UrbanUpdate

Mad Men wrapped nearly three years ago, and it's taken almost as long for us to mentally divorce Jon Hamm from the character he played on the show. Dozens of TV guest spots, voice-overs, and big-budget movies later, and we barely think of Don Draper when we see him out and about. It certainly helps that he also parted ways with the pomade-heavy fade and freshly shaved face Draper (and, subsequently, lots of other guys) became famous for sporting.

First went the heavy hair products, allowing his hair to have a little more texture and movement. Then went the tidy military length. Next came the loss of a side part, along with some glorious and very un-corporate salt-and-pepper scruff. Look at Jon Hamm today—or last night at the L.A. Art Show, to be specific—and it's like looking at a wholly different, somehow even more handsome man. As GQ Grooming Director Garrett Munce pointed out when celebrating the actor as our "Groomsman of the Year," this may also have something to do with Hamm's recent turn toward sobriety. Whatever the case may be: Dude looks great.

Hamm in September 2017 (left); Hamm in L.A. on January 10, 2018.

It's worth it to point out that while, yes, Hamm's been doing a lot of loosening up in the grooming department, he remains impeccable. The top of his hair may be untamed, but the sides are still tidy and tight. And while his stubble is now proper scruff, his neck is all cleaned up. If you're thinking of ditching your own '50s fade or growing your beard out in the public eye—even if it consists of a considerably smaller segment of the population—follow Hamm's lead and keep visiting your barber or stylist regularly just the same. You want a slow burn into Damn status. Overnight transformations are overrated.

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