STILL HOLDING ON
This is going to be a long one, so please bare with me.
I think one of the reasons I bought into the Barbershop revival in the early 2010’s is because it was filling a void. Obviously, first and foremost a void in the men’s hair styling space. At the time, there was no such thing as a “Men’s specific hair place” anymore.
Barbershops had started dying off somewhere in the early 1980’s. Longer hair styles and changing habits being the main culprits. By the time I was in the market for a haircut other than the Mom service I got as a child, there were really only “Hair Salons”.
Barbershop represent many things:
- Men focused grooming service
- An actual brick and mortar location
- A place you generally feel better when leaving and look forward to going back to
- Often a place styled in a nostalgic manner
The above shot of barber chairs was taken during my last visit at La Gare in Mirabel. The Barbershop vibe is strong and healthy there.
By the early 2000’s, the Barbershop was a thing of the past. At this time many other things were also starting to change. Going to a store and shopping in person was about to be challenged and sadly replaced by the on-line way.
Going places to buy goods and services has been part of the human experience for as far back as we can remember. Changing this is also fundamentally altered how we function. Is it better, is it worse? There are arguments for both, but no matter your point of view, we can all agree that it is un-natural.
I use to love going to shops because every one of them was: styled differently, offered different things and attracted different people. Think of the experience of going into a record store, versus a book store, a bakery or a clothing shop.
This is more or less gone. I am in Canada and have witnessed this dramatic change in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. The amount of empty store fronts is unreal.
What is left? Things that require people because it a “people” provided service, i.e. a Barbershop. In a parallel manner, shops run by Artisan or passionate people (bakeries, artists, apothecaries, etc…) have started popping up and thriving. We have all witnessed the change in folks seeking healthier, safer, people made products.
I think that in many respects, the revival of the Barbershop was a visible symbol of a desire to return to a more normal way of life and really only a piece of a much larger social change.
Slowing things down, picking up fresh bread, getting locally grown fruits and veggies, having your pants hemmed, getting a haircut, taking the kid to his game…
What I love about the Barbershop is that it stands as a beacon. A way of saying, real people live here.
Stay Safe (and real)!