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Masculine Grooming

8 October, 2014

I’m excited to announce a big change here on the site. I’ve added three new contributing authors who all specialize in fields tied to masculine aesthetics. One will be writing about grooming, the second about health and exercise, and the third about architecture and home design.

All three of these are topics I’ve lightly touched on myself, but in which I am obviously no expert. So, rather than watching me fumble around with developing that expertise, I figured we’d all be better served by learning from men who specialize in these fields.

Today we’re starting with a post on grooming. The author’s name is John Roh and he runs a barbershop here in Salt Lake City called Salty Gentlemen. He is classically trained in the arts of the barber and was mentored by one of the best-known barbers in the world. I’ll let him take it from here.

An umbrella word often mischaracterized as some prissy thing by cosmetologists, “mens” magazines, so-called metro-sexual men and far too many others, grooming (more specifically: men’s grooming) is an oft-touched upon subject everyone has an opinion about. It is debated, squabbled over, made to be one thing, then another, praised, condemned, bypassed, over-looked, over-hyped; and is anything but short of boring. Yet grooming is misunderstood by so many, and those wanting to continually sell the masses on junk product after junk product perpetuate the ignorance to the point that it has lost all meaning. In an attempt to remedy that situation, this series on grooming is going to start at the foundation and then brick-by-brick, each article will build on the latter to form a structure of “Men’s Grooming” that can be taken and modeled appropriately within the realm of one’s own life. In other words, I’d like to take you to square one and re-introduce you to the world of men’s grooming, show you the necessary, the frivolous, explain the science and reasoning behind it all and then graduate you enlightened and well-versed with the proper knowledge to circumnavigate the vast ocean of Manhood.

My name is John. I am a classically trained Barber living in Salt Lake City, UT. I operate a small one-chair shop in the heart of Sugarhouse, one of the more hip districts in the valley, and have done so for about a year now. My mentors Tim Hite, 87 & Milton Larsen, 77 were both die-hard old school barbers, and during my time apprenticing under them I learned a helluva lot. If it could be summed up in a sentence it might ring to the tune of “if it worked for my grandfather, it works for me”. But crammed together on paper, everything those two taught me would easily crush the Game of Thrones novels so I will do my best of give you the cliff notes version when I do reference them.

Well where do I begin? Probably to start with: What is Grooming? The etymology of the word grooming begins circa 1200 C.E. with grome “male child, boy”. Perhaps from Old English groma related to growan “grow”, or from Old French grommet “servant” meaning “male servant who attends horses” circa 1660. Not until 1843 did grooming transfer from horse attendant to meaning “to tidy (oneself) up)” and in 1887 used in U.S. politics to mean “prepare a candidate”.

To say that men’s grooming is a “new thing” is a fallacy, as scientists have discovered early stone scrapers from the Upper Paleolithic period of 40,000 B.C.E to razor-like instruments built in 18,000 B.C.E. That’s during the last Glacial period, popularly known as the Ice Age. Egyptians used razors from head to toe, wore wigs and more in 6,000 B.C.E. According to Leviticus, Moses (1391 B.C.E) was told by God to command those who had recovered from leprosy to shave all their body hair as part of a ritual cleansing. Ezekiel referred to men’s grooming (synonymous with barbering at the time) in the verse “take thou a barber’s razor and cause it to pass upon thy head and upon thy beard”. It became a highly developed art in Greece during its golden age (500 – 300 B.C.E) when Alexander the Great commissioned all his soldiers to be clean-shaven in the third century. It wasn’t until Emperor Hadrian of Rome in 117 C.E. came into power that beards were again in fashion. Clergymen of the Middle Ages were distinguished by a shaved patch of hair on the crown known as a Tonsure decreed by the Pope as an adopted style of St. Peter. The Worshipful Company of Barbers guild was formed in 1308 after having founded the Schools of St. Cosmos and St. Domain; they would be barber surgeons until 1745 when a law enacted separated the two professions completely. Having distanced from religion and medicine completely by the end of the 19^th century, the Journeyman Barber’s International Union would form in 1887 and would be so until 1941 when it would become the Associated Master Barber and Beauticians of America

In the late 1950’s and the early 60’s the fall of the barbershop would begin and in 1985, the National Education Council (established by the AMBBA) would report over 50% of barber students to be female. I tell you all this because the history and fall of barbering sets the stage for the way men’s grooming is viewed today. For 40,000+ years man performed all manner of grooming rituals on his fellow man. But in the last few decades Barbering, and by extension men’s grooming, has seen a complete paradigm shift as women have taken over. Barbershops gave way to unisex parlours and even further to salons and generations of men lost touch with timeless principles held by our ancestors. We’re at a point where any online news publication can produce men’s grooming articles and go unquestioned, for the very reason that men no longer have an authority figure they trust and see on a regular basis to confirm or debunk what is right for them.

