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Mustaches
are turning up in lots of places other than faces.
Curlicued
facial-hair silhouettes evocative of the Pringles can
man are printed on pencils, pillows and pint glasses.
Waxed whiskers adorn infant onesies and the covers of
stylish greeting cards surrounded by hearts.
And in
the case of best friends Clover Cooper and
Rayane Thorburn
, facial fuzz lines their index fingers. In permanent
ink.
"We
got the tattoos as a joke for her birthday," says
Cooper, a hair stylist in St. Joseph. She and Thorburn
are 33. "It did not feel good getting it on this
part of the body, that's for sure. But they're worth it
because they amuse us. When we're together, we're the
biggest nerds, holding our mustachioed fingers above our
lips, giggling and laughing our heads off."
Mustache
tattoos have become a recent trend, even appealing to
those in the corporate world because they're concealed
between fingers. Some get two fingers tattooed — one
on each hand — for a larger mustache, say a handsome
handlebar. Thorburn, a design planner for the gift
presentation department at Hallmark, likes how her
mustache tattoo can be her secret.
"When
someone is having a bad day, I just show them my
mustache," Thorburn said. "Luckily, everyone
gets a kick out of it."
After
Thorburn got her tattoo, she (and we) noticed how they
started appearing everywhere.
Fashion:
T-shirts, undies, handkerchiefs, socks, tote bags and
purses. There are even necklaces with mustache charms
women can hold above the upper lip (cuter than growing a
real one). And there are winter hats with attached
knitted mustaches that fit cheekily above lips.
Home
decor: Paper weights, towels, coffee mugs, posters and
wooden wall hooks.
Cars:
Ornaments for front grilles and rear bumpers.
Why are
old-school mustaches suddenly so en vogue? They offer an
antidote to this depressing economy, that's for sure,
and trend watchers say you'll find lots of humorous
decor in 2010. And mustaches have become big as crafting
is catching on. Check out Etsy.com, the online
marketplace of handmade goods, where more than 1,800
items showcase the 'stache.
"I
think people in their 20s and 30s always thought of
mustaches as a joke, and nobody had one because their
dads, porn stars and Magnum P.I. had them," said
Derek Fagerstrom
, co-owner of the Curiosity Shoppe and gallery in
San Francisco
, which also has an online shop of crafts and curios.
"Mustaches are iconic of a bygone era, and people
smile at their retro vibe."
But now
Fagerstrom is seeing interest peak with mustache parties
and competitions to raise money for charity. Some young
guys are sporting the real deals. Girls just want to
have fun with the fake ones.
"Plain
and simple, there's a transformation that takes place
when you adhere one above your lip," said
Marisa Bode
, a member of the
Kansas City Fake Mustache Club
.
Yes, you
read that right.
Kansas City, Mo.
, and a handful of other cities worldwide have fake
mustache clubs. To join the KC club, potential members
create a "mustache name" (Bode's is Lady
Shuttlecock) and e-mail pictures of themselves sporting
a fake mustache. Enthusiasts keep a stash of 'staches
for newcomers.
"Not
too long ago, fake mustaches were hard to find,"
Bode said. "They're lots of places now,"
including U.S. Toy and gumball machines at movie
theaters.
Bode, who
is planning nuptial festivities with a fellow
Kansas City Fake Mustache Club
member, considered fake mustaches for the wedding. For
playful portraits, some newlyweds take a group shot of
the wedding party and guests in fake mustaches. And
don't be surprised to find black licorice mustaches at
the candy table at the reception.
Bode
knows this much: Their wedding bands, made by Bond
Jewels of
Kansas City
, are inset with silver mustaches so detailed you can
see the carefully coiffed hairs.
———
A stash
of mustache stuff — plus a Match the 'Stache quiz:
C4
VALENTINE
Pack of
10 cards,
$18
, www.cafepress.com
ONESIE
Available
in sizes 6-12, 12-18 and 18-24 months,
$20
, www. handsome howard.com
PINT
GLASS
$15
(straws not included), Bon Bon Atelier,
314 Westport Road
, 816-756-0855
BANDAGES
Tin of
25,
$7
, www.urbanoutfitters.com
KEY HOOK
$30
, www.curiosityshoppeonline.com/halfpint.html
PILLOW
Brown
corduroy pillow by
Caitlin Krantz
,
$42
, www.krantz
werk.etsy.com
T-SHIRT
V-neck T,
$16
, www.cafepress.com/kcfmc
———-
EVERYTHING
YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT MUSTACHES BUT WERE AFRAID TO
ASK
Check out
the
American Mustache Institute
, based in
St. Louis
, home of the world's largest mustache: the Arch. www.americanmustacheinstitute.org
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