Mir Mangi | The Art of Shaving, Sherman Oaks

What kind of services do you offer?

We specialize in traditional shaves ($35) and The Royal Shave ($55), which is the most luxurious shave at our Barber Spa, as well as its signature treatment. It’s a hot towel, straight-razor shave performed by a master barber incorporating the finest products offered by The Art of Shaving.

What’s stylish now in facial hair?

The 5 o’clock “scruff” look is popular, but still requires a great grooming tool to keep the lines neat on the cheeks and neck area.

Is “men’s grooming” making a comeback?

Of course, the importance of a well-groomed man has definitely made a comeback. The vast array and variety of men’s grooming products is proof that men care about their looks just as much as women. And a woman cares about a man’s appearance just as much as she cares about her own. What woman doesn’t want their man well-groomed and polished?

Gary Karlich  Archie’s of Hollywood, Sherman Oaks

When did Archie’s leave Hollywood for the Valley?

Archie was the original owner, and the three of us (Nick, Carmen and myself) all worked for him in the shop on 7th & Alvarado in Hollywood. When he decided to sell the franchise, I bought this shop from him, but I never changed the name because we were always friends. I’ve been here 49 years—26 in Hollywood, 23 in Sherman Oaks.

What’s your specialty?

There’s no specialty in haircutting. The style changes every three or four years. It goes through cycles. We were doing the fade in 1969, then it went away, and now it’s back. Just like the flat top. There’s nothing new. It’s either long or it’s short or it’s the businessman’s haircut. I’ve had customers for 45 years, and I’m still giving them the same cut I gave them in 1968. They’re happy with it, and they look good when they leave. A haircut with shampoo is $19, and a shave is $12.

How do you stay so successful?

We’re a community place. Most of the people that live in the area come into the shop. We’ve never spent a dime on advertising. It’s all word-of-mouth.

Norma Perez  Sports Clips, Encino

Why do the barbers wear jerseys here?

Our motto here is: “Where men win.” We’re all about sports here. The waiting area has bleacher seating and a big-screen television that plays sports all the time. We have fathead murals on the walls and lots of sports memorabilia on display. The stylists wear sports jerseys, and the number on their backs represents the year they started working here. They decorate their stations to support their favorite teams.

What is this shop know for?

“The MVP” ($24). You get your haircut, but we also take you in the back and give you a nice, relaxing shampoo massage, and we give you a neck and shoulder massage when we get you back in the chair. The chairs are massaging you the whole time as well. We can also trim beards, but we don’t do shaves.

Any particular style that’s “in” right now?

A lot of guys come in and say they want to look like David Beckham. They want his little faux hawk. Cristiano Ronaldo is another big one. The Kid ‘n Play flat tops are coming back with a lot of the young basketball players. And the styles from movies like Gangster Squad are popular too, where the guys have the longer pompadour. We’re getting a lot of those.

Javier Van Huss  Floyd’s 99 Barbershop, Encino and Studio City

What brings clients to Floyd’s?

The name “barbershop” on the door draws mostly men. Haircuts for men are $24, and a shave is $27. But I’ve worked with entire families, from 2-year-olds right up to their grandparents.

Describe the vibe.

Floyd’s is an old-school barbershop with a new, rock ‘n’ roll twist. It’s fun. It’s loud. We have music posters—everything from Ozzy Osbourne to Mariah Carey—on the walls. And it’s very open. We do the regular stuff, but then we also do the mohawks and the pink hair.

What looks do most guys want to replicate these days?

Television drives the styles … Boardwalk Empire, Mad Men, Inglourious Basterds. We’re seeing a big resurgence of those types of “gentleman” haircuts. We got an email from the head trainer the other day saying, “Did you watch the Grammy’s? We’re going to have a lot of people coming in wanting to look like Mumford & Sons.”