February 27, 2012 | Men's Life Today
Adrian Armendariz from V’s River Oaks in Houston was quoted in this great article!
—
A custom-made suit will always fit better than anything off the rack. The same applies to your facial hair: You look better when your whiskers are groomed to fit your face shape. But, like a well-made ready-to-wear suit that looks pretty decent on most men, is there one facial hairstyle that brings out the best in almost every guy who wears it? To find out, we asked barbers across the country. Perhaps proving that there isn’t one universally flattering facial hair style, their responses were as diverse as their hometowns.
NORTHEAST: The Groomed Five O’clock Shadow
“Each man has his own style, and facial hair is a way to express that. Men grow facial hair differently too—some is coarser than others, some is finer. Some faces are more pronounced than others, creating shadows and spots that may not look great with a beard. But if I had to choose, I’d say the groomed five o’clock shadow is the safest bet. The style is professional enough for work. Plus, you can have a clean-shaven face in the morning and a shadow by night, creating a different look. As for a beard, goatee or mustache, you might not have enough facial hair growth or the right dimensions to pull it off.”
—Manuel Vazquez of American Shave Classic Barber in Union, N.J.
MIDWEST: The Full Beard
“The one style that works for most men is a full beard, whether it be scruff or the ‘I just got done hiking the Alps’ look. It looks classy when your beard is groomed, rugged when unkempt. It can really make a man look distinguished and it can sometimes age a baby face. Guys that have patchy beards should keep them short and tidy to give a fuller appearance.”
—Shawna Carter of State Street Barbers in Chicago, Ill.
WEST: The Style That Squares
“It’s always best to choose a beard style that best fits your face shape. A square face shape is the most ideal and desired shape. For men with square faces, the choices are endless. For those who don’t have a square face, the goal is to choose a beard style that helps to square the face so it gives the illusion that they do. This will be different for every face shape.”
—Craig the Barber of Gornik & Drucker barbershop in Beverly Hills, Calif.
SOUTHWEST: A Mustache
“After surveying our team of barbers, the vote came back unanimously for the mustache. We all agreed that the mustache (well-groomed, of course) represents a sense of style, confidence, security, strength and distinction. Just consider Clark Gable, Billy Dee Williams, Tom Selleck, Salvador Dali, Burt Reynolds, Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin.”
—Christopher Dickerson, president of Christopher’s Vintage Shave in Sugar Land, Texas
… Or a Goatee
“A well-trimmed, well-managed goatee looks good on every man—as long as you choose a goatee style that’s a good fit for your face. Some goatees may be fuller, thicker or longer than others, but the key is how it’s kept up. I find that most men take better care of a goatee than a full beard or just a mustache. You can’t grow it and ignore it.”
—Adrian Armendariz of V’s Barbershop in Houston, Texas
SOUTHEAST: No One Style Works for All
“There’s not one facial hairstyle that looks good on every man, because every man’s facial hair differs. Some hair is coarse and stiff, some is curly, some grows in spotty.
The style that’s the most flattering on an individual is the one that’s contoured to the man’s face; is neat and linear; and compliments the natural flow of the man’s cheekbone, jawline or lip structure.”
—James B. Kynes Jr., Kings of Atlanta Grooming Lounge & Spa in Atlanta, Ga.
View original article » 0 Comments | Filed under:
February 14, 2012 | Current in Fishers
Business Name: V’s Barbershop
Owners: Chad Renbarger, Bryan Wade
Location: 11687 Olio Rd., Fishers
Phone: 845-8122
E-mail: vbarbershopfishers@yahoo.com
Web: www.vbarbershop.com
Hours:
Monday-Friday: 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
What inspired you to open your business?
There are the old-fashioned barbershops that have just gone away, where father and son would spend a Saturday with each other. Most of us that grew up remember that’s where you hung out with your dad while he got a shoe shine and a haircut. There is just nothing like that anymore. We both fell in love with the concept and looked at different types of models, and thought it was a great fit.
