Hair, more than anything else, dictates how a woman feels about who she really is, and I strive to make sure that every client who sits in my chair feels pampered and loved.”
These are not my words, although I do echo the sentiment. No, they are the words of Ted Gibson who is the man behind the world’s most expensive haircut and also owner of Ted Gibson Salon in New York City and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He and I spoke once about his then $850 coif which has since gone up to a whopping $1,200 due to a long wait list including many A-list celebrity clients.
Ted told me he provides more than a haircut; it’s an experience. I confess that I was a skeptic, remembering many years ago out in the country where all the local beauticians gathered over the lunch buffet at Sweet Magnolias to discuss raising our prices from $7 to $8. As I recollect, the Southern cooking complete with seconds, iced tea and dessert cost more than a haircut. Nevertheless, that was then, and it was small town America. I remember recently that my daddy was shocked to learn I charge $75 for that haircut today. Of course, it comes with 20 years more experience.
Another memory is when I bounced onto the Jackson scene 12 years ago at Earle and Joseph Salon where I was taken aback by the hefty price tag of $28 for a haircut. I cringed at what my mama would have called “highway robbery.” But soon after, I learned just how valuable my shears, round brush and time were to my clients. One after the other, local women left my chair smiling, sparkling with confidence from an hour with my scissors and me. Day after day, like other stylists, I help make the world stop spinning, slow it down just a bit, and make it revolve around one very special person at a time. That’s magic, but it doesn’t cost $1,200 in Mississippi!
Whatever your stylist charges, it’s a small price to pay if it helps heal a cancer survivor’s spirit, empowers a grandmother’s youthful side, or calms a busy mom’s holiday. Of course, it should not always be a world where you “get what you pay for.” Bottom line, whether it’s the same price as a lunch buffet for one, a Louis Vuitton handbag, or somewhere in the middle, it should be marvelous every time.
I’m not Ted Gibson. Anne Hathaway has never been in my company, but the “stars” I focus on every day are just as worthy of the spotlight. So, the next time you ponder whether you’re worth it, try seeing that same extraordinary woman who your stylist sees in the mirror when standing behind the chair.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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