Movember Moustache Style Guide: What You Need To Know Before You Start To Grow

We're rapidly approaching Nov. 1 on the calendar. Which means it's time once again for men everywhere to shelve their razors in the pursuit of righteous Movember moustaches.

Begun in Melbourne, Australia in 2003 by Adam Garone and some pals, growing a Movember moustache is now a charitable initiative that men all around the world take up each year. These Mo Bros know how to fundraise, too. In 2013 Canadian alone Movemberists raised nearly $34 million towards men's health causes like prostate and testicular cancer research.

"We seek to make a global contribution to men living happier, healthier, longer lives. This ambition underpins everything we do. It is the driving force behind our campaigns, funding strategy, and vision for the future," states the organization on the Movember Canada website.

Movember now focuses its funding on four specific areas related to men's health issues: prostate cancer research and awareness building, testicular cancer research and education, mental health improvement and awareness, and combating physical inactivity amongst adult males.

Committing to growing a moustache for Movember is all well and good. But an entirely

more difficult and complicated question awaits those participants who decide to let their face fuzz fly — what kind of moustache should they grow? Like, do they go for the walrus and hope it makes them look smart like Einstein? Or maybe they're a sexy MF and want to pursue a pencil moustache like Prince?

The American Mustache Institute lists 13 different types of 'staches like the Dali, the fu manchu and the painter's brush in their official style guide, which all makes for some difficult decision making.

While the choice of which soup strainer to sport is an intensely personal one, Samaritanmag enlisted Zach D, one of the founders of the Toronto Facial Hair Club (a member chapter of Beard Team Canada) and man with, by his own admission "a big, honkin' moustache," to give aspiring whiskerers some real talk on what it's going to take to sport a proper moustache.

On Oct. 31, men all over the world are going to start growing moustaches. What's most important thing to know, knowing you've got 30 days to look good and sharp. What's the plan of attack?
Zach D: People aren't going to like this, but the most important thing to know is that you're not going to grow a decent moustache in 30 days. Some people get a better start than others, but you've got to give it a little more time than than that beyond November if you're going to do it properly.