Barbering is far and above cutting hair. It doesn’t seem that way when stepping into a Sport’s Clips or Dollar Cuts, but true classic barbering is about the man as a client. As a Barber my Warrior’s Code, my Modus Vivandi, the very existential reason behind my desire to cut hair, is this:

I am responsible for the perception of my client to the rest of the world.

That may not be epic to everyone, but to me it means the world. As a barber, how a man is seen and perceived by his peers, spouse, family, co-workers and the public becomes my responsibility when he shares his trust with me by sitting in my chair. In turn, men’s grooming is the exact same. Grooming is a man’s responsibility to himself for the way he is perceived by the rest of the world. Let me say that again.

Grooming is YOUR responsibility to YOURSELF for the way you are perceived by the rest of the world

Please note it is not one’s responsibility to please others with the way he looks, it only falls to him to show exactly who he is. Just as it is my job to give him a haircut that HE wants, not what I want, it is a man’s job to make himself look the way he wants, not the way others want him to look. Grooming goes hand in hand with Barbering because it is an unspoken pact that while a client leave my chair with all my expertise and craftsmanship adorning his scalp, he in turn agrees to maintain and take pride in his hair (and ultimately his whole image) when he’s out in the world. It does neither of us good to spend time crafting a masterful haircut only to have it put under a hat because he neither knows how to style or worse don’t care enough about it to appreciate what nature gave him.

While grooming may be a vast umbrella that, shaving, plucking, waxing, hair care, skin care, nutrition, fitness, trimming, clipping, and many other subjects and –ing words fall under, its overarching theme is a man’s responsibility to himself. In the coming articles, always keep that thought in mind because while many different topics are covered not all are individual responsibilities. Take from the wealth of information that I will soon provide, the necessary skills and lessons that apply to a grooming routine (or learn how to get one if that is the case) and go forward a better man. My hope is to instill the wherewithal to ask the right questions, glean the correct answers and reveal the inner eye of perception so correct judgments can be made for each man.

Sartorialism vs Style

1 October, 2014

I, along with many other bloggers, am typically an advocate of timeless style – the idea that there is a difference between style vs fashion; that a man’s clothing should communicate his dignity and rock-solid nature. It’s why I have the Staples series and try to teach men how to define themselves within the Three Archetypes of masculine style. Any long-time reader should not be surprised by this concept.

However, there is always a counterpoint to this argument that has intrigued me.

Being a bit of a history buff, I’ve grown up hearing a quote from Thomas Jefferson

While this is obviously used to teach the principle of having a firm sense of morality. I obviously am drawn to the style aspect of it as well. Sometimes the quote uses the term “fashion” instead of “style,” but the principle is still the same.

Now, we might see powdered wigs, trifold hats, and tights as anything but inherently masculine, but during the life of Jefferson, these were the staples of successful men. We don’t walk out onto too precarious a limb with the assumption that, had Jefferson been a stickler about only wearing country clothing that communicated a more rugged form of manliness, he wouldn’t have been able to exert as much influence with the right people.

But, that’s not the purpose of today’s post. In fact, I believe we’ve significantly beaten that point to death. By now, it should be well understood that a man’s clothing is a tool in his arsenal and it should be used as intentionally and deliberately as any other option at his disposal.

The real gist of this quote – at least when not using it for its intended purpose – is that a little bit of flexibility, trendiness, and fashion sense are appropriate – even for men.

While going through this month’s book, Antifragile, I came across a segment in which the author expresses outright derision for men who wear suits and ties every day. He says that those who wear suits and are clean-shaven are fragile, while those who dress outrageously are antifragile.

