Imperial moustache
the ends swept dramatically upward
An imperial moustache is a large moustache trained so both ends sweep steeply upward toward the cheekbones, held there with wax. The cheeks and chin are shaved. It is also called the kaiser moustache, after Wilhelm II, who wore the most famous version of it.
Where a handlebar curls the ends into loops and a Hungarian sweeps them outward, an imperial sends them up.
At a glance
- Also known as
- kaiser moustache
- What it is
- Moustache with the ends swept dramatically upward.
- Length
- Long, three inches and up
- Growing time
- 4 to 6 months or more
- Trim how often
- Every 1 to 2 days
- Best face shapes
- Any
- Moustache
- Yes
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The ends go up, everything else comes off. A clean face is what makes the shape look deliberate.
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The variations
The same shape, worn differently. What changes is length, density and how much you take off at the edges.
Will it suit your face?
Where a style puts weight, and where it takes it away, is what decides whether it suits you. The table below is the short version.
| Oval | Ideal | No shape to correct, so anything from a pencil to a handlebar sits well. |
|---|---|---|
| Round | Works | Go wider than the mouth rather than heavier, so it does not add bulk. |
| Square | Ideal | A strong jaw carries a heavy moustache without looking top-loaded. |
| Long | Ideal | Horizontal weight across the lip breaks up the length. |
| Heart | Works | Draws the eye down from a broad forehead. |
| Diamond | Works | Adds width across the middle of the face. |
How to cut one, in four steps
- Grow it out4 to 6 months or more. No trimming at all in that time, including the hairs hanging over your lip.
- Set the shapeComb it down and flat, then cut to your outline. Never cut it wet, it dries shorter than you cut it.
- Clear the lipTrim along the top lip line so it does not end up in your mouth. Scissors give more control than a trimmer here.
- Wax and trainWarm the wax between your fingers first, work it in from the centre out, then shape the ends.
Full detail, tools and the common mistakes are in the guide below.
What defines it
The angle. The ends rise from the corners of the mouth toward the cheekbones, often steeply enough to sit level with the nostrils or above.
It is a large moustache but not a wide one. The bulk sits in the middle under the nose, and the ends taper as they rise.
It is worn on a clean-shaven face. Combined with a beard it stops being an imperial and becomes something else entirely.
What it requires
Four to six months at minimum, often longer. You need three inches or more before the ends can be trained upward at any angle worth having.
Firm wax and daily training. Gravity is working against this style continuously. There is no version of it that holds without product.
Patience with the awkward stage, which is long. For two or three months you have a large moustache that will not yet hold a shape.
It suits most face shapes, because it sits high and central rather than adding width at the jaw.
Growing it
Months one to two: leave it alone. Trim nothing but the lip line.
Months two to four: comb it outward daily from the centre while damp, so it learns a direction before you ask it to hold an angle.
Months four onward: begin training the ends upward with wax, a little more angle each week. Forcing it early breaks hairs and sets you back.
Training and keeping it
Work damp, set dry. Comb the shape you want while the hair is slightly damp, then apply wax and hold the ends in position until it cools.
Wax from the centre outward. Load the ends last and use your fingers to twist them into the upward angle.
Trim only along the lip. Never the ends.
Reset it every morning. Sleep flattens it and there is no way around that. Damp it down, re-comb, re-wax.
Wash two or three times a week. Wax builds up, and a moustache this size collects what you eat and drink.
Where it goes wrong
Trimming the ends when it looks untidy. The ends are the entire style, and cutting them costs months.
Light wax. It will not hold an angle against gravity.
Giving up in month three. The awkward stage is the price and it is paid once.
Growing it with fine hair. The ends need enough substance to hold a shape. Thin growth suits an English moustache far better.
Other moustaches
Same shape, different length or moustache.
If this one is too much work
Same idea, less of your morning.
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