During a rough week (month? year?), a beacon of positivity has emerged on the internet in the form of facial hair on a famous popstar. While it’s not exactly the first time we’ve seen Harry Styles with a moustache — he's always sporting a little something on his top lip — this is full-bodied. He’s been rocking the look for at least a month now after being photographed in June, but it wasn’t until this week that the internet took notice in a big way.

 

Sometimes an image just hits different. This is one of those times. Maybe it’s the complementary dad jeans, or tinted sunglasses, or Harry holding a bottle of balsamic vinegar — which is giving off let-me-cook-you-a-romantic-Italian-dinner vibes. Everything’s working together to show the stache in its best light. Harry posted a few snaps to his Instagram story and “THE MUSTACHE” immediately started trending on Twitter. Is the new look doing it for you? It appears unanimously fan-approved.

The thing is, moustaches aren’t even remotely in style, and definitely not sans beard. I will sooner be late for a Zoom meeting, because I’m running to quickly shave my face, than appear in front of my coworkers, even virtually, with a Justin Bieber dirt stache. However, it works seamlessly with Harry’s image. He’s spent his whole post-One Direction career trying to prove he’s closer to Freddie Mercury than Justin Timberlake, and Freddie had one iconic stache.

 

Experimenting with hair is one (very relatable) way Harry’s been spending his time in quarantine. Back when we first entered lockdown in March, he told BBC Radio 1Xtra, he was cooped up with a group of friends. I image for him that looks like the “Watermelon Sugar” music video, but in a studio loft. He also revealed he’s taken up learning sign language and Italian. 

“I’m lucky I’m with friends in our little safe self-isolation pod. It’s a very strange time but we’re just being careful, listening to music, playing games, doing some face masks — you know, the classic quarantine stuff!”

Classic quarantine stuff like face masks have apparently evolved into taking his newfound knowledge of Italian to Italy! To be rich, famous and in possession of a private jet… where are the face masks Harry? The pictures were apparently taken near Osteria Francescana, a three-Michelin-star restaurant in Modena, Italy twice voted the best restaurant in the world. When it will be safe for us commoners to travel for pleasure once again? 

I wonder if Harry’s moustache will make an appearance in the One Direction 10 year anniversary celebration set for tomorrow. According to the band’s PR firm, they’re launching an immersive fan experience spanning all the way back to their first X-Factor auditions and right up to their hiatus (are will still calling it that?). There will also be a brand new anniversary video for YouTube, but unclear if any of the members will be sending in new video messages as part of the clip. The press release doesn’t even use a picture of the five  original members, so I wouldn’t hold your breath on anything from Zayn.