Tell you what.
Dig out some pics from the sixties and seventies and look at the 'cool dudes'.
Yep. Looks just as stupid to us now as the proffered pic at the start of this thread.
But, man we were cool!
My dear wife (of 38 years) did not see me without a beard until we had been married for 16 months. She still likes the bearded (but trimmed, these days) look, although I find I tend to think of Santa when I look in the mirror.
Best
Les