Playgirl 3

If I had to choose two Playgirl models who capture the spirit of bushnstache, it would probably be Al Cavuoto and Barry Hostetler. Both embody the seventies look I keep returning to: thick mustaches, natural body hair, athletic builds, relaxed confidence, and personalities that seem to come through the camera without looking overly self-conscious. 

1. Al Cavuoto was featured in the March 1975 issue of Playgirl.

2. Barry Hostetler the centerfold in the Playgirl in February 1974 issue.

They didn't need costumes or exaggerated physiques. Their appeal came from the feeling that they could be someone you might actually meet. These photographs also remind me why Playgirl occupies such an interesting place in photographic history. Although the magazine was marketed to women, gay men clearly found themselves in its pages as well. 

3. Cavuoto was an aspiring actor in NYC who was often seen with friends on Fire Island.

4. Online sources say Cavuoto posed for other magazines as well, but I cannot find evidence.

It offered a different fantasy than earlier physique magazines—not because it abandoned fantasy, but because it grounded that fantasy in recognizable people and everyday settings. That's a subtle but meaningful shift.

5. Cavuoto on a bed with yellow sheets from above.

6. Cavuoto is believed to have died of AIDS in 1985 at the age of 35.

It's also worth saying that Playgirl was creating its own ideal, just as physique magazines, fashion magazines, and social media do today. The magazine celebrated one version of masculinity, not all of them. I don't see that as the standard to which everyone should aspire. I simply enjoy the visual language it developed and the world it imagined. 

7. Hostetler is an Oakland native where he got to know some notorious Hell's Angels.

8. Before modeling Hostetler held jobs as a music writer, truck driver, detective, and actor in San Francisco.

Looking back now, I realize those images shaped my own appreciation for the male figure. They felt warm, approachable, playful, and quietly sensual. That's one thread in the rich tapestry of queer visual culture, and it's the one this little corner of the internet happens to explore.

9. Hostetler was 30 years old in these photos which he posed for after moving to LA in hopes of breaking into the movie business.

10. Hostetler had a few movie roles in the '80s under the name Steve Barrett.  He said he wanted to be an actor since the age of 8 years old.

Please leave thoughts, questions and corrections in the comments. Thank you.