It’s that time of the month again… Well actually it’s been delayed for months but you can’t rock the dishevelled terrorist look forever. Eventually the time comes to be shorn. Previous hair reduction excursions have led me through the barber shops of Havelock Town and the scissors of La Passion, Sleek and Scissors salons have done their worst… or best. Having thus explored Havelock’s hairdressing scene I knew it was time to branch out. Not an easy step as I’d estimate 95% of my Colombo hair cuts have been administered within a 100 meters of Havelock Road. However, summoning up the courage to break with habit this time I ventured about a kilometre out of my Havelock town habitat to Trims at Pamankada. I have to say I was initially quite sceptical what do Pamankadaites know about hairdressing? Everyone knows Colombo 5 is the lock-chopping capital of the capital. Still on entering the little premise off Dutugemunu Street I was immediately reassured. The staff consisted largely of familiar faces from Havelock heavy weights – Sleek and Vajira. The interior too is basically Sleek circa the early 2000’s. There’s something relaxed and old school about the place- as Sleek and La Passion have expanded, opened new outlets and commercialized the personal touch has vanished from their service. At Trims they seem genuinely happy to see you and likely to remember your name.
The whole cutting shearing experience was more attentive and careful than my recent Havelock forays. Unusually the barber wasn’t distracted by either the television or his mobile phone and he made a real effort to keep everything the same length – straighten out the edges and remedy various unwanted and poorly angled tufts. The upshot of all this attention was that I spent far longer in the barber’s chair than usually – at least an hour and while the attention to detail was excellent the overall styling was still Colombo barbershop classic. The city’s barbers seem to have only two settings early 90s inspired step and bowl cuts and 50’s crooner inspired slick partings and waves. This time I ended up with a 50’s crooner look but at least it was well executed- if only a passing cruise ship had been looking for a tenor. Best of all though was that the old skool look came with an old skoo price Rs 500 for a cut and shave- a better deal I think than Sleek and La Passion.
