Take the meteoric rise of the beard and man-bun in recent history not as a sign that men are giving up the fight against hair follicles, but as evidence that a greater attention to and variety in men's grooming has emerged. A little pampering and pride in appearance is what these three establishments offer, and men are more than ready to look and feel like a million bucks.
Jimmy's Barbershop
Jimmy's Barbershop in Allentown is owned by Jimmy Moyer and his wife, Rose, and recently opened a new location on Hamilton Street. Here you can get a haircut, a shoeshine and a hot towel shave, and guys love the old-school atmosphere and quality service.
Moyer started cutting hair on the side in the Navy when he was 17. After beauty school and 14 years in the salon business, he started to feel nostalgic for the classic midcentury barbershop scene and opened his own in West End Allentown in 2010.
Jimmy's has earned regulars who come in monthly and even weekly, folks who appreciate what Moyer calls “a dying art” performed by excellent barbers. “Everybody here does very articulate razor work, and has a passion for what they do,” he says.
Clients at Jimmy's come in for haircuts, sure, and beard maintenance, but also for throwbacks like the full shave and the shoeshine at the Hamilton location. “A shave takes a half hour, a shoeshine just a few minutes,” Moyer says. “They sit and relax for a little bit. A few minutes can do wonders.”
619 Hamilton St., Allentown | 610.351.4388526 N. St. Cloud St., Allentown | 610.841.4773jimmysbarbershopallentown.com
American Male
For a wider selection of services—literally from head to toe—American Male in Southside Bethlehem is a unique men's salon with a generous menu.
Owner Tom McCormack opened the place in 2005, before the area had taken off like it has: “You could probably play a full game of basketball on Third Street and not get hit,” he says.
Now they've got a clientele from youngsters to 85-year-olds coming from as far as Philadelphia and New Jersey to get a special kind of treatment they can't get anywhere else.
The salon offers haircuts, color and styling, hand and foot “detailing” (a euphemism you can probably decode) as well as massage and paraffin wax treatment. Anyone who works with his hands can enjoy the soothing and rejuvenating effect of the warm wax on sore muscles and tendons, especially in winter. Packages like the “Stress Relief” and “Quality Grooming Experience” really take the edge off a busy week.
People are what it's all about for McCormack, who retired from Western Electric as a senior manager in 2002. “I wanted to do something I knew nothing about,” he says of the career change that his four daughters told him was completely nuts. “Our clients are friends, part of the family. We enjoy being part of people's lives.”
316 E. 3rd St., Bethlehem | 610.625.4053 | americanmale.com
The Art of Shaving
Barbershops and salons are great for guys who want to take a time-out from life and get expert attention, but for those interested in stepping up their shaving regimen at home, The Art of Shaving has them covered.
Located inside the Lehigh Valley Mall for the past three years, this little shop is a candy store for the man who makes a ritual out of his time in front of the bathroom mirror. Their product line is designed for the smoothest, most comfortable shave imaginable, with pre-shave oil, shaving cream or soap and aftershave in a variety of warm and woodsy scents like sandalwood, lemon and lavender.
The shop is always manned by a shaving specialist whose aim is to help customers troubleshoot any shaving issues they may have, from bumps and breakouts to mastering the straight razor.
If you want to transition to the ever-so-manly badger hair brushes and a cake of shaving soap, there's a sink right in the store where you can learn how to whip up a rich lather. The Art of Shaving is also your stop for beard oil, trimmers and delicious rosemary shampoo—everything needed to look and smell damned good.
Lehigh Valley Mall | 610.231.0381 | theartofshaving.com
by Daisy Willis | Photography by Colin Coleman
