Best beard styles for youngsters. Luigi's Barber Shop - The Science of Facial Hair

It’s certainly how magazines and pop culture presents things when it comes to how a man should or shouldn’t look. Barbershop mustache styles.

But that’s rarely how the human brain works. As we’ve discussed before in regards to style, there are definitely some black/white rules, but for the most part each man needs to discover what works best for him. He needs to express himself through his style choices, within some basic frameworks.

One fascinatingly complex issue that has come back into the spotlight recently is that of facial hair. It’s not something you can break down into basic good/bad or right/wrong strategies. It all depends on the individual.

Forget anyone who tells you that beards are a 100% guarantee to be an alpha male lady-killer. Also forget anyone who says they’re an automatic job-loser and impossible to pair with a business suit.

It’s just not that simple.

With a little bit of research, you can figure out the length and style of facial hair that’s right for your life, your career, and your goals.

Facial Hair and Societal Perception

Does a beard look good on you?

Should you shave the stubble before your date?

Do you need to give yourself a trim before the big interview?

Scientific research can tell you what other people are thinking when they look at your beard, which should give you a good idea of whether a beard is the right choice for your life.

Here’s the most basic breakdown. When you have distinctive facial hair (anything visible, even stubble), these are the traits people tend to associate with you:

aggression and dominance

A clean-shaven man, on the other hand, is associated more with the following traits:

A beard is a sign of active testosterone in the body, and human brains recognize that as coming with the potential for more aggression.

As a result, men with beards are often seen as more angry, aggressive, or dominant, even if their personality has none of those traits.

In one study, photographs of bearded men and non-bearded men making the same aggressive facial expression (scowling, baring teeth, etc.) were compared. The bearded men were rated as significantly more aggressive and intimidating, even when all other factors were identical.

That’s not inherently a bad thing — but it is a thing to keep in mind if you choose to wear a beard. For example, it’s never a great idea to be the guy at the front of a protest rally, face-to-face with the cops, and also sporting a huge beard!

Since the ability to grow a beard is a sign of physical maturity in men, it is naturally associated with age and grown manhood — as is evidenced by a study that found that beards were associated with maturity, power, and higher social status by both men and women.

Men with beards are also, predictably, perceived as being more “masculine” or “manly” than men without. A large 2013 study asked both men and women to rate photographs that showed one man with varying stages of facial growth. The longer the hair in the photograph shown, the more masculine he was rated.

While beards are associated with dominance, power, and maturity, on the flip side of the coin, that kind of masculine image can make people feel a little intimidated; one study found that bearded men are perceived as 38% less generous, 36% less caring, and 51% less cheerful than their clean-shaven brethren.

Likely for the same reasons that beards are seen as a sign of aggression, going beardless is often interpreted as a sign of being well-socialized and able to integrate with others.

Breaking this down to any kind of alpha/beta male idea is oversimplifying — it has more to do with what makes a man look like he takes charge versus one who gets along well with others.

Studies have found clean-shaven men to be more highly-rated in terms of social skills than their bearded brethren, based purely on still images — there was no actual observed socializing to base judgments on.

Going clean-shaven gets you points for cleanliness, but beards aren’t necessarily seen as sloppy. In another 2013 study, it was stubble that took the biggest knock for perceptions of health and cleanliness. A patchy, light stubble was rated the lowest — most viewers interpreted it as a sign that the wearer didn’t groom regularly.

That doesn’t mean people found stubble inherently unattractive. Different studies have found different amounts of facial hair most “attractive” (more on that in a minute). But as far as the wearer’s perceived health and cleanliness go, a clean shave is best, followed by a full beard.

So beards make you look like you’re in charge, right?

Do these perceptions mean every man should run out and grow a large beard so that everyone will see him as a mature and “doesn’t take no for an answer” type of leader? Of course not.

Being perceived as “manly” or “dominant” isn’t always useful. Not all social settings call for an aggressive leader. The more socialized appearance of a clean shave might be more useful, for example, in job interviews where the interviewee will be expected to be part of a team when hired.

Similarly, older men who already have a few signs of aging (wrinkles, gray hair, etc.) don’t need a beard to emphasize their maturity. They can sport a clean shave for the perceptions of health and youthfulness it brings, and rely on the rest of their appearance and comportment to speak to their maturity.

