The Undercroft Barbershop
Organic, gluten-free hair cuts in the heart of Kitsilano? The Undercroft Barbershop colours in the hip-and-happening barbershop void in a Vancouver neighbourhood that’s community-minded and values inclusivity.
In the last decade, modern man-den style barbershops have been popping up everywhere. You know, have a beer, watch the game, lower your ears — the concept has become about as cutting edge as beer in your shampoo. The Undercroft Barbershop sidelines the man-den stigma with a clean design aesthetic, full-service salon capabilities, and a pride sticker on the door declaring all humans welcome.
And it gets better. If you are lucky enough to book a hair cut with Marshall Vandierland, you can expect to learn a ton about the boundaries and limits of your mop. Here is how it went for me:
My Stats
Age: 43
Sex: Barely…I mean male
Follicular Endowment: Fine, dirty blonde hair with receding hairline
Facial Growth: Dirty blonde stubble-beard with grey salty patches
If you are reading my stats and thinking, I bet he is self-conscious about hair loss, you’d be right. But pump the brakes a bit, no person escapes the sands of time.
When I asked Marshall about my options he offered up a direct and knowledgeable answer. With thin and wispy hair, use a blow dryer. Hot air thickens up your strands. He went on a bit of a tangent about how so many people neglect the blow dryer and choose to step outside looking like swim club just wrapped. We decided on a tight fade on the sides with a slight clean up on the top. My brambly ear and eyebrow hair aka Cronkite’s were trimmed away without making me feel like Chewbacca, and my neck hair was reasonably straight-bladed into submission. I didn’t go for the shave, but imagine it would be a smooth operation.
After the cut was a shampoo and head/neck massage. A word to the wise: DO NOT OPT OUT OF THIS SERVICE. Ten minutes of bliss. Seriously, the best head/neck massage of my life.
What I loved most about the entire experience was that I didn’t feel like I had to constantly come up with things to talk about. Had I not been gathering info for this piece, I would have felt comfortable just kicking back and letting the hair fall where it may, perhaps with a cappuccino.
If you are into having a good conversation with your barber, here are few things Marshall loves about the Kits neighbourhood — you know, to get things started.
Marshall Vanierland’s Kitsilano
BRUNCH SPOT: Fable! The French toast is incredible.
DRINK: The Bimini.
CAFE: Sophie’s Cosmic Cafe, of course!
DATE NIGHT: Anna Lena.
KITSILANO GEM: Turf, awesome coffee and workout spot.
