What is Precision Haircutting?
A hairstyle is an incredibly important part of a person’s identity. It impacts how we perceive ourselves, and how others perceive us, and it might be critical to our livelihood. These factors make the quality of a given haircut service important, especially for those looking for a gender-affirming haircut.
Haircuts that complement the client’s head and face are achieved through precision haircutting. This form of haircutting uses scissors and specific cuts to achieve an easy-to-maintain look that any client will enjoy. However, modern forms of haircutting only took shape relatively recently, and many of them were not so welcoming.
While the precision scissor haircuts offered by the Mailroom Barber Co. are available to anyone, the services of the past were not so welcoming.
A Brief History of Haircutting
Haircutting has existed since humans first began styling their hair for fashion or function. For centuries, hairstyles allowed the upper class to differentiate themselves based on politics, occupation, religion, race, and more. Fancy wigs and expensive hairstyling, like those popular in the 1700s, were often an indication of wealth and status.
During the Middle Ages, barbers were far more than hairstylists. The Worshipful Company of Barbers served as surgeons and dentists in addition to their work cutting, shaving, and styling hair. In the late 1800s, A.B. Moler established the first school for barbers in Chicago, with additional branches quickly spreading across the United States.
At this time haircutting was split into two camps: barbering, which focused on masculine haircuts, beard trims, shaving and short, cropped haircuts with clippers, and hairdressing, which focused on feminine haircuts, hair color, stylists, and layering with scissors. The exclusivity of haircutting led to gatekeeping and closely guarded secrets as the hairstyles popular at the time required extensive care and weekly visits to the salon.
It wasn’t until Vidal Sassoon introduced his geometric precision haircutting style in 1954 that haircutting took on the modern form we see today. Vidal took inspiration from the Bauhaus, a German design school of the 1920s, to create aesthetically pleasing geometric shapes that complemented his client's bone structure and face. Sassoon believed hair should be ‘Material in motion,’ and maintain shape without constant upkeep.
His techniques spread like wildfire, liberating women from the weekly ritual of curlers and salon visits and inspiring a new wave of haircutting worldwide. By creating precision haircutting, he has inspired many to challenge their perceptions of what a haircut should entail.
The Advancement of Precision Haircutting
Precision haircutting took another leap forward when Menspire founders Josh Lamonaca and Charlie Gray took their knowledge of hairdressing and applied it to barbering to create a uniquely gender-neutral hair-cutting experience where barbers or hairdressers have a full array of tools to create their client’s look. Their techniques and ideas have influenced shops worldwide.
Most notably, Robert Watkins, the founder of The Mailroom Barber Co., received hands-on training and private mentorship from one the Menspire founders, Charlie Gray, as well as Peter Gosling, founder of Glassbox Barbershop. Robert also furthered his knowledge on the techniques of Vidal Sassoon in London, where he was able to develop his cutting system through this world-class training.
Robert’s mentors imparted valuable skills to him in shop management and education, which he has passed on to his staff and others through his classes. The Mailroom Barber Co. has taken these ideals of freedom of expression and imparted them into their services to create an open, welcoming environment for all clients. Whatever the client requests, whether that be a masculine, feminine, or non-binary haircut, can be achieved with the precision hairstyling employed by our barbers.
While a traditional barbershop might have carried an image of a service intended exclusively for men in the past, The Mailroom Barber Co. is creating a place where everyone is welcome. We believe that a Greenville barbershop should welcome everyone, including our friends in the LGBTQ+ community, with an experience tailored to someone’s unique form of expression. Our services like shear and scissor haircuts, beard trims, blonding services, and straight razor shaves, are open to everyone looking for a nice barbershop in Greenville.
Robert intends to further advance precision haircutting by passing his ideals and knowledge on to as many haircutters as possible so can help their clients feel proud of their hair.
About The Mailroom Barber Co
If you’re looking for a nice barbershop in Greenville, we welcome you to come to visit us. Our team of experienced barbers would love to welcome you to our shop and provide you with an exceptional haircut. Our team will take the time to understand your needs and desires and provide services based on those needs in a relaxed environment.
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