Facial Hair and Employment

So let’s talk about a key concern for a lot of men: can you get a job with a beard? Can you keep a job with a beard? Will a beard get you fired even if it’s not officially against company policy?

Proper mustache

These are common concerns, and they’re not entirely misplaced. Employment and performance reviews are as much about unwritten rules as they are about written ones, and you are probably going to come across someone who has strong feelings about what is or isn’t appropriate beardedness at some point in your life.

So what’s the long and short on beards in the workplace?

A few scientific studies have looked specifically at employers when examining perceptions of facial hair. A 1990 survey of managers actually demonstrated a preference for beards. The participants looked at ink sketches of both bearded and clean-shaven men, and the managers rated bearded men as having a better personality, appearance, competence, and composure than unbearded men.

That said, the men and women in that study were looking at idealized sketches. Beards were likely to look fuller, neater, and more “perfect” than they often do in person, so take it as an endorsement of very well-maintained beards and nothing more.

A more recent study of HR professionals, commissioned by Gillette, found a strong preference for “well-groomed” candidates. Gillette’s interpretation is that “well-groomed” meant clean-shaven, but the wording is ambiguous, and Gillette — a purveyor of grooming products — obviously has a horse in the race here. Stubble, however, was singled out as a “red flag” during job interviews, suggesting that it’s better to be either clean-shaven or fully bearded for those.

Perhaps most interesting was a study that asked participants to both rate pictures of men and guess their occupation. Bearded men were rated as “unconventional,” but also as “good,” and were associated with less conservative careers like “college professor” and “artist,” while clean-shaven men were associated with jobs like “lawyer,” “bank clerk,” and “politician.”

The takeaway: for job interviews, you need either a clean shave or a very neat beard. Make sure the outlines are razor-sharp (no pun intended) if you go bearded.

For continuing employment, growing a beard should be safe in most professions, and even beneficial. The exceptions are the most conservative and strictly traditional fields like law and finance. Stubble is never rated well in the workplace, however, so try to start your beard over a vacation or some other situation where you have enough time off to grow past the stubble phase before returning to work.

Facial Hair, Self-Perception, and Behavior

Facial hair can obviously affect the judgment (and therefore the behavior) of people who see them. But what about the wearer?

Turns out that having a beard on your face can change your own behavior and self-perception.

It hasn’t been researched all that extensively, but one study had clean-shaven men self-evaluate while wearing either fake beards, bandanas, or nothing at all on their head. The bearded group rated themselves as much more “masculine” than the other two groups, even though they knew the beards were fake — just seeing the outline of hair on their faces made them think of themselves as more manly.

As with appearance in general, self-perception does affect behavior. A man whose brain is telling him that he’s “manly” is more likely to act in an assertive and dominant manner than one whose brain isn’t receiving that signal. (And that’s just taking the visuals into account — any man who’s worn a beard knows that there’s a secret, satisfying pleasure in giving it a scratch from time to time!)

So yes, sporting facial hair can affect your behavior. If you’re feeling like you need a little boost to your self-confidence and your assertiveness, a beard or mustache might be the way to go.

Similarly, if you’re struggling with anger management, a shave might be in order.

Beards and Sexual Appeal

We’ve saved the best for last, because this is what most of you really want to know: will a beard help you with women?

Sorry guys. There is no definitive answer. You know how you can ask different girls about your beard and get different responses? (Try it, if you haven’t.) The same is true for society in general. Some people just like beards more than others.

That said, we do have some general trends for you:

Studies have indicated that women find facial stubble the most “attractive” look when it comes to facial hair. One study went a step further, separating “light stubble” from “heavy stubble,” at which point women found heavy stubble the most attractive and light stubble the least — call it the “no peachfuzz, please!” value judgement.

Unsurprisingly, women found men with facial hair more “masculine” than men without.

Likely tied to the idea that greater masculinity= better provider, women rated men with full beards as most likely to have good parenting skills.

Clean-shaven and full-bearded men were rated higher on personal cleanliness than men with stubble of any length.

So, long story short, how facial hair will help you in your quest for love depends largely on the sort of partner and relationship you’re looking for.

If you want to settle down and have kids, and are looking for someone that feels the same, a full beard might be best. If you’re just flirting and having fun, a few days of stubble will work better — but make sure it’s thick and even.

Interestingly, research has shown that in a favorable marriage market, men are more likely to grow beards, while they are less likely to do so in a tougher market. This has lead researchers to conclude that men shave in the hopes of making themselves seem safer and more approachable to women.

