And Most Traditional Barber Shops, Too

           Everyone has advice for big moves. If you’re changing state lines, you’ll have to adjust to law changes, sales tax (or lack thereof!), and a new and unique culture of wherever you’re headed. When we moved to Oregon, what I didn’t think much about was my hair! Sounds silly, I know, but within two weeks of being in our new home in Portland, OR, I was wondering where the heck I was going to get my haircut.

            Enter Bishops barbershop! I had an undercut when I first got here, and had to find a salon that wasn’t afraid of shaving my head, and wasn’t so weirdly gendered. In the past, I had walked into a few barber shops that told me they didn’t service women’s hair, or long hair, or was so blatantly gendered that it was uncomfortable to walk in (there’s a shop called Y Chrome- in reference to the male XY chromosome in downtown. It’s great for cis guys, weird for literally everyone else).

I’m lucky in that I haven’t had too much difficulty finding places that will cut my hair how I’d like it, but I have had issues finding places that won’t overcharge for a cut and color, just because I have long hair. My wife has unfortunately experienced stylists that are too scared to trim her hair to the shortness that she’d like, simply because she’s a woman. Spoiler, my wife gets her hair cut at Bishops now too! 

Walking into Bishops was a breath of fresh air. I didn’t need to have an appointment, or a relationship with a stylist. I was immediately offered a beer while I waited, and my hair was done exactly how I wanted it.

            I had been going to Bishops for trims for the last 2 years, when they reached out to me about getting it colored. I have previously just done box hair dye at home because, well, your girl is on a budget! But Bishops color isn’t too pricey, and the final result is phenomenal. The store manager, Kassia recently gave me some pretty layers and a perfect-for-fall caramel bayalage- a trend I hadn’t tried yet!  If you’re also on a budget- I recommend this trend because you don’t have to stress out about your roots as often, so touch ups are less frequent.

Basically, Bishops has been, and will remain my go-to spot. It’s not a pretentious salon, they won’t bat an eyelash if you want to shave your whole head, dye your hair pink, or just keep it kinda basic. They’re available in 16 states and DC, so if you’re moving state lines, Bishops just might become your go-to as well.

Have you had a less than desirable hair cut experience? Let me know so we can commiserate in the comments!