City Style: The Breakdown: $300 Haircuts
As anyone who’s ever been suckered into getting the “Rachel” can attest, a good haircut is transformative; a bad one nothing less than tragic. “Let’s face it,” says Luis Alvarez, a nationally renowned stylist who’s mentored many of Newbury’s best. “A haircut is not a shirt. You’re stuck with it.” But as prices in Boston surpass the GDP of some small nations, we’re prompted to wonder: Smart investment? Or total insanity?
As anyone who’s ever been suckered into getting the “Rachel” can attest, a good haircut is transformative; a bad one nothing less than tragic. “Let’s face it,” says Luis Alvarez, a nationally renowned stylist who’s mentored many of Newbury’s best. “A haircut is not a shirt. You’re stuck with it.” But as prices in Boston surpass the GDP of some small nations, we’re prompted to wonder: Smart investment? Or total insanity?
The snipping point: Simply put, the most popular cutters can command the most money. “When a stylist is consistently booked, it’s time to raise prices,” says Alvarez. “Some clients will immediately go elsewhere. Others will be grateful they can finally get an appointment.” Hiking rates is also a way to obtain the choicest clientele. “The most desirable customers are those who are willing to invest in appearance, as they reflect the stylist’s work best,” Alvarez adds.
Buying time: A salon owner can either charge $20 and whip through a cut in 10 minutes, or $120 and devote much more. Many of Boston’s better-known pros—including Jeffrey Dauksevich of Umi Salon and Michael Albor of the Loft—can spend up to two hours on a cut; they also sideline as consultants, educators, and stylists on photo shoots (disclosure: Albor is a regular stylist for this magazine). The more in demand a hairdresser is, the more his time is worth.
All the trimmings: Besides the actual cut, in many cases you’re also paying for the experience: a comfortable setting, high-end products, a friendly or even downright doting staff. In Umi’s minimalist foyer overlooking Newbury Street (where salon rents can run, on average, $6,000 a month), patrons-in-waiting sip Italian sparking water while flipping through European fashion magazines. As owner Dauksevich—whose $300 haircut is this article’s titular head-turner—says, “I’m not going to buy Dove soap for my clients to wash their hands with.”
Class consciousness: At Umi, the staffers are required to take supplemental seminars, which can cost the salon as much as $60,000 a year. “You want someone who can grow with you,” says Alvarez. “In order to do that, he needs to keep learning.” You’re not only compensating your stylist for the education he has earned, but also investing in his education to come.
Buzz cut: The truth is, high prices can serve to generate attention and renewed interest. When Salon Mario Russo debuted at 9 Newbury Street in 1990 with haircuts that eventually climbed to $250, the fashionable crowd flocked. “People are always looking for the next hot thing,” says Albor. “They want to see for themselves: Is this guy really worth it?”