It's hard for men to pay the big bucks for a shave and a haircut,
mainly because it seems like one of the few things we can do ourselves.
Many of us grew up with our mothers or sisters setting bowls on our
heads and going to town with blunt school scissors. Not brain surgery,
and clearly not worth $50 every five weeks when that money could be
better spent on barbecue, Platinum cable TV or a new gym bag.
Eventually we graduated to Supercuts -- or anywhere with a barber pole,
clippers and $10 cut. As we got older, girlfriends started making small
suggestions: "Maybe you should see someone who could do something with
your hair." So we'd grab a GQ or Esquire, find a movie star we wouldn't
mind resembling (Lee Majors, Robert Redford, David Cassidy), and head
to the hippest cutter within a few-block radius, hoping it would be
painless and under $20.
Today, it's no big deal for men to visit the same upscale hair salons
as our girlfriends, wives and mothers. Do what you must, charge me what
you may, but please don't put foil in my hair, attach rollers of any
kind, or stick me under one of those giant pods known as a hairdryer
with the possibility of someone I know walking in.
Luckily, there are now upscale barber shops catering specifically to
men to take away the pain and humiliation of getting caught with your
curlers in. In these men-focused beauty quarters, we can confidentially
discuss receding hair lines, nose and body hair (and removal options)
and the ever-creeping monobrow.
I recently visited two local male salons and got the lowdown on grooming in style:
Modern Barber
Modern Barber is entirely the creation of Kary Kramer, a sassy stylist
with men and their best interests on her mind. Dreaming of her
male-centric shop for over a decade, Kramer finally opened Modern
Barber last December.
Kramer talks a lot -- about fashion, her ex-boyfriends, her new Vespa.
You name it; she's got something to say and energy to burn. And if
you've got 90 minutes to spare, Modern Barber is worth every one of
them. Not only does Kramer cut tresses with the best of them, she has a
sense of style that's cutting edge.
My most recent visit made me realize that the entrepreneurial spirit is
alive and well. Kramer's space is filled with gorgeous art, mod tunes,
and a casual-enough ambiance that men can relax; women can hang, too;
and beauty, fashion and gossip can mix.
The full Modern Barber experience is still evolving. Kramer doesn't
have the exact lobby layout that she wants, she hasn't fleshed out the
Modern Barber retail division (boxers, razors, hair products, cigars
and full bar), and she hasn't placed the speakers in exactly the right
place -- yet.
But if you visit Modern Barber you will learn about Kramer's
fascinating life. You will laugh and be relaxed during your stay. And
most important, you will emerge looking much better than when you came
in.
Capelli's
Men don't belong in a beauty salon -- they belong in a barbershop.
Capelli's executes this simple concept in a beautiful, masculine
setting.
Owner Simon Loban understands the male vibe, and has set up her
Gentleman's Barbershop to make the male animal comfortable enough to
lounge and the process quick enough that he can get groomed and back to
business in less than an hour. Catering mainly to men in the downtown
Seattle area, Capelli's has nailed its atmosphere like a Michael Jordan
jumper from the old school: all dark wood, book-lined walls, plasma
screens and comfortable leather chairs to relax in before entering the
line-up. With only four well-appointed stations, the place has the feel
of your best friend's den.
My experience at Capelli's was perfect: Loban asked what I wanted from
the cut -- I told her I just didn't want to look like Dorothy Hamill,
and my wife wanted me to seem, and I quote, "less like a homeless
person" -- and got down to business. In 30 minutes I was a new man,
with a smooth neck (thanks to a straight-edge razor, almost pain-free)
and a short, brazen cut that maintained my curl. If I'd had the time
and cash, I might have even taken Loban up on the "Camo Color," a $35
camouflage that allegedly will take out the gray in 10 minutes' time.
After my make-over, I decided to hang a bit in Capelli's lobby lounge,
watching ESPN on the flat-screen TV while taking a gander at Maxim. If
I'm not careful, I may spring for one of Capelli's Executive
Memberships ($375 for 16 signature services per year). My wife would
love it -- less homeless, more coiffed.
Michael A. Stusser is a columnist for mental_floss magazine and dozens of other publications. His book, The Dead Guy Interviews, will be published by Penguin in 2007.
Where to go:
- Modern Barber
1633 Westlake Avenue N. Suite A., Seattle
206-501-5000.
$45 for haircut and shampoo. - Capelli's Gentlemen's Barbershop
925 Fourth Ave., Suite 404 (in the IDX Tower), Seattle
206-587-0900, www.capellis.com
$35 for signature haircut (includes scalp massage, haircut, style and
hot towel neck shave). Capelli's kids' cuts available in the Brighter
Horizons Daycare Center two days a month. $18. - Weldon Barber
6220 E. Sammamish Parkway S.E., Issaquah
425-369-9910, www.weldonbarber.com
$38 for signature cut (includes shampoo, hot face towel, light scalp
massage and shoulder rub, and neck shave). - Gene Juarez Men's Salon
550 106th Ave. N.E., #105 (Bellevue Galleria), Bellevue
425-450-2999, www.genejuarez.com
Cuts $30-50, color $55-85. - Oslo's
1519 Queen Anne Ave. N., Seattle
206-282-OSLO, www.oslosamensstore.com
Shop for swank men's clothes (James Perse for guys?!) while waiting for
your cut. Barber services available only Friday and Saturday. Haircut
$35, father/son special $50.
