It's the return of the moustache - but style experts give it a big no-no (except on Tom Selleck)

For years, the moustache had been consigned to the history books or mocked as a fashion faux pas.

But it appears the ’tache is making a comeback among celebrities – and it seems to have been the must-have accessory for athletes at the Commonwealth Games.

Famous faces sporting a hairy top lip this summer include singer Harry Styles and footballer Marcus Rashford.

Hollywood stars Justin Bieber, Zac Efron and Tom Holland have also been recent advocates.

And it has not escaped TV viewers that several Commonwealth athletes have adopted the ’tache.

English swimmer Adam Peaty sported one as he clinched gold in the 50m breaststroke final.

The Olympic champion opted to keep the moustache for his race, despite having shaved it off at the Tokyo Olympics over concerns it might slow him down.

English badminton player Callum Hemming and para sprinter James Arnott are also proud wearers of moustaches.

But it is the Australian athletes who seem to have most enthusiastically embraced the trend.

Aussie para sprinter Evan O’Hanlon displayed a particularly bushy effort in the men’s T38 100m final.

Moustaches have a somewhat chequered history. They have been favoured by evil dictators such as Hitler and Saddam Hussein, but also by history’s good guys, including scientist Albert Einstein and author Mark Twain.

In recent times, so unusual was it to grow one that it spawned the Movember fundraising appeal, which challenged men to grow moustaches each November to raise money for cancer charities.

But fashion expert Daniel Johnson told The Mail on Sunday that the moustache was very much back in vogue, as part of a trend that has seen young men embracing bolder fashion choices following the Covid pandemic.

He said: ‘Many clients are willing to try things out of the box since Covid, whether it is being more adventurous in clothing or, in the case of grooming, the moustache.’

However, he warned that the jury was still out on the return of the moustache. ‘Have you ever heard the phrase, “He looked so good with that moustache”? Me neither. OK, maybe Tom Selleck. I’m all for individuality, but for me personally it’s a no,’ he said.

Fans watching the Commonwealth Games have been captivated by the facial hair on show.

One viewer tweeted: ‘There are some fantastic moustaches on display at the Commonwealth Games. Are they a thing again?’

Another added: ‘Has anyone else noticed that among Commonwealth Games competitors there seems to be a marked increase in 1940s-style moustaches and 1970s-style mullets? What is going on? Are these the Throwback Games?’

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