A handlebar moustache is a growth of hair from the upper lip of a man, including only hair from within the upper lip and within the smile lines, and not including hair growing from skin below the corners of the mouth. Such a moustache will have hair at either side that is allowed to grow longer and extend out to the sides, or upward or downward, and which may be straight - more or less - or naturally curled, or curled with the aid of heat or grooming aids such as waxes, pomades or glues.
A handlebar moustache is considered a highly distinctive style for a man, adding a sort of
exclamation point to his personal style. Some feel such is odd or strange, but it's merely rare these days, and those who wear them like the
individuality or nostalgia of the style.
An
important note is what is NOT a handlebar moustache: many people
believe that a horseshoe goatee or "biker mustache" (like Hulk Hogan is known for) is a handlebar moustache. Such consists of a mustache on the upper lip connected to a growth of hair in a column from the corners of the mouth straight down to the jawline. A moustache doesn't include cheek, jaw or chin hair, thus this is not a handlebar moustache. It is a goatee with a moustache.
