Kmflett's Blog

10th August 2026

Contact Keith Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social

National Sideburns Day. Vote open for best Modern Sideburns

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that with National Sideburns Day on Tuesday August 11th it is running a snap poll to judge the best modern sideburns.

National Sideburns Day takes place every 11th August, and reflects the growing popularity of a range of facial hair styles.

National Sideburns Day was originally held to mark Bradley Wiggins Olympic victory in 2012

The campaigners say that sideburns, sometimes known as mutton chops, and named after US Civil War General Ambrose Burnside were often worn by Victorian politicians

Bradley Wiggins reinvented the post-1945 tradition of sideburns from Elvis Presley to Noddy Holder and the late Lemmy and Alvin Stardust, turned them into something no self-respecting hipster would be without

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, this year National Sideburns Day will underline the resilience of the style over centuries of changing facial hair fashions with a particular focus on contemporary sideburns

Richard Osman

Chris Packham

Noddy Holder

Noel Fielding