Best Van Dyke Beard Styles for Men: How to Guide + Examples

Have you noticed how some of the best things in life are named after famous people? The Van Dyke beard is a classic look, a celebrity favourite and one of our best beard styles. We like it because it’s instantly recognizable, it’s iconic, it looks exceptionally stylish and it’s more versatile than it seems.

This facial hairstyle includes a Van Dyke moustache and a Van Dyke goatee that aren’t connected. This beard will give you a very distinguished air with the classical old-timey vibes it brings to the table, but it can also have a modern interpretation with a fun and approachable side. So, yeah, we kind of have a new short beard style crush that we’ve decided to share with you.

Read on to find out how to get the Van Dyke beard look and to check out our top 15 inspirational beard styles.

What Is A Van Dyke Beard?

The Van Dyke beard is a unique mustache-and-goatee combo where the two elements remain disconnected. Unlike a traditional goatee, this beard style floats freely on the face, giving it a refined yet bold look.

It has been embraced by celebrities like Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark), Johnny Depp, and David Beckham, making it one of the most fashion-forward beard styles.

Related Read: Learn how to grow an anchor beard if you love goatee-style beards.

Van Dyke Beard vs. Goatee: What’s the Difference?

Feature	Van Dyke Beard	Goatee
Mustache?	✅ Yes, floating	❌ No mustache
Connected?	❌ No, mustache & goatee are separate	✅ Yes, beard connects to mustache
Look?	🏆 Stylish & distinct	🔥 Simple & clean

 

How to tell the difference between a goatee and a Van Dyke?

To get a classical goatee beard style you’ll need to grow a chin beard while keeping your cheeks, jaw and upper lip areas completely hairless. The Van Dyke shape will require you to combine a goatee with a floating moustache. This basically means that your chin hair should not be connected to your moustache.

How to  Grow & Style Van Dyke Beard?

Step 1: Let It Grow

Growing a Van Dyke beard requires about an inch of facial hair. Since facial hair grows at around half an inch per month, you’ll need to wait 3-4 weeks before starting to shape it.

Pro Tip: Speed up healthy beard growth with a high-quality beard oil to keep hair soft and nourished.

Step 2: Define the Space

A key feature of the Van Dyke beard is the separation between the mustache and the goatee.

🔹 Use a precision beard trimmer to outline the shape.
🔹 Remove hair from cheeks & jawline while keeping a sharp goatee & mustache.
🔹 Decide whether you want a clean-shaven space or light stubble between the elements.

Step 3: Shape with Precision

🔹 Trim in small increments to maintain perfect symmetry.
🔹 Work on one side first, then match the opposite side.
🔹 Keep the Van Dyke beard sharp & clean—one small mistake can ruin the shape.

Related Read: Learn how to trim a mustache under the nose for a neat Van Dyke finish.

Create Space in Between

While most beard styles out there represent a moustache-beard combo where everything is connected, the Van Dyke beard keeps its elements separated. Now, before you start trimming the area between your moustache and chin hair, you’ll need to figure out the shape and thickness of your moustache.

You can start with a precision trimmer to create an outline of your Van Dyke moustache and goatee. If you’re satisfied with the results, you can begin trimming the areas that separate the two elements.

You can also shave the hair off if you want to have clean shaven areas between the beard and moustache. Just keep in mind to avoid spreading the shaving cream over the edge of the moustache, so you won’t clip it and affect its appearance. The clean shaven look can highlight your look.

Don’t Rush

Shaping your Van Dyke beard will require a bit of patience and precision. You’ll need to focus on symmetry after establishing the perfect shape and size of your elements.

We find that it helps when you work in increments. As a pro tip, you can start trimming a small area on one side of your face, then immediately trim the same area on the opposite side of your face.

The Van Dyke is one of the styles where a rushed job actually shows. Remember that one slip of the hand with your trimmer can undo weeks of waiting for your beard to grow.

Making Use of Styling Products

The Van Dyke beard should look perfectly groomed, and it will require you to really stick to your beard care routine. This means keeping your facial hair hydrated and using a beard comb to train your hair to behave properly and stick to a specific direction of growth.

You can also use a product like beard wax to keep your facial hair perfectly styled throughout the day. Your basic beard care kit should include things like beard oil, beard wax, and a beard wash to keep everything clean.

15 Best Van Dyke Beard Styles for Men

1. The Tony Stark Beard

🔥 Inspired by Iron Man’s iconic look, this sleek Van Dyke beard blends a sharp mustache & connected soul patch.

✔️ Trimmed short for a clean-cut, modern look
✔️ Perfect for business professionals & stylish men

Get the Look: Use The Beard Struggle’s premium beard trimmer to keep it sharp.

2. Funky Hipster Van Dyke Beard

🎩A quirky, ultra-styled version featuring a Handlebar or English mustache.

✔️ Best paired with a beard wax for ultimate styling control.

3. The Gentlemanly Van Dyke

🎩 A polished, formal look with a thin painter’s brush mustache and a neatly trimmed goatee.

✔️ Requires regular trimming & a clean-shaven look.

