BybrPamela Hammonds
DustinbrTondre's schedule varies from week to week. Some days he's behind the desk inbrhis wealth management office in Southlake. Other times he's traveling thebrUnited States, meeting with clients. While his weeks can be fairly harried andbrinconsistent, the one constant is his standing appointment at a local men'sbrgrooming salon.
Tondre,br35, balances the responsibilities of raising a family and running a business,brso when he noticed his wife, Jessica, enjoyed her monthly appointments at abrsalon, he decided a regular escape would serve him well, too. He looked for abrreprieve from a ringing phone, a quiet place to decompress and, if a mixedbrdrink came along with the services, he was totally on board with that as well.
An Industry Grows Up
As abrkid, Tondre went to the local barbershop with his dad, who was a policebrofficer. “I appreciate now what that time away meant for him,” Tondre says. Butbras economies evolved, so did the tenor of the downtown barbershop.
Depressionbreras saw many local shops close as men could no longer afford the luxury of abrshave and a haircut. Eventually, retailers sold grooming kits so Dad and hisbrsons could cut hair at home. Then the 1960s rolled around, and ThebrBeatles-inspired mop-top was suddenly fashionable. Guys could go weeks withoutbra haircut and no one would care—or notice.
The 1970sbrushered in the era of shopping mall unisex salons such as Fantastic Sams andbrSupercuts. Men getting haircuts would sit perched next to women enduring pungentbrperms and highlights, while barbering became almost nonexistent as stylistsbrwere issued broader cosmetology licenses. In the '90s, chains such as SportbrClips and Great Clips (with Great Sports promotions tied to athletic events)brattempted to draw a more masculine clientele, but lacked the atmosphere of guysbrbonding under an aromatic cloud of cigar smoke and Brylcreem reminiscent of abrprevious generation.
Answering a Call to Meet a Demand
Fast-forwardbrto 2014, when total U.S. sales for the men's personal care market hit $4.1brbillion, making it one of the fastest-growing segments of the beauty industry,braccording to Mintel, a market-research firm. Ahead of this trend, areabrentrepreneurs sensed a desire for men to establish a ritual reminiscent ofbrtheir fathers' or grandfathers' day and age. Lacking, they reasoned, was abrplace where men could escape from the daily grind for more than a quickbrhaircut.
“I wentbrto one men's grooming salon that got me in and out efficiently,” says Tondre,br“but I didn't find it relaxing. The receptionist was juggling two phones andbrdrinks were self-serve.” When a friend recommended The Gent's Place, Tondrebrmade an appointment and was hooked. “For me, it's become a moment—a goodbrhour—to not think about work and relax,” he adds.
Tondrebrgets a haircut every two weeks at The Gent's Place, which was founded by BenbrDavis in Frisco in 2008. He also stops in between services for an upkeepbr(typically a neck shave) when he feels it's needed, which is covered in hisbrmembership.
Anotherbrfavorite among local guys is Boardroom Salon for Men, which was founded by Southlakebrresident Bruce Schultz. “We entered the market in 2004 after realizing abrrelaxed grooming experience for men was missing,” says Schultz. “Men typicallybrget their hair cut every two to four weeks, and we felt they deserved a coolbrplace for an experience rather than a commodity.” Schultz modeled his salonsbrafter 1920s gentlemen's country clubs, with wood paneling and a pool tablebrplaced among the grooming stations.
Even ifbrguys can get all the specialized attention they demand at a full-service unisexbrsalon, sometimes they just want to hang out with other men. That's why placesbraround town, such as sports-themed Knockouts, are outfitting their salons forbrmaximum masculine appeal with beers on tap and big screens tuned to the latestbrsporting event, so guys can feel at ease while getting a facial, a shoeshine orbra hot wax hand treatment.
JeffbrKissling, who founded Cowboy Up Men's Salon in 2011, was a client at an upscalebrmen's salon for over a year until their choice in big band music propelled himbrout of retirement and into the men's grooming business. “I jokingly said, ‘Ifbryou don't change the station, I'm going to go down the street and open my ownbrsalon,' and I did,” Kissling says. His three area locations feature repurposedbrold barn wood, classic Belmont barber chairs and saddle-mounted stools forbrDad's little buddy.
“Everybrservice we provide can be done at each station,” explains Claire Settle, directorbrof client experience at Cowboy Up. From a wash, wax, cut, shave or style,brclients never have to leave the comfort of their chairs once they settle in.
