Saturday, December 08, 2007

shave and a haircut, two bits

A couple of new mini shopping centers on Middlebrook Pike are nearing completion. Snap Fitness Club will go in to one that is still under construction near the Pilot with the new, smaller sign. Nixon's Deli will be in the other one, which I wrote about in July. Nixon's neighbor will be Gentlemen's Top Cuts. I have seen their huge billboard along I-40 while driving back from Farragut. They promise to hire stylists who will wear "eye-pleasing outfits."

I started going to barber shops with only female barbers when I moved to California. Shear Pleasure in Toluca Lake catered to several older Hollywood types like Jonathan Winters and honorary mayor Johnny Grant. The matronly stylists always offered customers a soda from the mini-fridge. During the Christmas season, they often had the hard stuff available too. I moved to Tennessee and soon found Mr. George's, which I liked because the haircuts were only $6 at the time. Now they charge $7. Mr. George was the only man who worked there. He had some health issues and his all-female staff has taken over. They dress in normal barber attire. Mr. George's is literally just around the corner from the spot where Gentlemen's Top Cuts will be. Since my makeover, I've been going back to Stacey Handel at Garde Bien every month for a haircut. In fact, I'm scheduled for one on Wednesday.

The prices at Gentlemen's Top Cuts are steep. Who will pay $100 for the "King Treatment?" A $20 regular haircut there is called the "Wimpy Cut." Is it named after Popeye's friend? Probably not. The "Top Cut" will be $45 and will include a neck massage and a shampoo to wash away all those annoying little hairs. The neck massage was also a feature at Shear Pleasure. It was okay but what has really spoiled me are the post-haircut shampoos at Garde Bien. I no longer have to wear my "special haircut shirt," which has an eyeball bending black and white design that would hide both the dark and the not-so-dark hairs that fell on my shoulders.

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3 Comments:

Blogger Barry said...

Well, I was already devising ways in my head to explain to my wife why I need to go to the "Gentlemen's Top Cuts" for a haircut (research? convenience? lost my way looking for Nixon's?) but then I read what they charge and suddenly lost interest. I can go back to SuperCuts then go home and let the cat crawl around my neck while I watch for Victoria Secrets commercials and save a bunch of money....

12/10/2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Geez Frank, over $30 for a haircut? Perhaps you're not as frugal as you let on! See you in the morning!

12/10/2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am not sure if they are only offering haircuts. Check this You Tube Ad out. What does this have to with a haircut??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOOu1wMt70o

2/06/2008  

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