All in all, at the end of the day, remember that outliers happen.

These are social trends, not fixed rules.

Some people are going to have very strong opinions about beards and some aren’t.

You’ll find out which are which the same way the rest of life works: trial and error and lots of patience!

I love the smell of an old barbershop. The mixture of talc, hair tonics, Barbicide, and cheap coffee creates a distinctly manly smell that brings back a lot of memories for me – memories of Saturday mornings at the Friendly Barbershop in downtown Edmond, Oklahoma, sitting in a hard plastic chair reading 1960s Archie comics while I waited to get my ears lowered.

Mustache growing guide

I also enjoy how the smell of the barbershop lingers on you even after you walk out the door. It’s silly, but the smell of a barbershop puts a little bit of pep in my step for the rest of the day. Chicks dig the barbershop smell, too. Well, at least my wife likes it. She always notes how manly I smell after I get my haircut. I think she’s a bit jealous; salons smell like chemicals and hairspray.

So a few weeks ago I got to thinking-Why limit myself to enjoying the barbershop smell to days I visited the barbershop? I decided to figure out just what components made up one of my favorite manly smells, so I could enjoy a hit of that great scent in-between haircuts.

During my last trip to my friendly barber I took some notes on what sort of stuff a man could stock in his medicine cabinet in order to enjoy that barbershop smell every day of the year. Here is my report.

Taylor of Old Bond Street Sandalwood Shaving Cream

The few times I’ve had a straight razor shave, the barber has used sandalwood shaving cream to lather up my whiskers. Sandalwood has been used for millennia by men in religious ceremonies and is the go-to scent for participants in the ritual of shaving. Sandalwood has a bright, masculine wood smell. My favorite sandalwood shaving cream is from Taylor of Old Bond Street.

Pinaud-Clubman Aftershave Lotion

After your shave, your barber will probably splash some sort of aftershave on your face. If he’s old-school, that aftershave will be Pinaud-Clubman. Since 1810, Pinaud-Clubman has been making the world smell manlier with their wide range of grooming products. Pinaud-Clubman Aftershave Lotion is some potent stuff. You just need a small splash of it. You’ll find hints of orange, lemon, jasmine, and lavender with a warm musk background in this manly concoction. It also has a nice antiseptic alcohol smell to it. You’d think smelling like rubbing alcohol would be a bad thing, but somehow Pinaud-Clubman makes it work. Another a nice feature of Clubman aftershave is the price. A bottle will set you back just $3 at your local drugstore.

Pinaud-Clubman Talc

One of my favorite parts of getting a haircut is when the barber uses a straight razor to shave my neck and the hairline behind my ears. After he’s done, he gives me a light dusting with some manly smelling talc. The talc helps soothe the skin after its close encounter with the straight edge razor. For decades, the talc of choice for neighborhood barbers has been Pinaud-Clubman. It has a very masculine smell. Somewhat similar to the Pinaud-Clubman aftershave, but much more subtle. You can use it after your shaves or as a body powder to keep yourself dry and smelling great in your nether regions on those hot and humid days. You can find Pinaud-Clubman Talc at your local drugstore.

Lucky Tiger Three Purpose Hair Tonic

Since 1935, Lucky Tiger has been providing grooming supplies to barbers across the country. Walk into any old-school barbershop in America and you’ll probably find a neatly lined row of Lucky Tiger products sitting on a shelf somewhere near the barber. Lucky Tiger Three Purpose Hair Tonic conditions your hair and scalp so it looks and feels healthy. What I like about it is the nice tingly feeling you get in your scalp as your barber massages it into your head. “That means it’s working,” as an old barber told me in Vermont. And of course, Lucky Tiger smells absolutely manly. Beats that clear, lady-smelling goop you’ve been using in your hair. You can purchase Lucky Tiger at their online store or at most barber supply stores.

Bay Rum

Bay rum has been around in some form or another since the 16th century. West Indies bay leaf, spices, and Jamaican rum combine to give the bay rum fragrance its distinctive woody, sweet, spicy, and oh so manly scent. Because of its island flavor, bay rum is a great summertime scent, but it’s a fine fragrance to sport year round. A barbershop worth its Barbicide will be well stocked with bay rum. You can get your own bottle of the stuff at a drugstore. And if you’re feeling particularly handy, you can make your own bay rum aftershave with these old fashioned recipes.

