Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette. In today's video, we're going to go through the
18
things that your barber wants you to know before you get in the chair.
♪ Gentleman's Gazette Theme Song ♪
Now, good personal grooming routines are a essential part of the modern man's lifestyle.
But, let's be honest, there are certain things you should leave up to the pros. So, for this
video, we
went to our local barber shop to find out what a barber wants you to know before you
take a spin
in the chair. Let's take a look at the barbers who helped us make this video possible. First
up,
is Simon or "Si" who's the owner of Stilo Cuts on Hennepin Avenue here in Minneapolis.
Simon's
been cutting hair since 2013. He started off at a different barber shop and then, he instructed
barbers for a little while before he opened Stilo Cuts. Si wanted to become a barber because
of the
creative freedom that it gives him and it's not the typical nine-to-five desk job. Meanwhile,
Jack,
our scriptwriter based in the UK, talked to his barber, Rick. Rick cuts hair at Swagger
& Jacks in
Norwich. Jack claims that the name of where he
goes to get his haircut has nothing to do with his ego.
But, come on, Jack. When we made this video, we quickly learned that a lot of
things that barbers want you to know are universal. So, if you're a barber or a barber shop experience,
leave your comments down below. Now, without any further adieu, let's get started. The
first
thing your barber wants you to know is if you're going to actually show up for your
appointment.
Now, this should be a really easy one, but you'd be surprised at how many people
ghost their barber. It's important to consider and understand that barbers are not like the
typical employee who gets a salary or an hourly wage. Most of them rent their chair from their
barbershop, so filling up appointments is what keeps them paid and puts food on their
table.
So, if you're unable to make your appointment, please give your barber as much time and heads
up as possible, so that way he can fill that slot with someone else. Keep in mind that
this does
benefit you, too. After all, if barbers have four or five clients ghost them every day,
they can go out
of business, they can't afford their chair rent,
and then you can't go to them to get a haircut.
So, make sure to give them plenty of heads up so that way they can sit someone else.
Number two: know what you want. Now, this might seem obvious, but you have to know what
you want
going in. Being a barber is a very skilled job and although they might know a lot about
cutting hair,
they aren't mind readers. You really should think ahead about what you want before you
go into the
barber shop. Whether it's changing up your current look or going with something completely
new,
communicating that will give you the best results. And even if you're not completely
clued in on
all the lingo, bring a photo as that can help greatly. Just don't make it too crazy. And
if
you really don't know where to begin, take a look at our list of classic hairstyles for
men here.
Number three: wash your hair. Now, this might seem obvious, but you don't want to be the
guy who goes
in there with day-old bed head. If you're able to wash your hair before your appointment,
this
works best. Doing this ensures that your hair is soft, it's clean, and it's easily able
to be cut.
And when it comes to having styling products, it really comes down to the texture of your
hair and
the type of cut that you want. If you have longer hair or really thick hair, your barber
might have
to do an extra shampoo service and add that to your bill. In an ideal world, you'll wash
your
hair and go straight to the barbershop, but that's not always practical so, if you have
a product, use
something that isn't super sticky after you leave for work and get your hair cut. As a
general note
here and rule of thumb, Si mentioned that a generic brand of hair products, such as
what you get at
Target or Walmart is just too sticky and tacky for a barber to work with. This is personally
something
that I made the switch from as I used to use a lot of drugstore brands. And then, I went
to more water-soluble
and natural hair products, which leaves my hair feeling soft and makes it easy for the
barber
to cut it after I come from work. Number four: don't wear a hat all day before your appointment.
Hat hair will make it really difficult for your barber to do their job correctly. Whether
it's been
flattened by a beanie or it has the definitive line of a baseball cap, hat hair really smashes
and
flattens your hair and changes the overall look of it. It makes it harder to deal with.
And, oftentimes,
the barber has to take the time to shampoo your hair and get it to a natural state before
they
can even get started, which also adds to your bill.
Lastly, hat hair just isn't a good look on anyone.
[Raphael exposing his hat hair]
Number five: when the clippers come on, please stay still. Now, I think it's easy to understand
that barbers use sharp objects - scissors, clippers, and razor blades. And on top of
that, most good
barbers have to pay for their own tools so they know how to utilize them best. The issue
here is
that a lot of people try to move their head in the direction that the clippers are being
used.
Now, I understand what people are trying to do here - they're either uncomfortable
or they're trying to assist their barber in some sort of way. But, really, it's not helpful.
It's best to understand that, when you sit in the chair, the barber's going to guide
your
head and neck in the right direction, and as Si says,
[scene from "Captain Phillips"] Abduwali: "I'm the captain now."