The Face of Today's Well-Groomed Guy
Now it'sbrnot only acceptable to be concerned about your appearance, it'sbrexpected—whether you're a Baby Boomer or hail from Gen X, Y or Z. And even ifbryou prefer the I-just-rolled-out-of-bed look, we can bet it took some time,brproduct and grooming to achieve it.
“Youngbrmen are growing up with an expanded beauty industry that includes them,” saysbrDr. Kristen Barber, assistant professor of sociology at Southern IllinoisbrUniversity Carbondale and author of StylingbrMasculinity: Gender, Class, and Inequality in the Men's Grooming Industry.br“And so it is less surprising to see young men invested in the sorts of clothesbrthey buy, the cologne they wear, and the hair products they use. But BabybrBoomers are not aging without a fight, and this is true for men, not just women.”
JenaebrMcCrossen, a stylist at Finley's Barber Shop, believes the male groomingbrindustry experienced a resurgence along with men's fashion. “Shows like Mad Men inspired a renewed sense ofbrstyle,” she says. Finley’s, founded by Austin barber Scott Finley, has twobrlocations in the Metroplex—Plano and Southlake. “Older gentlemen remember goingbrto the barber shop for camaraderie and now enjoy coming to Finley’s for thebrinteraction with stylists alongside young professionals. We really cater to abrdiverse group.”
Thebrworld of men's grooming has evolved over the decades—almost as much as men'sbrhairstyles themselves. Men these days aren't interested in a quick, impersonalbrhaircut; they recognize the value in treating themselves, whether it's with a handbrwax treatment or a shoeshine. And the market is listening. There are plenty ofbrplaces that give guys exactly what they want: a hand-tailored experience to gobralong with their haircut. SS
Making the Cut
ThebrAmerican Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reports that in 2015, menbraccounted for 10 percent of all cosmetic surgeries in the U.S., withbrliposuction being their procedure of choice. The number of cosmetic proceduresbrperformed among men has increased more than 325 percent from 1997. Whether tobrstay competitive in the job market, attempt to stave off aging or a realizationbrthat women aren't the only ones concerned about looking good, obviously men arebrmaking an investment in their looks.
Texas Man-Care Companies
Whilebrmen may love the way their women look and smell, guys demand products andbrservices tailored to them—and they should. A man's skin is about 25 percentbrthicker, contains a higher collagen density, and has a rougher texture andbrlarger pores than his female counterpart. A man's higher sebum levels also makebrhim more prone to develop acne, dandruff, and seborrheic dermatitis (a scalybrscalp).
It's nobrsurprise that entrepreneurs across Texas have developed men's grooming productsbrto satisfy the discriminating tastes of their peers. Here are a few to try:
Doc Elliott
Foundedbrin Austin, Doc Elliott's natural, petroleum-free products include pomade, beardbroils, moustache wax, and more. Inspired by the contrasting aesthetics ofbrvintage apothecary and modern refinement, Doc Elliott products are hand-craftedbrin small batches and then carefully cultivated to nourish and protect yourbrhairstyle, bountiful beard and meticulous mustache. | DocElliottGrooming.com
Texas Beard Company
Who saysbrtoday's young men are failing to launch? These guys sure have been industrious!brTexas Beard Company was founded in 2014 by three bearded 20-somethings (and onebrclean-shaven buddy who happened to be good at technology). Based in Beaumont,brthe specialty beard-care company offers high quality, all-natural, handmadebrbeard products along with some pretty nifty t-shirts, hoodies, hats andbrbeverage glasses. | TexasBeardCompany.com
Manready Mercantile
In 2012,brZephyr, Texas, entrepreneur Travis Weaver began making candles on the stove inbrhis apartment and soon added bath and grooming products to his line of goods.brWith recipes devoted to natural ingredients stirred up in small batches, Weaverbrquickly built a following that today includes a brick-and-mortar store inbrHouston, carrying other manly gear such as leather goods and qualitybrAmerican-made clothing. | Manready.com
Billy Jealousy
PatbrParsi and Danielle Rouso founded Billy Jealousy in Dallas in 2004 with a desirebrto create a line of highly efficacious grooming products driven by science andbrnature, and wrapped in a sexy and fun brand experience. Their cosmeceuticalbrline has amassed major magazine awards from prestigious publications, and todaybrBilly Jealousy products are sold and used throughout the world—from Singaporebrto Auckland, New York to Los Angeles, London to Johannesburg. |brBillyJealousy.com