Went down to the barber shop over the weekend and usually it would be simple – I would say Spanish! And off the barber would go, with the electrical hair trimmer – nothing more said. My first barber was Ali.
He had a place at ‘Top Shop’ in Raiwaqa more than 20 years ago. After he passed I moved around barber shops depending on convenience, until I found a better barber on Marks Street that cost me $7 for a Spanish.
Last Saturday, I thought of trying a young barber on Robertson Rd after my initial barber did not show.
He asked me whether I wanted a Taper Fade and Zero Fade hairstyle. I was confused! I asked: What the heck is that?
He pointed to the wall which had a photo of male model with a Johnny Bravo hairstyle trimmed very short on the side.
“No I don’t want a flower vase on my head,” I told him. But he insisted: “It will suit you I tell, I trim it neatly,” he said. Or you could wait for uncle,” he said signaling with a nod to an older barber. I looked over and saw men in their 50s and 60s waiting in uncle’s line.
He was older and would know a lot about Spanish cut. But I was in a rush so I said ‘what the heck’. “Ok I’ll try it,” I agreed. That hair cut cost me $14. It took twice as long as my usual haircut because of extra costs for trimming down my overgrown beard.
While cutting my hair the barber told me he was from Savusavu, schooled by friends in this business. He travelled with other barbers to Suva to open a business. “On a good day I can make $240 and the majority of customers prefer fade haircuts. I specialise in fade hairstyles.
I learnt from the best and I have the different tools to cut the job. “I’ve been here for two years and Suva is good for business. A lot of young and old customers choose this new fade hairstyle which costs a little more than the usual trim uncle does,” the 27-year-old said.
When I walked out of the shop my 19-year-old daughter gave me a look of surprise. With a simple gesture, like simply moving her girly eyes, I knew it meant “what happened to the Spanish style you usually choose? I just said just ‘let’s go!’
Even my wife was stated: “Who are you trying to impress,” she quipped. Her remarks are usually on the border line of good or bad. In my defense I replied: The trimmer slipped and the barber had to do something new.
“Well it slipped he right way you look good,” she said I said: phew! I came home that day with a Zero Fade hairstyle and I’ve never paid so much for a haircut before. The new look caught everyone’s attention at home and soon my peers – some more jealous than others but all in all – I say you either stay with the time, or grow with the times.
Being old school makes me accustomed to a certain way of how things should be done from clothes to music, my beliefs and appearances. Just as my parents debated that their music of the 60s was the best — I prefer my music of the 80s and 90s.
Hip-Hop such as Tupac, Bone Thugs & Harmony and Biggie, Madonna, Goo Dolls, TLS, MLTR will remain infinite classics forever. Not forgetting country music legends such as Kenny Rogers, Willy Nelson and Dolly Parton.
Every generation has its own preferences for food, clothing and appearance. We all know fashion trends evolve. Gone are the days of pato (bare feet) because shoe-shops being more accessible than before.
Button trousers with loose calves have evolved to skinny-fit pants with a zipper. And docksides to sneaker shoes. And like everything else, hairstyles too evolve, that’s why more barber shops have emerged.
Hopefully when I do come to my full-turn in life around 70 years old, there will still be a barber around to give me a Spanish haircut – that’s if I don’t go bald. Just think about the next generation of grandpas, who are the youngsters of today.
Funny imagining a grandpa in the year 2050 with zero fade haircut, skinny jeans, tight fitting shirt and white sneakers — funky grandpa indeed!
I know my tavale who follows my articles will be reading this so I say to him – You may be right if you say I could choose a more pressing topic or issue to talk about — such as people in the world suffering without food and crumbling financial economies. But tavale this story is based on a new growing culture.
And did you know if the economy is strong and national income is high, fashion flourishes tavale!. And tavale before you fade away in this life please try a fade hairstyle, we can both be funky grandpas together.
Majority of barbers in Fiji learn with experience on the job. I don’t know of a school for local barbers in Fiji because so far most barbers learn better for free with the worldwide web / YouTube free videos. No one would ask the barber for his qualification.
Customers like me just take a seat, give instructions and hope for the best. Compared to lawyers, accountants, journalists or engineers, barbers are what I called uncertified but very skilled specialists that almost everyone needs. Unless you’re bald for life or own a trimmer.
All it takes is a business license, the necessary documentation and skill-sets to open a barber shop in Fiji.
History about fade
It’s interesting to know that according to www.ebony.com/ history-fade-haircut the fade hairstyles originated in the US military around the ‘40s and ‘50s known for having strict grooming standards.
It is no surprise to learn that the fade haircut was and still is popular among military men, as the harsh lines and angles signaled you meant business. Have a look at this website https://hairstylecamp.com/ for images The website explains that new times usher in new trends.
Over the decades, black folks experimented with different hairstyles, whether it was the afro or the infamous Jheri curl.
By the time the mid-80s rolled around, a reworked, edgier version of the fade was emerging thanks to Black barbers.
It would soon become a standard in hip-hop culture during its golden era. So next time you visit your local barber I’m sure you’ll have a lot to talk about.
It will be intresting to hear their side of the story of how they all had to adjust to this new fade hairstyles evolution to keep with the times.
