A Cut Above
This month, Ian Harrold considers comfort zones, fade fatigue and the razor-sharp ramblings of one very pissed off barber
It might have gone largely unnoticed by those outside the industry, but there’s a sniper out there in the war-torn rubble of the Instagram feed. This masked vigilante is on an all-out warpath, targeting as many barbers as possible, crying foul on all that he thinks is wrong with the industry. There’s a genius simplicity to it all: He’s simply holding a mirror up to the industry, and a lot of barbers don’t like what they see in the reflection.
For the most part, it’s heavy-handed banter that won’t interest those outside the industry. But on the odd occasion, he’s hilariously spot on in ways that should also be of interest to the client. From calling out photoshopped fades to overplayed fads, he’s trollish, crass, and – though it pains many a barber to admit it – pretty good at pushing people out of their comfort zones.
Now, these comfort zones apply to those sat at the barber chair as well as those stood behind it. Comfort zones essentially boil down to sticking to what you know, never daring to do anything new, and never moving forward.
For both barber and client, that comfort zone can pretty much be summed up in the humble, but woefully overplayed skin fade. Now let me qualify that by saying two things. Firstly, the fade is nothing new: it’s a classic, clean and tried-and-tested cut that your grandad probably sported at some point in his life. Secondly, it’s a great look: simple, sleek and easily wearable.
The problem is that so many people rely on the cut as their go-to style that we’re seeing a little bit of fatigue set in. It seems as though everyone within a 5-mile radius of the city centre is sporting the exact same haircut, and that safety-in-numbers mentality results in a shrinking of clients’ collective comfort zone. And the same thing happens behind the chair, too. Barbers are less inclined to strive for new skills if they can make their bread and butter banging out the same haircut every 10 minutes.
In fairness, it’s easy to see why people are often afraid of change. Anyone who’s ever been given a shit haircut will know what it’s like to miss the sweet, sweet safety of the short back and sides. But as the summer days start to fade (see what I did there?) away, there’s a real opportunity to try something a little different.
Sure, moving from a skin fade to longer styles can prove difficult for those used to keeping things tight and high around the ears. And of course, growing your hair out means having to deal with more texture, density and general waywardness than you’re typically used to. But that’s why it’s so important for your barber to be in a position to offer a little guidance along the way. Which, in turn, requires more experience than six months spent perfecting the same pre-war haircut.
As barbers, we’re not looking to push you off a cliff without your consent, and at the end of the day we want to give you the best version of the haircut that you’ve chosen. But if we can nudge you out of your comfort zone every once in a while, everyone wins.
Bottom line? Don’t be afraid to try new things, question your barber a little, and take a few tentative steps out of that comfort zone. Because if our anonymous, character-assassinating little Instagram rogue has taught us anything, it’s that standing still for too long can often make you a target. IH
Words by Iain HARROLD
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