Truman's Gentlemen's Groomers

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While you won’t spot a red and white barber’s pole outside this establishment, Truman’s is nothing if not some imaginative, grown boy’s, come-to-life version of a fantasy barbershop. Up front, there’s a gratis bar serving top-shelf liquors under flat-screen TVs showing sports or news. In the main space, each of the eight cutting stations is equipped with a red, Belmont-brand Naugahyde chair, and partitioned off by giant, translucent images of race cars, jockeyed horses, and the like. The inclusion of master barbers as well as hair stylists on the staff concedes that even amid bankers, hedge funders, and male magazine editors, clipper cuts and straight-edge razor shaves hold more clout than the ability to reproduce some trendier style. This characteristically American view of masculinity holds sway across the board: Hair coloring and highlights take place in a separate, one-man room which, in addition to saving a guy the embarrassment of being seen in foil wraps, can be accessed discreetly from the back. Down a flight of stairs, two rooms are reserved for massages, waxing, and facials. “Feminine” services like these are Truman’s quiet admissions that today’s urban male has metrosexual inclinations that he’s simply not ready to let out of the closet. As co-owner John Philip Esposito, Jr., points out, the problem is that “the unisex salon is really just built for women.” Here’s his winning solution. — Drew Pisarra

Aside from pedicures, Truman’s also offers shoeshines.

Membership
Truman’s offers three membership plans for its customers: The Gold Passport, the Platinum Passport and the Black Passport. The latter, the more extravagant of the three, entails out-calls, cognac/wine/cigar tasting and trunk shows, as well as the expected hair services.

 Weddings
For a wedding makeover, sign up for the Total Package ($230), which includes a consultation, cut, style, handshake maintenance, massage, straight-edge shave, and shoe shine. After you’re done, check out the events calendar and book a Scotch or beer tasting with the guys on the spa’s lower level.
 

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• Truman’s Gentlemen’s Groomers Opens in Midtown (5/1/06)