CARDIFF SALON PUTS THE CHOP ON GENDER PRICING
WALES’ first hair salon with gender-neutral pricing has opened its doors in Cardiff. Rather than offering the traditional male and female pricing, customers at Chair Salons on Whitchurch Road will pay based on the length of their hair.
Leading hair stylist Casey Coleman said conversations would be free of “gender bias” at his salon, which opened on Wednesday.
The former British Hairdressing Awards finalist said he has moved away from the “outdated” system to welcome people “of all genders, ages, persuasions and communities”.
Casey, 30, said: “There’s no such thing as a man’s haircut or a woman’s haircut. In 2018, the idea is totally outdated, it’s unfair and it’s prejudiced.
“If you’re a woman who likes her hair short, you shouldn’t have to pay more than the man having an identical cut in the next chair, because the ‘ladies cut’ costs up to £40 more. We’ll only look at you for your suitability, not how old you are or what gender you are.”
Customers at Chair will pay based on how long their hair is, with cuts above the ear starting at £27.50 and £35 for hair that falls below the ear.
Casey said all aspects of the salon will be gender-neutral, from the way customers are addressed to the magazines.
“We won’t tell somebody that a hairstyle would make them look too feminine or too masculine,” he said.
“Women have also traditionally been seen as being more prepared to spend money on how they look, so there’s been a disparity in how they’re talked to about their appearance. That’s not the case any more.
“We’re not going to assume anybody wants to look a certain way.
“Even down to the magazines we offer, we’ll make sure that customers have access to representations of beauty that do not conform to stereotypes.”
Casey has worked at London Fashion Week and was crowned “The Visionary” at The It List hairdressing awards last year.
He said he wants everyone to feel comfortable booking an appointment at his salon.
“I’m from the LGBT community and I want to encourage people of all ages, backgrounds and communities to feel welcome here.
“Whoever you are, coming here will feel more like being backstage at a fashion show, and I want everyone to feel a part of that.”
He added: “I’m also going to make it my mission to halt the trend for the beige bob.
“I’d say 95% of women over the age of 40 are walking around with the look.
“I want to see more people in their 70s and 80s with electric blue hair! Not because it’s crazy or out there, but simply because they want to.”