Last week, I was chosen among my many colleagues to receive a free haircut from a local barbershop chain called Clippers Barber.
After doing a quick google search, I realised quickly why the chain was not on my radar.
It hasn’t been around for that long, given that it only opened its first outlet in March 2021, although impressively, it expanded to a total of eight outlets across Singapore within a few months.
Now, I’m not sure why exactly I was chosen, although it might have had something to do with the fact that my last haircut was several months ago, meaning I looked a little like a hobo.
However, I never turn down anything that is free, and I was curious what the experience would be like at this new-fangled barbershop, so I gladly accepted the offer to try it out.
I don’t particularly like going for haircuts
Before the session, I didn’t have the best impression of traditional barbershops.
Firstly, many of them are pretty expensive, and being the cheapskate that I am, I wasn’t willing to fork out that much money for a haircut.
I was also haunted by my childhood memories of always having to visit an old barbershop which had worn-out chairs, dim lighting, excessively loud shaving noises, and worst of all, no air-conditioning.
It was often stuffy, and coupled with the loud blaring of the radio and television in the background, it was not the most comfortable of places.
I ended up treating hair cuts as a necessary evil, and perhaps this is why I don’t cut my hair that often, even now.
However, I was pleasantly surprised when I visited the newly opened Clippers Barber outlet at AMK Hub, which is located beside A&W in the basement.
From the outside, it looked similar to other barbershops, although its interiors were extremely modern, and everything was sparklingly new and up-to-date.
I could smell the distinct aroma of new furniture, and the assortment of potted plants scattered across the room gave it very homely vibes.
All in all, it’s a pretty hefty upgrade, both aesthetically and in terms of comfort.
In addition, I noticed that the logo near the front of the outlet had the same colour scheme as the classic red, white and blue barber poles that many may remember from their childhood, which was a nice touch.
Notice the resemblance? Image via Jason Fan and Unsplash.
Classic Stylish & Fade haircuts to choose from
One problem I’ve always had with getting my haircut is not being able to properly tell my hairdresser what I want.
You see, I’m not exactly an expert on hairdressing terms, so when they ask me whether I wanted “slope” or “fade”, and how much of it I wanted, I often become lost, and default to letting the hairdresser do his own thing.
Unfortunately, this often led to a less than desirable haircut, which is probably another reason why I often avoided cutting my hair.
Luckily for me, Clippers Barber makes the choice easier for me, by having a handy look book to show the types of classic stylish and fade haircuts to choose from.
Here’s how it works: when you enter the outlet, you have to make payment at the self-ticketing cashless payment kiosk (handy for those of you who don’t bring cash anymore), which will show you the different prices for each hairstyle, as well as an image of what it looks like.
No appointment is required, so you simply have to show up, choose your preferred style, pay up, and then wait your turn.
A classic haircut will cost you S$15, while a standard fade will cost you S$20.
You only have to fork out S$25 for the most expensive style, the zero skin fade, which is far cheaper than most other barbershops.
Paying upfront is pretty reassuring, as it meant that I was not in danger of paying any hidden add-on fees during the haircut, which sometimes happens in traditional barbershops.
When I still wasn’t sure what these haircuts would look like, I was provided a booklet filled with how the haircuts look on different (more good-looking) people, which helped me get a better idea of what to choose.
Image via Clippers Barber.
However, even with all of four choices presented to me, I still had decision paralysis, so I asked my barber, Jason, to recommend which style will suit me best.
Jason is no ordinary barber; he is the winner of the Golden Scissors Award 2020, and the overall person in charge of the entire chain’s operations.
Jason had a quick look at my facial features, and after telling me that I had a “relatively tall forehead”, which is probably a nice way of saying my head is shaped like an egg, told me that a standard fade haircut would be the most appropriate.
Never one to doubt an expert, I made myself comfortable in the brand new chairs, and allowed him to work his magic.
Jason was highly efficient, and I could feel my head getting lighter within a few minutes, as he began shaving off months of hair at once.
His expertise truly shone when it comes to the sides.
While most of the haircut was mostly done in under 10 minutes, he spent almost another 15 minutes trying to get the perfect fade, using a variety of different tools to work away slowly at the hair at the side of my head.
Jason showing off the assortment of shavers he used.
According to Jason, most quick cut chains in the market usually use one or two basic shavers, sacrificing attention to detail for greater speed.
However, the barbers at Clippers Barber are given rigorous training with various specialised shavers, in order to achieve the optimal fade for their clients.
In fact, I was told that the barbers have to pass a test, in order to ensure standards are kept high.
When I asked him what was the difference between a barber and a hairdresser in a hair salon, Jason told me that in his opinion, barbers needed more skill, given that they have fewer tools to work with.
In addition, Clippers Barbers don’t provide any other services (like scalp treatment or colouring), so if you have PTSD from certain hair salons trying to pressure you to buy packages, you are safe here.
In addition, the entire experience was very comfortable.
While some barbers and hairdressers I’ve visited in the past can be a little rough, especially when trimming my fringe, Jason was exceedingly gentle throughout the entire process.
In fact, I almost fell asleep during the haircut.
Spending 15 minutes just to get the right amount of fade.
No-frills and convenient haircut
After around 25 minutes, he was done. My head felt considerably lighter, and I also looked significantly less unkempt.
Before and after.
All in all, it was both an efficient and pleasant experience, and I’m eager to return again on my own, given that I’m getting quite a lot of bang for my buck.
Within only six months, Clippers Barber has expanded to a total of eight outlets, mostly in heartland areas.
For more information, you can visit their website here.
AMK Hub, #B1-49
Downtown East, #02-124
JCube, #B1-03
Jem, #B1-53
Northpoint City, #B2-136
Our Tampines Hub, #B1-K20
Paya Lebar Quarter, #02-14
Punggol Northshore, #02-12
The franchise, managed by KC Group of Companies, is also rapidly growing, and will have another outlet open at Admiralty Place in the near future.
It is the same group behind popular brands such as kcuts, James Barker Barber and Apgujeong Hair Studio.
If you’re looking for a convenient stylish or fade haircut, you should definitely consider Clippers Barber.
To sweeten the deal, there’s an ongoing Buy One Get One Free Classic Stylish Hair Cut promotion at AMK Hub, Northpoint City, Jem and Punggol Northshore, from now till Dec. 10.
Top image via Jason Fan.
This sponsored article by Clippers Barber makes the writer realise it’s ok to go for haircuts.