While some barber shops are open to cutting men’s and women’s hair and many barbers have training in how to handle both men’s and women’s styles, the barber world has long been a boys club. Staying on top of men’s modern hairstyles is an important part of staying competitive. Many shops strive to emulate classic looks and pull their customers back to a different era, but for others, learning how to handle modern trends is an important part of running their business.
That may become more difficult as a new trend in men’s hair seems to be moving away from the clean cut styles offered by many barbershops towards a more wild look. It all started with the man bun craze, a hair trend that became popular in the millennial community last year in response to a variety of celebrities sporting long luscious locks tied into easily managed buns.
As more and more men began growing their hair longer for the first time, shops began experimenting with handling the haphazard hairdos. Undercuts, shaved parts, and long topped pompadours came back into style, allowing men to maintain clean cut style while keeping part of their hair long enough for a bun.
However, as more men have become familiar with the bun, experimenting with more complicated braids has become common in men’s hair. Men wanting to keep their hair long but still looking for a new look have gravitated towards intricate plaits and elaborate french braids to accentuate their bun.
Long haired celebrities like Jared Leto and singer Harry Styles have all been seen sporting braided looks over the past year, and a series of pictures recently went viral on a variety of different outlets showing off several braided looks for men. Braiding is not necessarily a normal part of a barber’s regular skill set. Brushing up on and experimenting with braiding techniques could have a huge impact on a shop’s success in the coming year.