Read this blog’s related story.

I am a little oblivious as to what women find attractive or tolerable in a guy. I was a somewhat disappointed to find that the females I interviewed on campus were generally opposed to the bearded look. It was refreshing, however, to find there were acceptable terms.

Bridget Bornemann, a junior, said that a neat, trimmed beard can look good on a man.

“My fiancé has a tendency to let things grow,â€Â said Bornemann, who is getting used to the look. “I think it definitely makes him look older.â€Â

She added that she likes a little scruff on him as long as it isn’t too thick and full. She mentioned that her fiancé sometimes sports a goatee, which she also finds attractive.

I personally would never sprout a goatee, even if I could, but I can’t deny that there have been some great goatees. Look at the late Lane Staley of “Alice in Chains.â€Â

Rebecca Mabe, a sophomore, said that she usually despises beards, but that she wouldn̢۪t raise a fuss if her husband wanted to grow one.

“That’s something stupid to be domineering about,â€Â she said. She definitely thought that there were more beards around than there used to be, but didn’t figure that it was a growing trend.

That may be true for average America, but I seem to notice that Hollywood is being swept up in the fad. Just to name a few, consider Jake Gyllenhaal, Tom Cruise, Pierce Brosnon and Collin Farrell. Mel Gibson had shocking Grizzly Adams sort of thing going on not too long ago.

It occurred to me at some point that women just don̢۪t understand the beard or what it does for a man on a personal level. Sure, a guy may wake up one day and decide he just doesn̢۪t feel like shaving, but perhaps that stems from the need to be natural, untainted by the blade.

When I asked graduate student Alicia Gonzalez what she thought a beard did for a man, she said it might make him look more masculine, but assumed that it might also “keep him warm.â€Â

I’m sure she was barrowing from her fiancé’s experience of growing out in the winter, which makes some sense, but I feel that’s the smallest piece of the story.

I think at some point, a guy has to say to himself – to hell with what women think. What works for me?

I admit my own attempt at growing a beard turned out to be a patchy, uncomfortable mess. It really depends on the guy and I suppose to some degree on the woman. Initial attraction is important, but I think the sign of a good woman is one who accepts you for you, not your whiskers.