The Man Behind 100 Beards, 100 Days

Urban Beardsman Magazine is always on the lookout for style inspiration, and the best way to find it is to hit the streets. In the coming weeks, we will feature a handful of street style looks courtesy of the talented photographer Jonathan Daniel Pryce, author of 100 Beards, and creator of the 100 Beards, 100 Days project.

We reached out to Jonathan to get better acquainted with his project, and here’s what we learned:

For our readers that don’t know, what is the 100 beards, 100 days project?

I love capturing street style which I’ve done for about 6 years now but I wanted to explore a trend that was a little more personal. So I decided to go out for 100 consecutive days in London and photograph a different bearded man on the street. I now have over 250 portraits!

Why beards?

There’s something unique about the beard — it is truly unique to the individual. It’s also about authenticity. If you look at fashion, all men’s trends are about being as masculine as possible.

How do you think beards will be part of society in the future?

There’s always a place for beards in the world. Of course they’re currently more popular now than 10 years ago but I think true beard wearers will stick with it. The beard has reawakened many men to their ability to show style and flair which is quite a revelation.

You’ve spent a lot of time scouting the streets for beardsmen, tell us a memorable experience.

My best experience was with John on day 21. I emailed him the photo and he told me it made his very ill mother smile more than she had in months. That made my day. (photo is below)

Do you have a favorite photograph from your project?

Yes, Roy on day 47 is my favourite. (photo is below)

As a photographer, who inspires you?

People really, the average guys. In terms of style I don’t have a ‘style icon’, for me it’s the old boys around East London who do it really well. That guy who wears a suit every day, even on a Sunday morning to pick up the paper. That’s true dedication to style.

Tell us about your personal style.

I love vintage clothing – particularly work wear and tailoring for the working classes. Lots of baker boy hats, tweed and wool. Bit of selvage denim thrown in for good measure.

What can we expect to see from you in the future?

I’m working on a new project to document manufacturing of menswear in the UK called ‘MAN MEN’. It launches in a month so I’m quite excited – take a look at ManMen.uk.