Barbicide

What list of barbershop smells would be complete without mentioning Barbicide? That translucent blue liquid in its trademark jar has been disinfecting the combs and scissors of barbers for over 50 years. Barbicide’s active ingredient is alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, so it has a clean, antiseptic smell. I don’t know why I enjoy the smell of it, but I do.

I don’t expect a regular Joe to go out and buy a jar of Barbicide just so he can smell like a barbershop. But he would be my hero if he did.

A Brief History of Barbershop

The 1880′s to the 1940′s were the golden age for barbershops. During this time, men socialized in all male hangouts, and barbershops rivaled saloons in popularity. Visiting the barbershop was a weekly, and sometimes daily habit. Men would stop in not only for a haircut and a shave, but also to fraternize with friends and chew the fat.

During this golden age, barbershops were classy places with often stunning surroundings. Marble counters were lined with colorful glass blown tonic bottles. The barber chairs were elaborately carved from oak and walnut, and fitted with fine leather upholstery. Everything from the shaving mugs to the advertising signs were rendered with an artistic flourish. The best shops even had crystal chandeliers hanging from fresco painted ceilings.

Despite this level of luxury, barbershops were homey and inviting. A memorable and heavenly man aroma filled the air. The smell of cherry, wintergreen, apple, and butternut flavored pipe and tobacco smoke mixed with the scent of hair tonics, pomades, oils, and neck powders. These aromas became ingrained in the wood and every cranny of the shop. The moment a man stepped inside, he was enveloped in the warm and welcoming familiarity. He was immediately able to relax, and as soon as the hot lather hit his face, his cares would simply melt away.

The first blow to barbershops came in 1904 when Gillette began mass marketing the safety razor. Their advertisements touted the razor as more economical and convenient than visiting the barbershop. The use of safety razors caught on, and during World War I, the

government issued them along with straight razors to the troops. Having compared the two razors size by side, upon returning home from the front many soldiers discarded both the straight razor and their frequent trips to the barbershop. Going to the barber for a shave became a special occasion instead of a regular habit.

In the decades after WWI, several other factors combined to weaken the place of the barbershop in society. Companies like Sears began selling at-home haircutting kits, and mom began cutting Junior’s and Pop’s hair. Then the Depression hit, and people cut back on discretionary spending like barber shaves. The loss of male lives in the World and Korean wars also shrunk barbers’ pool of clientèle. Then in the 1960′s Beatlemania and the hippie culture seized the country, and hairstyles began to change. Men started to grow their hair longer and shaggier, and their visits to the barber became infrequent or non-existent.

Even when short hair came back into style during the 1980′s, men did not return en masse to the barbershop. Instead, a new type of hairdresser siphoned off the barbers’ former customers: the unisex salon. Places like “SuperCuts” which were neither beauty salons nor barbershops, catered to both men and women. Many states’ licensing boards accelerated this trend by ceasing to issue barber licenses altogether and instead issuing a unisex “cosmetologist” license to all those seeking to enter the hair cutting profession.

Think back to your last haircut. How’d you feel about it when you walked out of the shop? Disappointed? While your disappointing haircut might have been due to poor barbering, it’s often the case that your poor communication with the barber was at least partly to blame. Barbers can’t read minds. If you don’t tell them exactly what you want, you’re going to get whatever haircut the barber feels comfortable giving. For example, I knew an old barber (and I’m talking old) who’d give every customer a crew cut if the customer didn’t explicitly say exactly how he wanted his hair cut.

If you want to avoid this fate, you have to learn how to talk to your barber. But telling a barber what you want can be intimidating for a man, especially with all the special lingo they throw around. Well, never fear. I called up registered master barber Steve Hankins from Red’s Classic Barbershop in Indianapolis, IN to get the scoop on how to confidently communicate with your barber. With his tips, we’ve created a comprehensive guide on what to say to your barber so you get exactly the haircut you want next time you plop down in that chair. Let’s get to it.

Tell him what general style you want

When you first sit down in the barber’s chair, try to give him a general description of the style you want. Are you looking for a crew cut? Are hoping you to look like Don Draper? Perhaps you want a more modern style. You might want to bring in a photo of the look you’d like to achieve. Once you’ve got this covered, you can then get into the specifics.

