The Golden Age of Men’s Haircutting
By Ivan Zoot
We are living in the early years of what will, down the road, be looked back upon as the Golden Age of Men’s Haircutting. We will see more guys, getting more haircuts, in more places, at a higher quality, with a greater variety of fashions and styles, and for more money, than ever before.
This is not to be confused with the Golden Age of Barbering. The Golden Age of Barbering is widely regarded as a period of time from approximately the 1880s to the 1940s when there were more barbers and barbershops in America than at any other time. The Golden Age of Barbering was driven by the straight razor shave as a twice weekly service that dominated barbering and barber services. We have Mr. King Camp Gillette to thank for closing the curtain on barbershop shaving and drawing the golden age to its end. That is another story for another time.
Shaving moved into homes, specifically bathrooms, with the advent of Gillette’s double edge safety razor. Throughout the 1950s, barbershops were home to classic haircuts. Buzz cuts and flat tops flourished as the electric clipper gained dominance as the barber tool of choice. When the Beatles crossed the pond, they all but wiped out the American barbershop. Long hair gave way to razor cutting and unisex styling. Barbers went hungry, developed new skills, or looked for work elsewhere.
Tom Cruise and Top Gun brought back classic guy haircuts in the 1980s, but this was a beauty industry trend, not the resurgence of classic barbering.
The initial upsurge in interest in classic barbering and barbershop experiences has been fueled by aging, graying baby boomers looking to recapture a slice of life from the past. Memories of dad taking you to the barbershop have driven interest in classic barbering with a modern twist. The traditional old guy barbers are dying off. In many cities and smaller towns in America, they are hard to find.
Never fear. The Golden Age of Men’s Haircutting is upon us.
Classic barbering today is in quite good shape, thank you. There are new barber schools opening every month across America. There is even a new school in Chicago under the elevated train tracks on Wabash Street in the shadows of where A.B. Moler invented barber school back in the 1890s. There are new barbershops popping up all across the nation. Some are located in major metropolitan areas, some in small towns. New barbershops are opening at a rate not seen in America for nearly 100 years. This is all great news for guys and their hair. It is not the best of the news, though. The best news is what is happening for men’s hair beyond the barbershop.
The real action in men’s hair is with the cosmetology professionals. Cosmetology schools are upgrading the men’s haircutting elements of their curriculums. Some schools are even offering a men’s haircut focus to their programs, similar to a minor in a conventional college. You can graduate with a cosmetology license with a specialty in men’s hair. This educational focus is being driven by the employers of cosmetologists.
There is a wealth of male-focused haircutting chains opening up all across America and they are all hiring NOW. They are demanding graduates from cosmetology school who are confident and competent in men’s haircuts and they have the clients and traffic to put these eager cutters to work immediately.
These are shops with male-targeted names, male-oriented decors and male-friendly policies and procedures. Simple menus, walk-in service, and package pricing are all offered to create a male haircut experience better than dad’s barbershop and above and beyond a classic chain salon.
The new men’s haircutter is female. She is young. She has limited cosmetology experience, but she is eager to learn and ready to take on the challenge. She learns fast and she enjoys a shop filled with guys. She is happy not to perform chemical services like hair color and perms. She is finding a wealth of career opportunity and financial reward in cutting men’s hair.
Haircare product manufacturers are also driving this trend. The American Crew brand has dominated the haircare product for male conversation for over a decade. Recently, the category has heated up with male-specific players like Woody’s stepping up to provide fresh choices and unique products. Large scale brands from TiGi to Aveda have offered short lines of male-specific products for some time. Powerhouse brand Paul Mitchell spent 25 years explaining they were gender neutral and that black and white packaging made male-specific product unnecessary. Product for guys apparently became necessary in September 2011 when the company spent a big pile of money launching Mitch, their male-specific hair care brand. Paul Mitchell’s entry into the category clearly states that they believe the market is large enough to justify their presence. Paul Mitchell would not be in the game with both feet if they thought their sales of Mitch would just be a cannibalization of sales from existing guys purchasing classic Paul Mitchell items.
There is even action on the tool side of the conversation. Clippers specifically targeting female haircutters—like the new Envy from Andis—are designed with an eye to how a female clipper cuts. This tool, and tools like it, have been created to meet female haircutter’s needs and the daily demands of male-specific chain salon haircutter environments. The clippers are smaller and better balanced. They feature powerful motors designed to work all day. The clippers include full sets of clipper guide combs, as these combs are a key element of chain salon men’s haircutting.
Another positive element of this overall upward trend is that the price of a guy’s haircut is going up, too. Guys are more loyal than female clients in the beauty industry. A two-dollar coupon on the back of the cash register tape at the grocery store is not sufficient incentive to prompt a guy to make a move. If a haircutter can get the haircut right and score a touchdown on customer service, they have a pretty solid lock on that guy’s loyalty. This loyalty serves as insulation against price resistance when the haircut price needs to increase. Shops are more confident in raising prices, even in the face of competitive pressures. A better haircut in a nicer environment with world class can command a higher price and it does, all across the nation.
Men’s trends in fashion used to take a back seat to the ladies. Guy trends just borrowed elements from the ladies offerings. This is no longer the case. Trends in men’s hair are driven by celebrities, sports figures, and rock stars, as always. Now that these guys have taken on more visible roles in the fashion world as models for designers and are appearing daily in internet articles on style and grooming, the guy style has become its own worthy conversation.
No matter what role you play in men’s hair, the next 15 years look to be a period of excitement and opportunity. There will be more guys, getting more haircuts in more shops and salons, and for more money, than ever before. What’s your plan to get your share?
A licensed cosmetologist and barber, Ivan Zoot has experience as a stylist, salon owner, haircare product manufacturer, technical trainer, sales manager, and consultant. He holds three Guinness World Haircutting records: for the fastest haircut in the world (55 seconds), the most professional haircuts in one hour (34), and the most consecutive haircuts in 24 hours (340). In his position at Marianna Industries he supports the schools and private label divisions through education, innovation, and motivation. He often presents at industry shows and events, sharing his enthusiasm for the beauty industry.
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