Barber Blonde: Edmonton’s Trendy and Local Barber
- Adelya Nugmanova
- Feb 26, 2019
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 24, 2019
As soon as you walk into Edmonton’s Barber Blonde shop, you’re greeted with musky scents of pomade mixed with fruity hairspray. This centrally-located shop is the perfect place to escape daily life, ditch your phone, and be pampered by a friendly crew. The left side of the cozy shop hosts a lady’s salon retreat, while the right side holds a rugged barber haven that has grown from 2 to 5 cushy barber chairs in just a few years. As soon as you see the two huskies in residence and hear lively music mingling with great conversation, you begin to see what the hype is about.
With men’s grooming and attention to appearance increasing worldwide, it can be easy to see why barber shops have become increasingly attractive to younger generations. Men from all phases of life walk into such shops for a sense of community, where they can build stronger ties with their barbers, and strut out the door feeling even more confident than before.
One of the many contributions to a growing source of revenue for those daring to step into the barber business (which saw an annual growth of 2.4% between 2011-2016 in Canada) is the fact that the average male in a modern world has more time to take care of their appearance. The idea is simple; when you look back in history, during times of war and agriculture production in rural areas, people usually had less time to think about their appearance and more time to think about survival tactics. Tim Shapka (the store owner) says that some people “used to think that you were not like a real man if you care about your looks too much, but now guys also care, which is a big deal.”
These days, the rise of social media has made look-books and men’s styling tips accessible to any guy willing to improve their look. Tim explains: “with social media, people are seeing that it’s cool to look good too… so guys started to care more about their looks, but there were no shops to get their haircut.” Therefore, the rise of barber shops began around 2015, in order to quench basic human needs of belonging and self-confidence.
Is it All About The Looks?
Steven Scoby (a customer) says: “You wanna have a nice haircut to look good, especially when you're a professional. You wanna look presentable, because some people will judge you off their first impression. You want them to think... this guy takes care of himself.“ The concept of men wanting to feel good in their bodies by gently exerting their suave demeanor has never been stronger.
Another idea that has survived many generations and continues to fuse people together is community. Tim (the shop owner) says that customers are attracted to his store because his team “tries to greet everyone and shake the [client’s] hands. I know a lot of the customers and say Hi to everyone to make them feel welcome. If you get a good haircut, but the people are rude and not warm, it won’t feel good. So we try to make it a positive experience”.
Sense of Community as a Magnet
This idea also rings true to customers like Steven who have been loyal to Barber Blonde for three years. He says: “I don't really see Tim outside of the barber shop, but you still build a good relationship. You feel like he’s someone you can tell anything to. When you're sitting on the chair, it feels like a chair of confessions.” Whether you’re looking for smooth banter, fist bumps, or a giddy feeling of being welcomed no matter what your background is you’re bound to find it here.
The inclusive nature of the shop “gets customers from all walks of life… older, middle aged professionals to 5 year old kids.” (Shapka), and assures that anyone can walk in and feel an instant sense of connection. The rugged atmosphere created by the wolf head on the wall and the Jack Daniel’s spray bottles sitting on the barber cart might make you think otherwise. Yet, the energetic buzz you feel while you’re waiting for your haircut and seeing smiling customers will reassure every parent or picky customer.
Lisa Matheson (a barber with a 70’s-man-meets-grunge dress style) said: “One time I had a kid ask me tons about bullying… like what do you do when people bully you? It was kind of cute to have a little kid who clearly can’t talk to his parents about something, talk to me about it. It was just a nice experience to see that I made someone comfortable enough that they can trust me.” Interactions like these can be heard all over the barber shop, yet some barbers prefer to keep it simple and less personal.
Brooke Glasgow (also a trendy barber) says: “It all depends on the clients. Some people don’t like to talk much… some people you build like a personal relationship with. Some people do talk about things like their Mom’s death, and it gets a bit comfortable. But, sometimes, it’s basic… like animals, music, and movies.”
At the end of the day, it all comes down to how the customer presents themselves the moment they sit down on the chair. In order to build a community, the barbers and owners usually use their innate ability to read people. If a customer gives short responses, sometimes it’s best to let them relax. Yet, if they open up and are willing to dive deeper into a relationship, they let it evolve naturally.
So if you would also like to make some new connections while getting a gorgeous blowout or close your eyes in relaxation as your mustache is trimmed, come down to Barber Blonde! After all, “it's convenient to book in, and has a good location with good music. You can even have a drink if you want.” (Scoby)
Photo Credit: Adelya Nugmanova.
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