If your barber's a good one, they know what they're doing, so keep your head in the position
that they
set it in. On the other hand, don't have a super stiff neck; after all just, relax and
enjoy getting
your haircut as this is something different than your day-to-day experience. Number six: don't
constantly check your reflection. In other words,
don't party like Preston in the barber's chair.
[Preston partying to techno music]
For a little bit more clarity, this has to do when you are positioned in a way that's
not facing the
mirror. This also includes times where your head might be looking down or looking up as
the barber
completes his cut. Simon specifically mentioned that there are people who like to skateboard
around by pedaling their feet and turning to see the mirror to see how the cut's going.
This
is something that, among barbers, is seen as very disrespectful - like you don't trust
them or trust
the way they're cutting your hair. And after you've taken all the time and decision-making
of choosing
your own barber, it's kind of strange to sit there and not trust their decision-making
skills.
So, like our previous point, keep your head in the position your barber wants it to be
in and
take this time to relax. Worst case scenario, you don't get the perfect haircut that first
time; your
hair will grow back, but it's better than being disrespectful to the person who's doing
the job.
Number seven: be aware that your beard might not be as good as you think it is.
Hey, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news here. Recent years have seen the upswing of
the bearded gentleman. Come to think of it, I think most of the GG Team has beards; other
than
Raphael and Preston. I wonder what they would look like with them?
[Preston with a circle beard]
[Raphael with a Photoshopped full beard]
[Nathan laughs]
So, if you're trying to cultivate facial hair, but your beard is patchy or wispy at best.
You really
can't ask your barber to line anything up. After all, if your beard is there, the barber
can cut it.
But, if it's not there, there's nothing that they can do. So, take a look in the mirror
before you
go and be honest with yourself. "Do I actually have a beard?" And if you need tips on getting
started
with a beard, we have a whole guide on that here.
Number eight: when your barber is attending to your
mustache, do not look him in the eyes. While we're on the subject of facial hair and beards,
here's a
quick one. Don't look your barber in the eyes while he's trimming it. After all, it's really,
really
creepy. See? Please don't do this. Number nine: when you're talking to your barber,
please know that
they can hear you. This is closely related to our point about fidgeting in the barber's
chair.
You don't have to turn your head for your barber to hear you. Look, I get it you enjoy
having conversations with your barber, especially if you're a regular client. And while it's
great to
connect and catch up, don't forget why you're there, which is to get your hair cut. Turning
to and fro
just makes it more difficult for them to do their work and do it well. After all, they're
focused on
the whole of your head and not necessarily making eye contact or being in the perfect
position
to have a conversation. While we're on the topic of conversations, here's a few more
pointers for you.
Number 10: stay away from divisive topics. Now, this one can be a little bit more
difficult than it seems as we live in the age of social media and everyone has their
opinion.
And it's only natural that things are going to happen,
which you have your own personal opinion on.
But, keep in mind, the barber shop is your barber's workplace and, if you wouldn't like
those topics
being talked about in your workplace, don't bring it into theirs. Keep in mind that, in
barber school,
your barber is taught to avoid these topics and you really should, too. As a follow-up,
number 11:
keep some things to yourself. I've heard time and time again that barbers have a part-time
job
as a personal therapist. But, really there are some things that you really should keep
to yourself.
In my time with Si, he shared some of the personal problems that people share
with him and, while they're not all bad, some really should be kept to oneself.
Granted, none of them are polarizing or inflammatory, but talking about personal
medical news or family drama isn't something you should bring into someone's workplace.
This really puts your barber in a tough position and, after all, they're people, too. Ultimately,
when
it comes to conversations in the barber shop, keep things really light, enjoyable, and have
a
good time. Number 12: when it comes to phone calls, please try to keep things brief. After
all, you're
wasting your own time but, more importantly, you're wasting your barber's time. Remember
that if you
take a 15-minute phone call, it can slow down your barber's progress and then make them
late for all
their other appointments - which, not only makes them look bad and make a bad first impression
for new
clients, it can cause them to lose income. Number 13: if you're taking your child with
you, please be
realistic. Basically, don't ask for a crazy haircut if you know that your child is not
going to sit
still. And also remember, the same rules about clean and tidy hair applies to your children
as well.
Number 14: please don't have your spouse or your significant other dictate your haircut.
Now, this
could be controversial, but it's true. If you have
conflicting information between your barber
and your significant other, it's just that - it's conflicting. Your barber needs a clear
indication
of how you want your haircut and he doesn't need someone standing over his shoulder telling
him
every single thing to do with his clippers. And after all, no one likes to have a backseat
driver.