I can certainly sympathize with his stance. However, there is a large difference between men who wear suits because they have to, and those who do so because they want to. The former are the white-collar middle management, politicians, lawyers, economists, and other bureaucrats and fragilistas who tend to either tread water or make the world worse. From Taleb, a man at the tail end of the baby boom, the CEO’s, entrepreneurs, and movers and shakers of the world are men who spend more time out of a suit than in one. This aversion to a more buttoned-up appearance is certainly generational and that aspect of it needs to be considered when reading Taleb, but the point is still true. For the Baby Boomers and Generation X, the suit and tie have been the uniform of bureaucrats, not of men with real power. That wasn’t the same for the generation before, and it’s not the same for the up and coming generation either.

Take a look at the above photo. On the left, we see a well-made, well-fitting conservative business suit. This is already hugely better than the expected uniform of the average politician or lawyer, but I wanted to focus on principles other than fit and proportion. Even fitting as well as it does, it’s a conservative business suit. It’s still part of a corporate uniform. On the right, we see an obvious contrast in that this ensemble is pure fashion. The pattern of the cloth in the pants, the height at which they’re cropped, the color of the socks, the length of the jacket, and myriad other details are all indicative of the fact that this outfit belongs nowhere near a corporate environment.

The above binary of style vs fashion is pretty typical. I’ve been guilty of using it myself, but there’s a third element I believe a well-dressed man should consider. It falls between these two extremes, taking the outrage out of the fashion ensemble and the fragile out of the corporate uniform. Let’s call this third type sartorialism.

Unlike conservative business suits, those that Taleb associates with fragility, a sartorialist suit communicates both a desire to dress up, and a bit of the wearer’s personality. On the other hand, unlike an ensemble that’s pure fashion, a sartorial approach isn’t so attention seeking that it’s off putting when out of the specific context in which the outfit is completely appropriate.

Sartorialism is the realm of current trends like stacked bracelets, sockless suits, extra wide lapels, loud sneakers, neapolitan tie knots, and others. These are details that don’t pretend to be timeless, but are still acceptable for the aspiring man to wear without looking like he should never step foot out of the fashion district of a major, coastal city.

A sartorialist approach appreciates old-world details, but turns them on their head. Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, it just takes the cart in a different direction. It capitalizes mostly on the Play aspect of the Danger and Play contrast.

In Antifragile, Taleb defines antifragility as the concept of objects or people gaining from disorder. A business suit is a uniform, it contributes to order and is negatively perceived when the man wearing it is taken out of the context of the business world. The same goes for the aggressive fashion ensemble. It certainly creates disorder when worn out of context, but it is intended for a specific, ordered audience. Fashion has little-to-no place in the business world. Sartorialism is antifragile. A suit or ensemble like the two pictured above will communicate abundance and an embrace of risk whether they are worn in a business or casual setting. They create disorder by breaking from the norm, and proceed to strengthen the image of the man wearing them.

So if a man finds himself feeling overly restricted in his traditional business wear, but knows it’s inappropriate to dress like a runway model, a sartorial approach may be just the thing he needs to separate himself from the pack.

Grooming Routine

18 September, 2014

Of all the questions I get from readers, the most common are typically related to grooming. “What kind of hair product do you use,” “How do you grow a beard,” and “What kind of soap should I be using,” are all pretty good examples of common questions.

A lot of grooming is as dependent on the individual as style is. There are factors like hair and skin types that make a big difference in what products work for what men. That being said, a basic grooming routine can be applied with a variety of products and benefit most men.

So here’s what I do. I’m not saying this is the only way to do things or even the best, but it’s what I’ve found works for me.

Body

First off, I shower every day. The rare occasion in which I skip a shower leaves me feeling sticky and dirty. It throws off my game and I hate it, so I shower every morning after getting home from the gym.

I also use soap every day. For years I’ve been using this all-purpose soap from Dr. Bronner’s. I first read about it in GQ a few years back and thought I’d give it a try. I’ve been through most of the different scents and enjoy them all, but the peppermint and eucalyptus are my favorite.

That massive brush is a relatively new addition to my routine. I’ve never been one to exfoliate. It seemed superfluous to me, but my wife bought me a brush like this about six months ago and I figured I’d try it out. If a man has never exfoliated before, it’s not pleasant at first. I hated it. But after a week I really started to enjoy it. It scrubs out dead skin and oil to really get my skin clean. I use it every other day because doing so too often will make my body go into overdrive on oil production – which leads to break outs. I’ll just pour the soap on, scrub the crap out of my whole body, and rinse off.

