If there were a halachic concept of צורה של איסור, it would be found in shas and rishonim. It is most likely a hashkafic concept created by one side in the Great Hashkafah War we are now engaged in.
It is obvious that the whole beard issue is only pseudo-halachic. It is actually a hashkafah issue. It is chassidim vs. misnagdim, mesorah vs. haskalah, American vs. European, zionist vs. anti-zionist and all of them together. The coffee room is just one of the battlegrounds, albeit not a level one.