CHATS WITH YOUR BARBER

Words Louis Beneventi

@louisbeneventi

“I’ve always wanted to try a skin fade, but I worry I don’t have the shape of head for it.”

“I’m too big for this hairstyle.”

“I don’t want to look too much like a ‘Preppy…’”

These are phrases I hear on the daily, and I’m often stood there thinking, “mate, just go for it.” But then I often have to remember, I seem to be in the minority of people my age who just don’t give a shit what people think.

I often sit and listen to conversations with my friends and think, who cares what some people think? Now, I know that’s easy for me to say. But self-esteem in modern society seems to be something in short-supply. Hell, there’s the odd time I spiral, but as a bloke, it’s difficult to talk about these things with people.

I sat in a beautiful bar the other night. The decor was smoky, and there was a modern wood finish. The booths, a rich and dark leather, with large panoramic windows overlooking Canary Wharf, and Central London glittering in the distance. It’s a far cry from my usual haunts around Camden Town, but was beautifully situated a hop, skip and a jump away on the Jubilee Line. I was meeting my friend for a drink, and we were having a catch-up. She’s an excellent photographer who is aiming for huge heights, and she’ll get there. NYC is calling her name. The niceties were exchanged, and we discussed a lot of things. She was a sommelier at one point, so I was educated on what makes certain wines so good and others not so much. I couldn’t help but make a little dig and ask where Echo Falls ranks. Never ask someone who knows their wines that. Some advice I’ll be giving my children –alongside always saying yes when someone offers you a drink at the bar. I’ll have to write a piece where we go into that in more detail.

Anyway, I digress. The evening went on as you’d expect it to. More wine, more conversation, and of course, me being that incredibly annoying friend. Before long, we got onto the topic of Love Island. Now, I’m an eternally single man who lives alone (It’s February, ladies and my socials are my name *cough*). I have never had to, nor do I want to watch it. I can see all I want from it on Maya Jama’s Instagram. But we got talking about insecurities. Now, of course, I will not divulge what my friend spoke about. It’s not my place to do so. But she did ask me about mine.

Men’s insecurities go under the radar. It’s great to see so many guys out there starting to get help and to build a strong support network, but I still find so many fellas out there really struggling with talking. Hell, even though I said I don’t care what people think anymore, I know I still have my insecurities. I write about them, process them, and find a way to contend with them, mainly by hoping that people are reading it and realising that they aren’t alone. My coping mechanism just happens to be that I'm hilarious. Sorry, guys.

But there are so many out there who don’t have their processes, and I can always tell if it’s eating them up. Being a barber, it comes up in conversation, and I’m incredibly grateful to the fellas who do feel comfortable to open up to me. It’s a very personal service and craft for me, and often hearing guys speak about the hair styles we mentioned above are what triggers me. I often go with “Why not?” Especially if they could 100% rock the trim, the same as I’d advise against it if it doesn’t fit and someone asks for me to do a mullet (No seriously, they’re the bane of my life. They’re a Balenciaga-esque social experiment).

But what I’ve discovered over the past couple of years is that, if it does go wrong, it usually makes a great story, and to care less what people think. I’m not going to preach like a millionaire mindset Instagram page. The only thing that me and them have in common is that we’re flat broke and writing things in our pants. But you do you king. People want to laugh at you and see you fail, but you’ll be alright.

I mean look at me. My A-Level results sound like an STD and somehow, I’m writing this article for a pretty damn good place. You’ll get there, kings. Short, round, lanky or skinny, you’ll get there. Just don’t get a mullet. They’re stupid.

With You All The Way

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Words Beth Bennett

Imagery Courtesy Of Bacchus Agency

Nestled along the banks of the River Cam, resides the latest in Graduate’s college inspired luxury hotels. Wrapped in the cooling Pantone colour of Cambridge Blue, the hotel boasts an impressive, experiential homage to an institution of British heritage.

With architecture and decor inspired by the world-famous academic institutions in its home bases, Graduate Hotels has established a name for itself across the United States for taking the risk of exclusively residing in college towns. Each Graduate hotel immerses itself in the culture of a different college, from Berkeley, California to Charlottesville, Virginia, every hotel is an impressive feat of high-end, sleek, individuality.

Now, Graduate has embarked across the Atlantic and settled into historic towns in the UK, specifically, Cambridge.

Nestled against the scenic banks of the River Cam, Graduate Cambridge is bracketed by several of the University of Cambridge colleges, as well as being within a walking distance of the city’s best restaurants, bars, and shops. The 148-room hotel boasts designs that incorporate the iconic history of the city, as well as taking inspiration with colour palettes, patterns, and textures found in the pastoral English countryside.

Throughout, the rooms are splashes of that infamous Cambridge Blue, bedside built-ins reimagined as punting boats, whimsical lamps in the shape of a penny coin, and also, those striking dark wood and leather textures to add the weight of heritage within.

Though these may seem gauche in their inclusion, it’s important to note that whilst this may be an immersive stay, part of what makes Graduate such a superb hotelier is the ability to keep every execution feeling high-end, avoiding a descent into tacky or distasteful. Each area of the Graduate Cambridge is carefully curated to ensure a sophisticated and elegant experience whilst honouring the roots of one England’s most prolific institutions. graduatehotels.com

NOTES FROM THE NEIGHBOURHOOD: