What are goatees anyway? Basically its a small beard or tuft of hair that is concentrated at your chin area. That’s the pure definition of a goatee. Key point to note: A goatee does not include a mustache. However many people consider a mustache with a chin beard to be a goatee when it should really be called a Van Dyke. Although nowadays most people seem to consider the Van Dyke as a goatee and very little actually refer to it by its actual name.
The name goatee is probably developed from the word ‘goat’ and came about as a reference to the hair under the chin of a goat. First made popular way back in the 17th century, goatees were often depicted in paintings especially by a Flemish dude called Sir Anthony Van Dyke (where the Van Dyke name came from).
Goatees and beards were than adopted by military men in the American Civil War and in modern times, the goatee became popular as a result of the Beats in the 1930 to 1950s. Many jazz musicians, writers, intellectuals, painters and thinkers wore goatees in Europe and America, which led to its bohemian image.
The goatee also came about because some people were not able to grow hair along their jawline and were only able to grow chin hair. Everybody’s genetics is different and a goatee is a great option if you are not able to grow a cheek-wide full beard