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New Yorkers Styling Mustaches for Charity

By Della Hasselle | September 30, 2011 8:30am | Updated on September 30, 2011 8:35am

MANHATTAN —New York is about to get more hairy.

"Movember," is prompting men to grow out their facial hair for charity.

The event begins on Nov. 1, when men register on the Movemeber website with a clean-shaven face.

Then, "for the rest of the month, these selfless and generous men, known as Mo Bros, groom, trim and wax their way into the annals of fine moustachery," according to the movement's website.

"Supported by the women in their lives, Mo Sistas, Movember Mo Bros raise funds by seeking out sponsorship for their Mo-growing efforts."

There's good reason to believe that many New Yorkers will participate in the follicle fun. According to the American Mustache Institute, New York is the eighth-most mustache-friendly city in America. The first-place prize goes to Chicago, according to the site.

The types of mustaches that may grace New York men's faces in November are outlined by the American Mustache Institute in its style guide.

Popular mustaches include the Chevron, "a thick and wide moustache, usually worn long to cover the top border of the upper lip," and a Fu Manchu, "a mustache that begins on the upper lip and whose whiskers are grown very long to extend down each side of the mouth down to the to jaw."

Other mustaches include the "Pencil," which is thin and narrow, the "Pyramidal," with a wide bottom, and a handlebar.

"A handlebar mustache can be worn large or small (“petit handlebar”); it is characterized by the fact that it is bushy and must be worn long enough to curl the ends upward, which is usually achieved with styling wax," the site explains.

The various styles of 'staches, waxed, dyed and otherwise, will be celebrated in New York on Dec. 2, with a gala in Midtown's Roseland Ballroom. Prizes will also be announced, including Best Mo in Character, Miss Movember and the highly coveted Man of Movember 2011.

Proceeds from the contest will go to Movember and their men’s health partners, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG, the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Last year, the Mo Bros and Mo Sistas raised $7.5 million.

"No matter the country or city, Movember will continue to work to change established habits and attitudes men have about their health, to educate men about the health risks they face, and to act on that knowledge, thereby increasing the chances of early detection, diagnosis and effective treatment," a spokesperson said on the site.

Over a month before the event, women and men were getting excited about the coming styles, including self-described "dedicated MO SISTA!"

"yay! Go the mo!!!" @kolodsofun Tweeted.