Tell him how much you want taken off and where

After you tell your barber what general style you want, tell him exactly how much you want taken off. Don’t just say, “Give me a trim, Mac” or “Just a little off the top.” One barber’s trim is another barber’s close shave. To avoid getting your hair cut too short, Steve says to be specific with how much you want taken off. “Short and long are all relative from barber to barber,” he says. So say things like “an inch off the top” or “a quarter inch off the side.” If you don’t know exactly how much you want taken off, let your barber know you don’t know. What he’ll probably do is just cut a bit off to see if you like it. Then if you want it shorter, you can go shorter. If you’re a clippers man, memorize the numbers of the guards you use. Then you can just walk into the barber and tell him “I want a 2 on the sides and a 3 on the top.”

Tell him if you want a taper

When you’re at the barber, you’ll likely hear the word “taper” thrown around quite a bit. If you’ve been nodding your head all this time and saying “Yeah, give me that!” even though you have no idea what a taper even is, here’s a quick rundown on what a taper means when it comes to haircuts. A taper gradually changes your hair length from the top of the head down to the nape of the neck. The taper usually starts off long at the top and gets shorter as you go down to the neck. The length of the taper can vary. You can have a really long taper or a short taper. Most men’s haircuts involve some sort of taper, but some men prefer that their hair length be the same all around their head. Make sure to tell the barber your preference.

Tell him what kind of neckline (or nape) you wantA lot of men don’t think about how their neckline looks because they hardly ever see it, but the masses of people who walk and stand behind you get to eyeball it every day. If you don’t keep it clean and trim, a great haircut can suddenly look unkempt. When choosing what sort of neckline you want, you have three options: blocked, rounded, and tapered. Each has their pros and cons.

Blocked. A blocked nape means cutting a straight line across the natural neckline. When done correctly, your neckline will have the appearance of a squared block. If you’re self-conscious about your skinny chicken neck, a blocked nape can give you the appearance of a wider, thicker neck. If you already have the neck of a drill sergeant, go with another type of neckline. The biggest drawback with blocked napes is that they will appear untidy as the hair grows out. Once the hair begins to grow under the neckline, the new hair growth sticks out like a sore thumb. If you decide to go with the blocked neckline, it’s recommended you go back into the barber once a week to clean it up. Or better yet, learn to do it yourself.

Rounded. A rounded neckline simply takes the corners off a blocked nape finish. Like the blocked neckline, the rounded nape can start to look untidy once hair starts growing below the neckline.

Classic moustache styles

Tapered. Instead of creating a strong line at the nape of the neck, a tapered neckline follows the natural neckline and gradually shortens the hair as it gets closer to the bottom of the neckline. A tapered neckline can slim a wide neck. However, the biggest advantage to the tapered nape is that as your hair grows out, the neckline remains blended and neat. You won’t need frequent touch-ups as you would with a blocked or rounded nape.

Tell him if you want any texture in your hair

Many of the more modern men’s hairstyles incorporate some sort of texturing. Steve the Barber recommends using these terms with your barber if you’d like to add some texture to your hair:

Choppy. When you need a bit of volume to your hair, ask for choppy. Choppy hair occurs when the barber uses point cutting. He’ll pick up the hair at different lengths and cut it at a 45 degree angle. You can then run product through your hair and style it as you please. The result is a nice, textured look.

Razored. When a barber razors your hair, he uses a straight razor to trim the ends instead of scissors. “Why,” you might ask, “would I want the barber to use a straight razor to cut my hair?” First, it’s badass. Second, it helps the hair lay flatter on your head and diminishes bulk. “If you have really curly hair, you might ask your barber to trim the edges with a razor blade,” says Steve.

Layered. When you have longer hair resting on top of shorter hair, you’ve got layers, my friend. If you have thinning or balding hair, layers can give your hair the appearance of depth and volume.

Thinned out. If you have a thick, bushy mane, ask the barber to bust out the thinning shears to take some of that volume off your brain canister. Thinning shears look like regular scissors, but they have teeth that cut some hair strands and leave other strands uncut. Men with normal hair thickness will be okay getting their hair thinned every other visit to the barbershop. If you have a giant furry animal living on your head, Steve suggests getting it thinned at every visit.

Tell him how you want your arches

The spaces between your hairline and your ears are called arches. Here’s how you can trim them.

High arch. You can ask your barber to cut the arch around your ear higher into your hairline. That will leave more space between where your hairline ends and your ears begin. Men with smaller ears might consider a higher arch as it can make the ears appear larger. The disadvantage with having a higher arch is that it can look messy and awkward as your hair grows out. And if they’re too high, they make you look pretty dorky.

