between mustache and chin beard clean and well-defined. This intentional spacing is what gives the style its distinctive character and separates a true Van Dyke from a merely disconnected goatee.