The Barbasol and Gillette razor are for my back and shoulders. While I’m a big advocate of letting most body hair grow, I hate seeing it on my neck, shoulders, and back. It doesn’t come in very thick and ends up looking more sloppy than rugged. Once every other week or so I’ll have the wife clean me up back there. Because I don’t have to shave all that often, It’s not a big deal for me to use one of the more expensive razors. I go through a couple of blade cartridges a year and it’s much easier for my wife to use those than my safety razor.

As for deodorant, I’m happy with the basic Brut deodorant found at most grocery stores. It’s cheap and effective, and I have yet to be convinced of the value of a more expensive brand. Some men may need and antiperspirant or a clear gel, but the old-school works just fine for me. My wife loves the smell too.

Hair

My hair routine is fairly simple as well. Unlike with my body, I only shampoo and condition my hair every other day. This allows for the natural oils in my hair to do their job.

A while back Mr. Pompadour reached out to me and offered to send me a few of their products to try out. The pomades they sent left my hair too crunch and didn’t hold as well as I’d like (more on that in a minute), but they won me over with their shampoo and conditioner. Both do their jobs well, smell great, and leave my hair feeling clean and healthy, instead of just stripped down. I’d been using American Crewe before, but am now in Mr. Pompadour camp.

The pomade I’m currently (and will probably forever be) using is called Royal Palms. The guy who runs the company is a barber based out of Salt Lake City. The barber shop I used to frequent had me try it out one day and I was hooked. The thing about my hair is that it’s extremely thick, course, and straight. It’s very obedient once I get it trained, but getting it to do what I want initially is a serious pain. I’m going through this again as I’m growing it out and have to teach it to lay down in certain places.

In order for me to have any success with my hair in the past, I’ve had to use products more on the extreme side. Things with high hold and beeswax, or even products like Murphy’s that are targeted towards a different demographic with hair even more difficult than mine. The problem with these products is that they either leave my hair extremely crunchy or greasy to the point of embarrassment. However, this Royal Palms stuff holds it like I want, and actually keeps my hair soft and pliable. I can run my hands through my hair all day without them getting trapped and without it ruining the way my hair looks. Win win.

A simple comb does the job for me. A lot of men will blow dry, brush, or use other tools, but all I need is a little plastic comb. I have one in my briefcase and another in my car just in case.

Shaving

Because I have a beard, I only shave once a week. And yes, a man should still shave when he has a beard. I clean up my neck and cheeks each Sunday morning. Because it’s not a daily chore, I take the time to do it a bit more traditionally, with shave cream, a badger brush, and a safety razor. Both the brush and the razor were gifts given to my by family and both do their jobs excellently. I recommend going with a badger-hair brush over boar hair. It costs a bit more, but it’s not an item that needs frequent replacement.

In the past I’ve used different shave soaps but am currently liking a cream offered by Lucky Tiger. It’s a bit “thirstier” than other creams I’ve used – meaning it requires more water to build the ideal lather – but does a great job of creating a smooth shave. Depending on what mood I’m in, I alternate between hot and cold shaves. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. Once I’m done, I rinse off and throw on a bit of Lucky Tiger’s after shave (along with some lotion).

Beard

Beard care is a bit of a new realm for me. While I’ve sported facial hair since 2007, it was always short enough that it just required trimming. However, I’ve started to enjoy wearing it a bit longer, and this requires some oil to keep my face from itching.

As for trimming, I use this little Conair piece. I’m 90% sure my mom grabbed this for me for $15 on a TJ Maxx run about 10 years ago. It’s got attachments for nose hair and mustache trimming, along with all of the necessary pieces for trimming my beard to different lengths and cleaning the machinery. I’m sure there are much better (and more expensive) offerings available, but this has served me well for a long time.

As for beard oil, I just got a shipment of stuff from a friend who runs a company called Can You Handlebar. I’ve been alternating between a few different scents, and they’re all fantastic. The oil keeps the hair smooth and malleable, gives it a bit of sheen, and prevents my face from getting itchy. An oil is a must for a man who’s just starting to grow his beard out and hates the itch.

