I've just been using chain salons for over half my life, so I'm used to strolling in and getting a quick, cheap cut and being done with it.
Lately I've had an urge to get a better quality haircut, but I just can't bring myself to walk into a barber shop, for some reason. No idea what to ask for, or even if I need to call ahead.
I get anxiety over the weirdest shit
The last barbershop I went to was staffed by the old white guys who go to the burger place to drink coffee on Sunday mornings . I made the mistake of complaining about my neighbor's gardner firing up his blower at 7am. The rest of my visit the two barbers tried to get me to say racist shit. Also they gave me a little boys haircut and parted it on the side like Donald Rumsfeld.
okay, so as someone who used to have a lot of anxiety about barbershops until I found a barber I liked, the easiest thing you can do is bring pictures.
seriously, just be like, hey, I like this style, and show a couple pictures. I have a folder for hair/beard pics, but know i know more of the 'vocabulary'. and when you get your cut done, you could ask the barber to explain some things to make it easier for your next time.
most "good" shops you will need to call ahead, or they wil have an online portal to schedule appointments.
e: also look for more 'alt' shops and you may find less chuds than at a 'traditional' shop. I found a lefty artist lesbean who cuts my hair and we just talk about movies and shit and it's great.
Showing a barber a picture fucks with my anxiety. If I show them a picture of like a beefcake model or a celebrity, I wouldn't be able to get over the fact that they'd be comparing my own looks to the guy in the picture's. Like "this motherfucker thinks he looks like [celebrity]! What a joke!"
im sorry your anxiety makes you feel that way. you can literally crop the picture so it's just the hair? blur out the face? I'm not sure
Yeah but a salon isn't going to shave my bald ass head with a razor, trim and shape my beard, and give me some hot towels and shit.
Yes, that's why I go to the local Barber/Bloodletter.
My discomfort with Barbers is offset by my familiarity with leeches.
Ahhh The soothing feeling of bloodsucking…. Reminds of my time growing up in capitalist America.
I thought I was the only one that got anxiety over barbershops. When I was younger, I couldn't stand ones without any clear, established order. I went to one where regulars would pop in and jump the line and it stressed me out so much. Also, the overtly masculine barbers makes no sense at all and made me feel so intimidated. Damn, reading over this makes me feel so self-conscious but I legit got so stressed out over the idea of having to assert my place in line and try to figure out what haircut I wanted and how to explain it to some imposing, gruff barber.
Not sure where you live but if you're relatively close to a city theres a 90% chance there is some "hipster" barbershop near you. As much as people hate these places they are typically pretty good. I also am of the camp that haircuts being one of the few things you should spend a little extra money on.
The venn diagram of dudes who get a $15 haircut at Great Clips by some underpaid hungover part time stylist who got a salon certificate online (do you, get your bag) and guys who say fashion/style doesn't matter despite it directly affecting their dating pool/self-esteem is a full circle. That's cool you do your own hair at home, trust me, we all can tell. guy in the corner at the party meme.
Pay a little extra, go to a hipster barber shop, get a free glass of whiskey, bring in a picture of an actor/model with the style you want, build rapport with and radicalize your stylist, and do that once every three months.
You can always just show the barber a photo of what hairstyle you like. They're usually pretty chill.
As someone who has always cut their own hair, getting a haircut is a really weird and intimate experience. I don’t like it. I’ll just keep cutting it myself thanks. Plus it’s cheaper.
When I was in the army we would go off post to get better haircuts. My soldier at the time was from Oakland and asked for a ride to his barbershop, and I needed one as well.
I, a 20 year old, pale white, dirty blonde hair, loser from Indiana learned that day that not all hair is the same. And cuts don’t necessarily apply across the board.
Never used one before, I just go to supercuts and get my head shaved. Takes all of like 10 min and the staff is pleasant.
if all you do is shave your head, just buy clippers and do it yourself.
I really should. But I think my hair's too long right now to do it from home.
if britney can shave her head, no hair is 'too long' imo. but whatever you're comfortable with!
Find a cocktail you like and stick with it, then maybe ask the bartender what they recommend if you feel up to it. Easy way to find new things, gets the bartender to show what they've been working on/experimenting with.
My goto cocktails are: Old fashioned (super simple but lots to experiment with), Manhatten (also simple but with variety of basic ingredients can be fun to explore), sidecar (for sweeter stuff, also substitute bourbon).
There's no wrong way to drink a drink you bought, people have seen worse than whatever you're doing. I couldn't name more than a few whiskeys myself, so yeah "bottom shelf/whatever is cheaper" is a super appropriate answer. If your friends make fun of you ask them to pay for the top shelf ones.
The rest... yeah whatever you like. It's your money, it's your drink, do what you want. But bartenders should know what tastes good what doesn't. And being more of a regular is going to help you avoid being upsold or anything like that. You might even score free drinks now and then.
I just pick a mid-price brand of liquor and order it with that. I generally ask for a Manhattan with Maker's Mark, for instance (although Manhattans are actually made with rye rather than bourbon).
