But now comes the beard. After a clean-shaven Bezos tied the knot with Lauren Sánchez in Venice last summer, he returned to Italy for a technology conference in October – a new beard in tow. It was slightly unkempt on that first outing before Bezos clipped it shorter for a business forum in November. By December, it had grown out again – wintry fuzz paired with a Stetson and blue jeans in Aspen. At the Oscars, it was cropped once more, and in recent months the billionaire has kept it steadily, tightly trimmed.
He appears, for now, to have settled on a preferred style. But has he chosen well? And what might other middle-aged men learn from the Bezos beard beta tests?
A beard can balance a receding hairline
Whether you’re thinning on top or, like Bezos, your hairline is a distant memory, a beard can be a useful counterweight. Richard Marshall, the founder of Pall Mall Barbers, says he would encourage the billionaire to revisit his slightly fuller December look. “It adds weight to his jawline, giving his face a more masculine shape.”
A beard has also become one of the few remaining tools of self-expression for many men as they get older. “Bald men have fewer options to look different,” says Marshall. “Some wear hats, some wear wigs, some own it. But beards can be a new way for them to express their masculinity. After all, is there a more masculine word than ‘beard’?”
For Marshall, it is ultimately a process of trial and refinement, guided by honest feedback from those closest to you – particularly important if you never experimented with facial hair in your youth. “It’s simple. If it makes you feel good, keep it. If not, change it.”
Greying hair needs careful length control
Hair colour plays a significant role, too. Bezos still shows traces of salt-and-pepper, but his beard seems to grow whiter by the week. Maxwell Oakley, the co-founder of Supply 91 barbershop, agrees that Bezos’s beard was at its best in December. “It sat in that short-stubble-to-light-beard range,” Oakley notes. “It felt intentional without being too heavy, and it added structure to the lower face without overwhelming it.”
The more silver or grey in your beard, Oakley explains, the faster it’ll feel heavy and dense. “But also, if it’s too short, it risks disappearing against lighter skin tones and losing its impact altogether,” he warns, adding that the most effective length for greying beards is just slightly longer than stubble. “Enough to create visible structure and shadow,” says Oakley, “but still controlled and refined. Done well, a silver beard carries a strong masculine energy, signalling maturity, but in a deliberate and composed way.”