When my beard is short, I just use the same Lucky Tiger face wash. When it’s longer, I’ll shampoo and condition it with the Mr. Pompadour stuff I use in my hair. Again, I’m sure there are better ways to go and beard-specific products would have their advantage, but this has been good enough for me for the last year.

Lastly, a longer beard needs to be combed just like hair. In the past, I’ve used the comb attachment that’s included in my shaving kit. However, I just bought this little beard comb as part of an order from Frank & Oak, and I love the thing. It’s bigger than what I was using, meaning it feels more substantial in my hand, but the teeth are still fine enough and short enough to work well on a beard.

So there it is. As I said before, I shower every day. On the days I shampoo and condition my hair, I rinse off with water that’s as cold as I can stand and don’t use the bath brush. On the other days, I do use the bath brush and rinse off cool. Face wash and beard oil are used every day, and I trim my beard and shave once a week.

Oh, and I brush my teeth twice a day. Can’t forget that all-important detail.

Review: Copper River Bag

3 September, 2014

I’ll start off this post by saying that today’s review item is not something I believe the majority of my readers are currently in need of. However, for the subset to which this bag applies, it’s a game changer.

Except for the relatively new readers, most of my following is aware that I’m a father of two young kids. I have a daughter who is just over two and a son at five months.

One of the more unique experiences of being a new dad is going through a baby registry. It’s the same thing as getting registered for a wedding. Essentially the two of you go to a baby-specific shop, scan all the items you think you need when the little one comes, and hope that enough people throw/attend baby showers for your wife that you get everything you need.

Most men have no interest in being involved with any of that, and I totally get it. The way I see it though, I spend plenty of time in my kids’ room and with them, so I want to like what I see both in my home and on their bodies.

As one can imagine, everything is extremely geared towards the moms. Again, no qualms with this – they’re the largest consumer of baby products and they’re also more invested in details like this than most fathers. However, there are a few items that can and do reflect equally on the father – things like the stroller being pushed, the car seat, and most of all, the diaper bag.

Any soon-to-be-dad can tell himself he won’t have to deal with diapers, and any existing father can chuckle internally at how idealistic that assumption is. The truth of it is, there are times when a dad will (and should) have his young kids on his own. It may be a quick trip to the store, a day at the park, or a weekend on his own while his wife is away. Doesn’t matter what it is, a dad will be without his wife, and with his kids in public. And the last thing he wants is a bag like this.

And trust me, I see plenty of dads carrying around these bags. It’s emasculating. It subtly tells the kids, the dad, and the people around him, that he’s a substitute mom at best. He’s second string for when the starter is off the field. He’s just an accessory, not a key component in the family. Basically, it reinforces all of the things we’ve been subtly and not-so-subtly been told about fatherhood for the last 20+ years.

There’s an obvious market hole to be filled here. However, most results on a search for “dad diaper bags” are pretty disheartening. There is entirely too much in the way of camo, skull and crossbones, hot-rod flames, and other “manly” things. They’re purses with stupid attempts at looking cool instead of dignified. Those that are closer to getting it right still have to have something tacky added on like “Daddy’s Little Project.” I may be hypersensitive to the issue, but the cutesy stuff just doesn’t work. Neither do the attempts at being the cool-guy dad. And don’t get me started on all of the sports related options. The idea that a purse somehow becomes more masculine because it has a team logo is even more annoying. If a dad plays for the Broncos, then he can have a Broncos bag. The rest of us should have enough going on for ourselves that our identity doesn’t come from the accomplishments of other men.

Anyway… when we had our daughter we ended up picking out a bag that wasn’t embarrassing for either one of us to carry around and got the job done. It was unassuming but was also pretty boring and looked like a compromise for both of us.

It also only lasted about a year and a half.

When we found out there was going to be a number two, my wife jumped at the chance to get a new option. The plan was for me to make an existing travel bag work when I was on my own, and to let her have something girly since she carried it most of the time. It was a good plan, but not a great one, so I started my hunt for a decent dad bag again.

After spending way too much time online, I stumbled upon Copper River Bags on a friend’s Instagram account. He had one of their camera options and I liked what I saw. I initially checked out the site interested in some briefcase options when I was pleasantly surprised to see they offered diaper bags.