4. Simple Mustache & Beard

🎯 A low-maintenance Van Dyke variation, ideal for men with patchy beards.

✔️ Keep natural curls or straight texture for effortless style.

5. Anchor Van Dyke Beard

⚓ A bold fusion of the anchor beard and Van Dyke style.

✔️ Sophisticated yet rugged, emphasizing the jawline.

Related Read: Learn how to grow an anchor beard for more variations.

6. The Rockabilly Beard

Believe it or not, there is a way to get the classic effect of a Van Dyke style, while sporting a full beard. You’ll need to trim the hair on your cheeks and jawline short to make your moustache and chin beard stand out.

This facial hairstyle is a great choice if you’re looking for a fuller beard with the pleasing, classic lines of the Van Dyke.

7. The Van Dali

The Van Dali is a combination of two very different facial hairstyles named after two famous painters. You’ll end up with something cool and unique, an eye-catching style meant to delight your inner creative persona.

This look is all about the Dali moustache. You’ll need to trim your upper lip hair in a thin band, grow it long and style it so that the edges are curved upwards to create a distinct and highly recognizable `U` shape. This moustache will be paired with a goatee, and we recommend trimming it short and neat to match your iconic moustache.

8. The Van Dyke & Jawline Beard

This beard style is rugged and gives off some truly manly vibes. It has grown in popularity because it’s easy to style and maintain. To achieve this look, you’ll need to trim your hair to create a floating moustache and a goatee for that classic Van Dyke look.

You can let your goatee spread along the lower edge of your jawline towards the edges of your face. This will help create some definition by accentuating your jawline. You can keep the rest of your face clean-shaven or you can rock a subtle covering of stubble.

9. The Van Dyke With Light Stubble

A Van Dyke beard will still be impressive even without creating perfect lines. Another great thing is that you can make it work even with a bit of stubble. To achieve this look, you’ll need to pair a goatee with a floating moustache of your choice.

The space between these areas can be connected by a short sprinkling of stubble. This look is also a great choice if your beard is naturally patchy. Remember to keep your neck and the tops of your cheeks clean and neatly trimmed. You don’t want your stubble to look like you’ve forgotten to shave.

10. V-Shape Van Dyke Beard

This is a good beard choice if you’re looking for a style to elongate your features. This works by directing the eye towards the chin area and creating more length to the face. To get the V-Shape Van Dyke, you’ll need to keep the upper lip hair short and simply styled and focus on the hair on your chin.

Let your goatee really grow out and trim it in an elegant V shape. The overall effect will be spectacular and sophisticated while sticking to the more classical lines of the Van Dyke style.

11. Short Stubble Van Dyke Beard

If you’re a fan of stubble beards, then this modern variation of the Van Dyke is something you should check out. You will need to trim your facial hair to form the distinctive disconnected moustache and goatee and keep the rest of your face hairless with a clean shave.

This facial hairstyle is very user-friendly because there isn’t a lot of trimming and grooming involved. Another advantage is that you can achieve the look fairly quickly because you won’t need to wait over a month to get a full beard before shaping and trimming.

12. The Classy Van Dyke Beard

In this situation, keeping it classy actually means bringing it back to basics. This beard style variation is what you would see in one of Anthony Van Dyck’s paintings. This really fancy beard is something you can easily pair with more formal attire, and it’s perfectly suitable for the work environment.

13. The Long Stubble Van Dyke

Sometimes, the best way to go is short and neat. You’ll need to find the sweet spot between a short beard and stubble, then start trimming your Van Dyke look.

You’ll need a floating moustache and a goatee, and you can keep the rest of your face perfectly hairless, or you can spice it up and cultivate a very short stubble to blend everything together. This beard style is a great choice if you like the Van Dyke look but you aren’t a fan of extended grooming sessions.

14. Modern Casual Van Dyke

Think casual and relaxed, but with the sophisticated air of a classic Van Dyke beard. We picked this style because it brings a modern twist to the 17th-century beard style.

This Van Dyke facial hairstyle will help create a softer look, and you won’t need a bushy moustache or a long, pointy goatee beard to go along with it. This is a casual beard that you can enjoy without putting in tons of effort.

15. Van Dyke & Chinstrap Beard

This Van Dyke look can be paired wonderfully with a chinstrap beard. You’ll need to combine three elements, namely, a floating moustache, a goatee, and a beard that’s trimmed short and runs along the edges of your jawline, to meet your sideburns.

This is a super stylized and modern beard style that you might have seen worn by some serious A-list celebrities. So, grow your own Van Dyke beard to get the red-carpet look.

Get an Iconic Van Dyke Beard Fit for a Modern-Day Viking

The Van Dyke beard remains one of the most stylish facial hair trends, perfect for formal occasions, casual settings, and everything in between.

✔ Whether you go for a Tony Stark look or a rugged hipster vibe, this beard style demands precision.
✔ Keep it well-maintained with The Beard Struggle’s premium grooming products.
✔ Achieve a bold, sophisticated look while staying effortlessly stylish.

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