Number 15: only insecure barbers care about you cheating on them. If time is of the essence
and
you forget to book an appointment but you need a haircut for a job interview or something
that
pops up, your barber won't be offended if you pick someone else in their shop to cut
your hair. Not
only that, but a confident barber will recommend you to someone else in their shop who they
think
has a high skill level and can give you a quality cut. And most importantly, if your
barber is willing
to come in on their day off to make an exception for you, make sure to tip them really well.
Them
coming in on their day off is essentially them working overtime for you. Number 16:
know
your own hair. Knowing your own hair and how it grows will help you get the best cut possible.
Also, by knowing your own hair, you can tell your barber if there's just strange things
that happen.
Like the hair on the right side of my head tends to grow out, like, sideways, so I always
have Simon
take a little bit extra off because, when it grows out, it gets all poofy. Even if you
know your hair
and you ask for specific things, don't do number 17, which is asking for a cut all over
again at the
very end. It's fun to shoot the breeze with your barber, but a lot of your conversations
should be
about giving them feedback. Do you want it shorter on the sides? Should they take more
off the top?
Do you want it blended better? It's important to ask for these things as they're happening
and
not when your barber's done. Because, essentially, you're asking your barber to perform two haircuts.
For example, a really bold fade can take between 10 and 15 minutes to do. So, at the start
of your
appointment, if you say that you don't want this and, at the end, you decide you do, it
adds 15 more
minutes and it's like doing a cut all over again.
And going back to some important points in the
past, this also can throw off your barber's whole day by making him late to other appointments.
Now,
there is a caveat here, there are some things that are easy for your barbers to touch up
like taking
a little bit of length off the top. Don't let these last minute changes become habit,
try to
ask for them throughout your appointment. Lastly, number 18: your barber would love
it if you could
pay in a way that was easy for them. Now, this one might seem like a no-brainer but,
in our current
environment, there's many different ways to pay people. You have things like Venmo, Cash
App, Zelle,
cash itself, bank wire, writing them a check; there's all these different ways to pay your
barber.
Now, it's different for every barber shop, but Si mentioned that his favorite ways are
Venmo and physical cash. Using things like Venmo and physical cash allows Si to have
access to
the money quickly, which allows him to feed his family. Other money services like Cash
App can
take several days and then, if you get your hair cut on a Thursday or Friday, it can take
up until
the following Monday or Tuesday. In summary, pay them in a way that allows them to get
the money
quickly. And, if you're going to tip your barber,
at least 10% is always right. There's often this
myth that the barber takes home the full percentage of the cut. So, let's say, it's $40.
There's often a thought that, "Well, I'm just not going to tip him because he's taking $40
home anyway." Something that you should keep in mind is that, although a well-seasoned
barber
might just be paying chair rent and take home the full portion of the cut, younger, less
seasoned
barbers are paying a percentage of their cut to the shop. So, if the shop takes 25% of their
$40
haircut, they're actually not taking home as much as you think they are. Also, in being
a gentleman,
we always recommend tipping for a service that you enjoy. (That could sound wrong.)
Also, in being
a classic gentleman, it's always good to tip. Ultimately, when it comes to getting a haircut,
your
main goal is to walk away looking good and feeling great. It's all about being relaxed
and trusting
your barber. After all, they're the professional, they know what they're doing, and they want
you to
enjoy the experience. In today's video, I'm wearing an outfit that's perfect for the unpredictable
summer of Minneapolis. Now, you've seen this shirt a lot on me. It's a really cool, one-piece
collar in this really nice floral pattern that's made by Yeossal. It's seen a lot of
wear this summer,
and I think that means I need to get more shirts that are like it because I wear this
one too much.
I'm also wearing a plain brown leather belt with some British tan khakis by L.L. Bean.
And as I often
do, I'm wearing a pair of white sneakers. These are a little different. They aren't
completely bright
white, but more of a cream from Crown Northampton. Once again, I am wearing socks, although it's
hard
to see. They are a prototype of something cool that's coming from Fort Belvedere. On
my wrist
is a new watch it is the Longines Legend Diver, which has this really cool internal dive bezel.
If
you're looking for any great accessories, check out the Fort Belvedere shop. Also, a
big thanks to Simon
and Rick for their contributions on this script. If you need a great haircut, go to Stilo Cuts
at
one of their many locations in the Minneapolis area or the one on Hennepin Avenue to go see
Si.
♪ Gentleman's Gazette Theme Song ♪