After a couple of emails back and forth, they decided to send me one. While the totes and field bags are better for the more Rakish dad in an urban environment, I got pretty excited about the Georgetown Voyager.

It comes in six different colors of leather with either a leather or cotton shoulder strap. All of the interior details that make it a great diaper bag, like padded, alterable, water-resistant liners are removable. There’s room enough for 20+ diapers and a pack of wipes, toys for the kids, enough for two days plus snacks, extra pockets for bottles and water, interior pockets for things like medicine and treats, and a back flap that will hold a newspaper, magazine, or iPad.

Basically it’s enough to get me and my kids through a weekend without my wife. Once the kids are grown up, all of the diaper-bag-specific options like the lining and changing pad can be removed and it will function great as a camera or messenger bag. So win-win.

I run with a lot of dad’s in my circle and the envy factor is undeniable. Every single one has seen me with it, commented how cool my new messenger was, and then audibly freaked out once I opened it up and showed them it was a diaper bag. None of them had even an inkling of its intended purpose before I showed them the inside – which is exactly what I believe a dad-appropriate diaper bag should do.

It also looks appropriate with everything I wear. From jeans and a T on a Saturday, to a full suit. Since I’m with my kids in my full wardrobe spectrum, this was another mark in Copper River’s favor.

The only thing I would have liked to see that wasn’t included was some sort of insulated pocketing to keep drinks cool. Other than that, this thing has exceeded my expectations.

Add to its look and functionality the fact that its hand-made right here in the US, and I couldn’t be happier with it. Oh, and at $175, it’s as much as your average box-store diaper bag.

Historic Style: Plague Doctors

27 August, 2014

Also known as “Beak Doctors” these were “physicians” who were hired by communities to treat those infected with the Bubonic Plague. I use quotations around the word physician because many of these doctors were actually men who were unable to qualify to start their own medical practice and were relegated to dealing with the Black Death. There are even accounts of some Plague Doctors having no medical training whatsoever.

Because they were paid by the town and communities in which they worked, they treated anyone who was infected, not simply those who could afford it on their own. As one can imagine, the profession of Beak Doctor was extremely dangerous and had a high mortality rate.

While their robes and appearance are creepy, almost every aspect of their clothing served both a functional and stylistic purpose.

The most distinguishing feature of any Plague Doctor was the beaked mask. The Bubonic Plague was rampant during a time when very little was understood about disease. As a result, doctors would look to both the physical and spiritual realms in attempts to cure their patients. The off-putting appearance of the masks was designed to scare off demons who could be the source of the Plague. At the same time, the beaks were filled with amber, cloves, myrrh, mint-leaves, rose petals, and other spices to prevent the doctor from breathing infected air. This upped their tolerance for time spent with rotting bodies and was also believed to protect them from the “evil air” they were surrounded with and could have caused the Plague.

The eyepieces on the masks served a similar function. Instead of a simple opening, darkened or red glass lenses were used. While they made detailed examination difficult, their purpose was to protect doctors from infection via the “evil eye.” At the time, one of the theories was that the demons who caused the Death could not only transfer from body to body through the air, but through eye contact as well.

The second-most noticeable aspect of the Beak Doctors’ attire was the long, black robe. While dress standards of the day were much more modest and covering than what we currently wear, the head-to-toe coverings served more of a practical function than social. The cloth used in the robes was waxed – meaning the doctor was protected from any liquid-based contagions. Although the belief was strong that supernatural forces were at work in transmitting the disease, these doctors were also willing to admit that they didn’t know the exact cause. Rather than adhere to strict dogma, they created methods, like the waxed robes, to prevent contact with as many potential sources as possible.

Lastly, the doctors would carry a staff in yet another attempt to distance themselves from the infected as much as possible. Staffs were used to examine bodies and even help take the pulse of infected men and women. The doctors did wear gloves, but the staff was another level of protection agains potential infection. There are even documented cases of times when the staffs were used as weapons to fend off desperate patients.

The entire ensemble struck the perfect balance between form and function. The creepy factor was intended to scare off evil spirits and to clearly demarcate the doctors from the rest of the healthy population. At the same time, each detail served a practical purpose as well. These doctors are an excellent example of how clothing can be used to accomplish multiple purposes.