The uniqueness of Lincoln's beard

[maharba]

Abraham Lincoln's beard is the most bizarre I have ever seen. Sparse, scraggly, and poorly or absently trimmed. He looked better with no beard, in my opinion. The lack of a (usual) mustache part of the beard, makes it more bizarre. My guess is that the mustache portion was so sparse and (what hairs there on the lip) probably were so curly that he immediately realized it just wouldn't work with a mustache portion at all. But that Lincoln actually kept that beard once he saw how 'limited' it would be. Add the stovepipe hat, the always black clothes, then the odd beard. I can't believe he thought he was making a dapper fashion statement. For some reason, did Abraham Lincoln want to make himself appear different?