Brad Pitt is the grooming legend of our time. Think of the hoards of Americans who got the exact same haircut that he has in Fury trailer. It was an epidemic. Would it be too much to blame him for the ubiquity of the goatee between our golden shores? Perhaps not. Trouble is, Pitt's one of the few people who can pull off that goatee. He makes it look... expensive. Which is not usually the case.

But Pitt switches up his hairstyle all the time—short, long, dark, blonde, spiked up, combed back. He does all of this without ever growing a full beard. Where Bradley Cooper utilizes his beard for diversifying his look, Pitt does the same with just a goatee, changing up his whiskers as often as he does his hair, with iconic results. (Read on for those.)

So we rounded up the most unique looks—chronologically—that Pitt has paraded in the current millennium, as proof of his grooming prowess. Pay attention to how often he swings from short to long, from blonde to not-so-blonde, from goatee to bare faced. May it be a lesson to you that there are no excuses—sparse beards be damned—for trying something new, and often.

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2000: Just after Fight Club, Brad grew out his hair and was noticeably (and naturally) less blonde. (The chin stubble works on him too, of course.) A more modern version of this cut would be to trim the wings in the back, keeping clean perimeters, and letting the length up top get all the attention. Style with a conditioning hair cream, part it naturally, and blow it dry.

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2001: Simpler times, and vintage Pitt. Many of you probably have a variation of this right now as we migrate away from the high-and-tight era of the past couple years. Just remember to cut and texturize it every 6-8 weeks, since your hair can get mushroomy and misshapen in just a few weeks’ time. (Then add a pinch of styling cream to tame the sides and texturize the front.)

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2002: To be fair, nobody will look back at their 2002 self fondly. We forgive this sidestep, though one person is still trying to make it happen. (Revisit Pitt’s 2003 look for a more flattering execution of long hair worn down.)

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2003: And one year prior, Pitt couldn’t have been more opposite. Here we have another shining example of how to wear your long hair—in this case if it’s shoulder length and you’re not tying it back. Part it down the middle, use some conditioning hair cream, and let it air dry.

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2004: This is a dye job we would endorse for you, too. (The dyed eyebrows are BRAVE.) Should you try it, we implore you to get this professionally done. You won’t get the same results at home, ever. Also, it’s not lost on us that this is Brad Pitt at 40, a real-life Benjamin Button. We’re feeling an urge to pick up a few anti-aging products, suddenly…

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2005: Mr. and Mrs. Smith was largely overshadowed by Pitt’s transition away from blonde, and toward brunette. (We had to double take, thinking it was Mark Wahlberg, but that goatee was the confirmation we needed.) Hard to say if Pitt grew out his natural color or had to dye it, but: If you color your hair darker, keep the style short or plan to buzz it shortly thereafter; dying it lighter (or highlighting it) usually works better, since darker roots are more flattering and natural looking that lighter ones.

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2006: We’re less of a fan of these spiky frosted tips, which Pitt gelled up for the ~Backstreet Boys biopic~ Babel premiere. (And we’ve included it here as proof that even the mighty can stumble and rebound. Go back to the 2017 look for a better texturized style, or the 2007 style for better execution of highlighting.)

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2007: A simple highlight and fresh shave had him looking like the young Robert Redford we’ve always known him to be. Now’s a good time to scroll back through the previous few images, to appreciate how a little color and a razor blade can carve out a new identity.

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2008: Inglourious Basterds and Benjamin Button -era Brad had a curious case of mustachery. (We like.) See how the ‘stache is shaved a little on top? Don’t be afraid to shape your facial hair outside your genetic preset. (Thanks for the reminder, Brad.)

2009: Brad took a break.

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2010: He took a lot of flack for this one, probably because none of us could pull off that goatee. On anyone else, it’d look like a floundering pirate’s beard, but on Pitt it’s simply iconic. This is where being a movie star grants you certain grooming rights over the rest of us common folk—keep yours short, or grow out your entire beard.

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2011: At Cannes in 2011, Pitt slicked back his hair and filled in the goatee. With the specs, it’s total Gambino goodness. (He was filming hitman flick Killing Them Softly around this time.) Don’t shy away from a flexible-hold gel to achieve the same.

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2012: A year prior, his long hair wasn’t quite at pony length. Paired with a sparse goatee (finally, it’s back), it’s little more “country”, a little less “rock and roll”… and borderline “The Rachel”, in a good way. This, in turn, is your vision board for the journey en route to a longer, pulled back style. See how neat and controlled it is? Try hair cream, blown dry for that effect.

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2013: And that infamous style was preceded by THIS incredible blonde mane. (With serious sideburns and stubble, no less!) If you want to grow your hair out, let this be your vision board (and not any man buns). If your hair has receded but is still dense, this is a good way to cover up the recessions, by parting it and pulling it back over each side. (Pitt doesn’t really have this problem, though.) A man bun, on the other hand, or anything pulled up, will reveal and call attention to your hairline.

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2014: Here’s the Fury undercut that overshadowed all other undercuts. The sun has mostly set on this style for now, but it’ll be back. Don’t let that discourage you from trying it though. Learn how to get and style the undercut.

2015: Basically the same as 2014.

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2016: Pitt upstaged Ryan Gosling at the Golden Globes by looking like his younger self, with 90s-vibes hair and a freshly shorn face. (Looks like the hair is cream-styled, blown dry with a pinch of hair oil.) With these first two photos alone, you have evidence that a few grooming edits can completely transform a man.

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2017: At the Okja premiere Pitt wore his hair short and textured—probably mussed up with some styling fiber. Pitt’s goatee (which is his signature, you’ll learn) was stubbled and is a wise shade of gray. This is a fairly safe look for him. But he's been through a lot recently.

Adam Hurly has been covering men's grooming since 2013 (and for GQ since 2016). He is also a travel writer. In Fall 2024, Adam is launching Blue Print by Adam Hurly, a men's grooming platform. Adam resides in Lisbon (previously Berlin, NYC, and San Francisco). He is a Sioux Falls, SD, native... Read moreWriterInstagramRelated Stories for GQBrad PittHair