What are the trends in your industry?
We’re just trying to get back to where you’re not rushed while you’re getting a haircut. You want to go somewhere where you’re treated like a friend, and not just a customer. You’re using the chair for a haircut for 30 minutes. It takes time and brings back a quality of service you can’t get at other places. There are places where women can be treated like a woman, but there are no places where guys can get treated like a guy. We wanted to change that.
How do you differ from your competitors?
All of our guys in the shop are barbers. We don’t have stylists. They’ve had longer training on guys’ hair, and all have experience with a straightedge razor. In the time we take to cut hair and serve someone, it’s an atmosphere where a kid can come in and play shuffleboard and basketball with their dad. We get kids that come in after school all the time and hang out.
Do you have a mentor and who is it?
We don’t really have a mentor. My mom was a stylist. You could say it was the guy who started the franchise. We wanted to do what he did, here in Fishers.
What are your goals for this year?
We want to continue to get our name out there. We’re still getting so many new customers that never knew we were here. Everyone keeps telling us they don’t get it until they see it. It’s kind of hard to put in a print ad, or to describe. Until you experience it, it’s hard to explain, especially for younger kids that never got that kind of experience. We want to bring in new clients and continue the quality of service. We have meetings every week with the barbers and shoe shine guys in order to further improve the quality of the shop’s experience. We try to remember our customers’ names until we can get used to it, and hopefully remember their names by the second or third time they come in. We’re very dedicated to our customers.
View original article » 0 Comments | Filed under:
February 7, 2012 | Hoboken Patch
V’s Barbershop will open at 1114 Washington Street sometime in the spring.
Coming this spring, a new barbershop will recreate an old feel. National chain V’s Barbershop will open its 16th and first east coast location at 1114 Washington Street.
Jamie Emma, owner of the Hoboken franchise, said the shop will set to recreate the feel of a classic barbershop with renovated vintage seats and services such as shoe shines and hot lather shaves. Emma said he hopes the location will serve as a gathering spot for regulars and neighbors to talk sports and other things, and also a place where fathers can bond with sons.
“We want that father and son experience,” Emma said. “This is where a son can feel like a big boy.”
The chain began in Arizona in 1999 when founder Jim Valenzuela wanted to give his young son that very same bonding experience. The first V’s Barbershop was followed by several more locations in Arizona, as well as in California, Washington, Texas, Missouri and Indiana.
Like Valenzuela, Emma is not a barber by trade. He owned an IT consulting business catering to the pharmaceutical industry.
He came to discover V’s Barbershop by chance. He was in Arizona, jointly for business and to also visit relatives, when he asked his in-laws where he could get a haircut before a big meeting. They suggested he visit V’s.
“I walked in and saw what they were going for, trying to recreate an old fashioned barbershop from New York,” Emma said. “I said let me bring this back to where this concept was born.”
Emma grew up in New Jersey and visited Hoboken often, including working at the Johnny Rockets diner. He said he is happy to open his classic themed barbershop in a particularly historic stretch of Washington Street, sandwiched between longtime businesses Giorgio’s Bakery and Biancamano’s Deli. Eighty year old Schnackenberg’s Luncheonette is also on the street.
“I’m thrilled with the location,” Emma said. “You just feel like this is where you want this place be.”
Emma said he expects to open in the spring after renovating the vacant space. He plans to hire five barbers and one shoe shine attendant, and is in the process of interviewing applicants.
“The barbers are going to run the shop,” Emma said. He added that he’s looking for barbers with the right character to develop close relationships with customers.
Prices at V’s Barbershop will run $25 for adults, $16 for children and $17 for seniors. Police officers, firefighters and veterans can get an additional 20% off, and Emma said the shop will also offer discounts to father and son combinations of all ages.
View original article » 0 Comments | Filed under:
News
February 3, 2012 | ESPN
When you can’t get away for the little things like getting a haircut, sometimes on the PGA Tour, the barber comes to you.
View original article » 0 Comments | Filed under:
