I learned a couple of years ago that when one as relatively hairless as I attempts to grow a mustache, the proper thing to do is grow the whole beard for several days (weeks?) before shaving off the sides and leaving the ‘tache. If you shave the beard off right away, you’ll just look like a 14-year-old who hasn’t yet begun to shave. As it stands right now, I simply look like an idiot who doesn’t have much of a beard to grow.