I love the philosophy around the Barberhood; I’m charmed by the old-world barbershop… talk to us about your services and how the Barberhood came to be…

Welcome to The Barberhood, where all gentlemen belong. It’s a men’s grooming business and barbershop that pays homage to traditional barbering techniques, supreme customer service and luxury gentlemen’s products. My vision was to build a modern brand inspired by the tradition of old world gentlemen’s barbers.  I wanted to create a space where men could go to belong, feel comfortable and leave feeling refreshed and self-confident.
The Barberhood is a place where men can choose a new look, get a killer haircut, experience a hot lather shave or pick grooming products without feeling alienated or self-conscious. It’s bold, sophisticated and distinctly masculine. Inspired by sense of belonging I hope men leave feeling refreshed, sharp and a part of something.

Take him from the beach to the boardroom.  What would you suggest are the top must do’s when it comes to Men’s grooming for the office?

• Make sure that your hairstyle compliments your outfit. You want your hair to enhance the hard work you’ve put into dressing and styling yourself well.

• Don’t forget to take care of your skin. Looking after your skin in this climate is important for keeping a fresh look and will prevent premature aging. Even if you work indoors it’s important to have a simple skin routine that protects you from day to day extremities.  Cleanse and moisturise at least once a day. It may be a stretch for some men, however booking yourself in for a tailored men’s facial is something that is indulgent for your skin and gives you time out from a stressful working environment.

• Shaving is an art form – use the right equipment. Invest in a great quality razor, shaving bowl and badger hair shaving brush. There are meditative qualities to shaving correctly using pre-shave oil, hot lather and correct shaving strokes.

• Find a quality barber or men’s hairdresser (one who can use scissors well). Its important to find someone that asks you what you want, makes you feel comfortable and has all the skills to give you a great haircut or beard trim in the break you take from work.

To beard or Not to beard – that is the question… What would you say are the key rules to facial hair in the workplace? 

A beard is very masculine and can transform a man's look. The beard trend is moving away from the “lumber jack” style towards a shorter and finished look.  As every workplace is different men should be aware of what is appropriate for their line of work. Key rules for sporting a well-kept beard at work include exfoliating the skin with quality skincare for strong hair growth and using the right products to moisturise and style facial hair. Regular maintenance is most essential as an untidy beard can say a lot about you. You wouldn’t go to work with an unironed shirt, scuffed shoes or messy hair, so men should apply the same rule to maintaining a stylish beard.

We all make mistakes… Some however more than others – when it comes to Grooming what would you say are the key mistakes men tend to make & how are they best to avoid them…

Here are some basics to help you avoid those easy to make mistakes when it comes to grooming.

• Make sure you know what hairstyle actually suits you! Just because certain styles are on trend or a celebrity has a look that you really like, it doesn’t mean it will look good on you too. The best way to find what style suits you is to understand your face shape, your hair type, your colouring and most importantly place trust in the barber you’ve chosen to guide you.
• Another tip to avoid dissatisfaction with a haircut, is to speak up before or during the service if you feel something isn’t right. The best way to achieve a great result for both yourself and the person cutting your hair is to tell them exactly what you do and don’t like. Even if you’re shy or are not sure how to give direction, most stylists will appreciate the effort so they can master the cut without having to guess what you are after. More importantly, you will leave with something you are happy with.
• The biggest mistake men make is not spending time and money on themselves! Women spend hundreds of dollars on their hair, cosmetics and beauty services all of the time. Men should do the same. Investing into your personal wellbeing when it comes to grooming is just as important as going to the gym or having a suit tailored. When you work hard, it’s good to spoil yourself with a regular grooming experience to stay fresh.

Cut throat verse The Razor… The professional shave is widely considered a necessary luxury by most gents these days – what would you suggest are the key benefits to doing this regularly verse at home?

The history of modern shaving begins with the barber. There are many benefits for gentlemen to indulge themselves in a hot shave at the barbershop. The first is that it is RELAXING. At The Barberhood, our barbers are traditionally trained in the art of hot shaving. We have so many men leave our stores feeling refreshed, relaxed and totally pampered after a shave. Feeling the lather and the hot towel sink into their skin instantly relaxes most of our clients who visit for this indulgent experience.

 

Another benefit of having a shave in a barbershop as opposed to doing it at home is the skill the barber possesses to perform the service. Old barbering techniques are used on the customer by prepping the skin with shave oil, applying the hot towel wrap and using a straight razor for a clean shave. The cut-throat razor gives the closest possible shave leaving men feeling clean, fresh and smooth. This feeling is something that isn’t easily achievable at home.

We understand your customer is discerning when it comes to both grooming & fashion; how would you best describe his style.

It’s hard to group all of our clients into one style as every man has his own unique style and taste when it comes to fashion and grooming. Although our clients are all different, the majority of our customers are corporate gentlemen who want something extra when it comes to a grooming service. I would best describe his typical style to be sophisticated, understated and confident. Most clients who belong to The Barberhood have a good understanding of the corporate world and dress appropriately for the demands of their job. Our clientele are personable, unpretentious every day men who enjoy winding down in a masculine space. They are mostly stylish, handsome gentlemen with great manners.  Most of them wear a well tailored, custom or bespoke suit depending on their income and knowledge of tailoring. They have good taste in business shirts/accessories and understand the importance of grooming.

For those Gents looking to refresh their look as they embark on the new year; What are the top three trends when it comes to hairstyles and who would you say wears them best…

Very tight fades are still in and are becoming more aggressive. However 2018 will all be about texture. Textured cuts are sought after more with close sides against heavily textured or loose fringe/tops. There will be lots of textured crops including crops for shorter and curly hair. The hard side part is trend that will continue. As always, there is one safe haircut that never goes out of fashion and that is the classic men’s haircut (think George Clooney gents). Guys with great hair at the moment include Dan Smith of Bastille, Cillian Murphy, Shaun White and Zayn Malik.

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