Metrosexual makeover for Pak men
■ At the ‘ Men’s’ salon, customers fork out a minimum of 1,400 `
Islamabad, Feb. 22: Nails are buffed, blackheads scrubbed and coffee sipped to the sound of clipping scissors inside the “Men’s” salon in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, where a growing number of male patrons are set on revamping their style. Deeply conservative Pakistan has strict notions of masculinity where men are often expected to be austere and flamboyant styling is to be avoided. But savvy entrepreneurs in urban centres have latched on to a new metrosexual trend: male beauty salons.
While women in urban Pakistan have long enjoyed access to the care of beauticians and stylists, expensive facials and mani- pedis for men are becoming more common as disposable incomes in the nation’s swelling middle class grow — per capita income jumped by 6.4 percent in 2017.
A vibrant social media culture has also fuelled the desire to be selfieready at any time, with influencers like Adnan Malik and Osman Khalid Butt attracting hundreds of thousands of followers online with their fashion- conscious posts.
At Tauseeq Haider’s “Men’s” salon, customers usually fork out a minimum of ` 1,400 ($ 12.60) for a visit — a far cry from the ` 200 spent at traditional barber shops.
“Men have equal right to be groomed and times have changed. It’s no more just getting your haircut,” says Haider.
“Senior citizens, bureaucrats, they don’t feel ashamed of saying that I need a facial, massage, my nails need to be done, please suggest what should I get,” he adds.
In rural Pakistan, men have traditionally taken their fashion tips from Islamic dictates, with the Koran.