Natural arch. For most men, keeping their natural arch is the way to go. That’s what Steve the Barber recommends; “It just looks better,” he says. Tell the barber to keep your natural arch and he’ll just clean it up with some short trimming.

Tell him how you like your sideburns

Finally, tell him how you like your sideburns. Basic details you should give him include how long and how thinned out you want them. Possible sideburn lengths include:

If you’re not going for the Ambrose Burnside look, ask your barber to trim and thin out your sideburns a bit.

Now quit yapping and listen to your barber for a minute…

After you’ve told the barber what you want, Steve suggests shutting your yap and listening to your barber’s suggestions. “A lot of guys come in with an idea of how they want their hair, but it’s just not possible with their hair type. Or what they’re asking for won’t look good with their face. Customers need to come in with an open mind and they have to be flexible,” says Steve. Listen to what your barber has to say and trust his expertise.

Your relationship with your barber is like any good relationship-communication should be a two-way street. He should listen to what you’re looking for and give you feedback and advice. A good barber will ask you if you’re happy with how your hair looks as he goes along. If your barber doesn’t communicate at all and doesn’t listen to your preferences, it’s probably time to pick a new barber.

A barber knows how to cut a man’s hair. If you’re like most men these days, you’re probably going to some unisex chain salon like Supercuts. I used to do it too. Most of the time, I’d walk out of these places with a crappy haircut. Sometimes, my haircut would look decent for the first week or so, but then it would grow out into a horrible bowl.

The problem is that many of the people who work at salons are not trained barbers. They’re cosmetologists. The difference between the two can spell the difference between a dopey-looking haircut and a great one.

A barber is trained to cut with clippers, the main tool in cutting a man’s hair. Cosmetologists, on the other hand, are trained to use scissors. Their training is also geared towards catering to women’s hair. They become experts in styling, coloring, and perming- things a man has no need for. That’s why when you ask the cute stylist at SuperCuts to use the number 2 on the clippers, you walk away with a bad haircut. She’s probably not well versed in how to use them. But a barber can employ the clippers with finesse.

It’s a great place to chew the fat with other men. When I went to hair stylists, I hardly ever talked to the woman who cut my hair. I’d chat about my family and theirs and that’s about it. The woman who cut my hair usually ended up chatting it with the other women in the salon, while I sat there awkwardly.

Barbers, on the other hand, are interesting guys with interesting stories to tell. Each of them had fascinating stories to share. And I in turn feel at ease to say what’s on my mind. There is conversation about politics, cars, sports, and family. Guys read the newspaper and comment on current events. In between the banter, jokes are told and laughs are had. And everyone is involved: the barbers, the customers getting their haircut, and the customers waiting to get their haircut. Adding to the enjoyment is that a variety of men take part in the conversation; young, old, and middle-aged join in the mix.

I think there’s a good argument that barbershops are among America’s last civic forums. Where do people go today just to talk with others in the community? Coffee shops? Every time I go to a coffee shop, people are at their own tables, working on their laptop or smartphone. The only other place that I can think of is a bar, but bars are now co-ed instead of being bastions of manliness.

You can get a great shave. Many barbershops still give traditional single blade razor shaves. You haven’t lived until you’ve experienced the pleasures of a great shave at a barber. Allowing another man to hold a razor to your neck is a good way to remind yourself that you’re alive.

It’s a great activity to do with your father or son. Men need traditions that can help bond them together. Visiting the barbershop with your father or son is a great tradition to begin in your family. Many men have been going to the same barber all their life and have introduced their sons to the same chair and the same barber. What a great way to bond with the men in your life!

You’ll feel manlier. Every time I go to the barber shop I just feel manlier. I don’t know what it is. Perhaps it’s the combination of the smell of hair tonics and the all-man atmosphere. But more so, it’s the awareness of the tradition of barbershops. Barbershops are places of continuity; they don’t change with the shifts in culture. The places and barbers look the same as they did when your dad got his hair cut. It’s a straightforward experience with none of the foofoo accouterments of the modern age. There are no waxings, facials, highlights, or appointments. Just great haircuts and great conversation.

When you walk out of the barber shop with a sharp haircut, you can’t help but feel a bit of manly swagger creep into your step. So next time you spot that familiar red and white striped pole, stop in.