The Grooming Guys Blog

How Often Do You Really Notice A Man's Shoes?

In one of the great movies of all time, The Shawshank Redemption, unfairly incarcerated Andy DuFrane escapes Shawshank Penitentiary wearing the Warden's Classic Wing Tips. His struts past the guards with footwear unnoticed because as he says... "how often do you really notice a man's shoes?".

While we agree with pretty much every philosophy of Mr. DuFrane's, we certainly take issue with his take on footwear.  Sure, you might not notice a guys kicks in the Big House, but in the big city it's another matter all together. Shoes say a lot about the gentlemen and can make or break a suit or outfit.

To that end, we sat down with our Grooming Lounge D.C. Shineologist (he brightens the boots of D.C.'s big shots), Mr. Clarence Nixon, to get his tips on how to purchase and take care of foot wear:

• GOTTA' BUY COMFORT: Of course they have to look good, but if they aren't comfortable, don't buy them. Rigid shoes will take their toll on your feet and will eventually gather dust in your closet.
• TREES OF LIFE: They don't cost a lot, but shoe trees can double the lifespan of your footwear. Buy several sets and pop them in your shoes whenever you aren't wearing them.  They will help keep the original form.
• ROTATE: You change your clothing daily, but few men change their shoes.  Get a shoe rotation going to keep style fresh and to reduce the number of shines needed.
• THE 7X RULE: Get your shoes cleaned/polished up at least once after every seven times wearing them. They need attention just like anything else.
• SOCK IT TO 'EM: Socks should match your pants... not your shoes. Clarence has seen this rule broken many, many times.
• COBBLE, COBBLE: A good Cobbler can do wonders for a favorite pair of shoes.  Before tossing a classic set, see if a real pro can simply replace the heal or insole.

Thanks for visiting www.groominglounge.com. Now shoe!

That's Quite A "Counter Offer"

We don't want to seem small time, but at the end of the day us Grooming Guys know that it's the details that make the difference. It's the little things our guests notice, or don't notice, that make us stand out and makes them tell their comrades they should give the Grooming Lounge a shot.

To that end, we've recently undertaken a slow and steady remodeling process at our flagship D.C. store.  Now don't get us wrong, this store is a beaut.  That said, it's a TITAN in the men's grooming industry, a store that is humming opening to close and has had its doors open for nearly six years.  That's a lot of haircuts, shaves, massages, business manicures and more.  And with that comes a little scuffing of the wood, nicking of the floors, scratching of the paint. The worn and weathered look just doesn't fit with our brand.

So, we're stepping it up in a bunch of areas over the coming months and step #1 was to redo our barber counters in the D.C. barbershop.  While wood has been there previously, we decided to put in black granite to upgrade the vibe and match the counters at our Virginia and Atlanta outposts.  That's where we ran into a problem (it's been fixed, so don't you worry).

Seems the people at the counter top joint (who won't be named unless they refuse to touch up the things they said they would), didn't think any of the following items were necessary when installing said granite:

• Covering the store to account for the massive amount of dust that comes with sawing a counter top.
• Neatly placing and replacing the bevy of items that rest on the counter top (hot towel cabinets, hot lather machines, barbicide jars).
• That if you bump a counter top into glass mirrors they will break and that it's pretty tough to cut a man's hair without a mirror.

Needless to say, it wasn't a pretty site when we opened Monday morning to dust, broken glass, no mirrors and worse.  But, as the true team we are, all pitched in and other than a few paint chips here and there (which will be fixed this weekend), the Flagship is looking better than ever.

Thanks for listening... and if you're reading this To-Be-named Counter tops, you're on four days notice.

Go groom yourself.

Will The Real Molton Brown Product Please Stand Up

The brilliant folks at Molton Brown have done it again.  A few weeks ago they introduced their latest innovations, a new lineup of hair care products for men.  Consisting of some shampoos, conditioners and styling products, these items continue the company's mission of introducing ahead-of-the-pack products with nature-friendly ingredients.  They also continue the company's history of introducing products with really odd names.

Just how different are these names you ask?  Test yourself below by I.D.ing the four actual Molton Brown products.  As for the others... we had a few extra minutes in the office:

1. Exploding Dragonfly Hair Pomade
2. Radiant Lili-Pili Hairwash
3. Refreshing Cumulus Cloud Hair Condition
4. Pure Tag-Ur-It Hair Puddy
5. Defining Caju Hair-Texture
6. Explosive Sammi-Dammi Balding Shampoo
7. Purifying Plum-Kadu Hairwash
8. Extreme Peek-Aboo Shampoo

Get answers to the above mysteries at the Molton Brown Brand Page.