Edgar Rosado, a UPS deliveryman, sat down after his shift in the barber’s chair wearing his full brown uniform. He slipped off his cap and asked for a “rhino.”
“People might not remember me, but they’ll remember my hair.” Edgar Rosado
Juan Rosado, his brother and the owner of Don Juan’s House of Styles, a Lower East Side barbershop catering predominantly to working class Hispanic men, clicked on his shears and began working the sides, shaving close to the skin. Clumps of hair fell to the linoleum floor.
Photo: Anthony Vanger/NYC24
Edgar Rosado gets a rhino.
Fifteen minutes later, Rosado stood up and looked in the mirror. His hair was shaved on the sides, but on top, it formed a crest, like a rhinoceros’ horn.“People might not remember me, but they’ll remember my hair,” he said, grinning. MORE PHOTOS
Edgar Rosado talks about his image
Haircuts are among the elements that define a person’s image. The straight, combed to the side haircut can evoke corporate America, but for Don Juan’s customers that look is too conservative. They want something that will make them stand out. They are not artists or hip fashionistas. They work in the service industry, from a bellhop at a swanky midtown hotel to a ramp agent directing airplanes at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Historically, the service industry has had rigid rules about appearance. In recent years, however, more individuals have pushed the boundaries of what is considered an acceptable image, depending on their level of contact with customers.
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