Good Stuff Cheap: three genuine refuges where guys can get their groom on—cheaply
HAIRCUT
Blood and Bandages, $22
This two-chair shop is a dude sanctuary with nary a Vogue to be found (reading material tends to be of The World’s Most Powerful Handguns and Rifles variety). Owner Roger Janes snips lids by moving between clippers and scissors—he’s never done a full clipper cut, saying, “It’s kind of a lazy way to cut hair.” Fellas get inspiration from the wall of old-timey hair-model portraits or just straight-up ask for the Don Draper style that’s ubiquitous these days.
932 College St., 416-357-9178.
MANICURE
Truefitt and Hill, $22
Head to this bastion of butch, complete with antique barber chairs and mahogany floors, for a male mani. Staff buff your nails and then use a fragrance-free Gehwol cream for a hand and forearm massage. No flowery scents, and the only polish here is for shoes. But hey, it’s 2011—being well groomed isn’t a crime.
40 King St. W., 416-214-4646, plus one other location.
SHAVE
Joseph Hairstyle, $18
A luxuriant straight-razor shave is yours for less than the price of
a pack of high-tech razors. After 51 years in the same Summerhill location, even with the same chairs, the eponymous Joseph and his brothers offer shaves your grandfather had—steamy towel, hot foam and a pleasant barbershop chat about real estate prices included.
1204 Yonge St., 416-967-3998.
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