Man About Town: Groom your guy, Sassy style!

We’ve already established that I am a man about town, but let me tell you something you may not know about me… I can also be the queer eye for your straight guy. It is a bit cliché but lets face it, us boys sure know our way around a haberdashery, could look runway ready in our pajamas and out style Tyra Banks with our eyes closed.

So – your man needs a make over. Where to begin? If you’re tired of getting the husband/boyfriend/man candy something other than the usual socks and jocks, why not encourage him to indulge in a bit of man pampering? If he’s the type of guy that needs a bit of coaxing, then look no further than male only salon, Gentlemen’s Tonic.

Located in the heart of Central in the basement of Landmark, Gentlemen’s Tonic offers a sanctuary for boys and all their grooming toys. With spa treatments, massages and manicures, this is the perfect place for manly pampering. They offer a wide range of packages that will subtly tell your man he needs to scrub up!

So just how manly is this cave you ask? Well, they have a barber chair in a private room with a television, an iPod dock and plenty of gadgets to keep him entertained without even really realising he just got his nails done. And if that wasn’t enough, they serve you Gin & Tonic’s or Bloody Mary’s to take the edge off.

Fresh from my eight-week detox, I bounced off for a morning of pampering. I indulged in one of their signature packages, The Edison ($1,000), which includes an Indian head massage, eye treatment and express facial.  Man translation – he’ll get a 30-minute facial and then the therapist will massage his neck, shoulders, head, arms, and eyes!

My favourite part was when the therapist, Moon, put pressure around my eyes… Having indulged in a few glasses of bubbly the night before, it was THE perfect way to alleviate any headache, even if it did feel like she was about to push my eyeballs right out of their sockets.

Next was a trip to the aforementioned barbers chair, where my delightful stylist, Domary, asked me how I wanted my hair cut in between idle questions on how I usually wear my Barnett. She moved quickly and had a comforting look of confidence about her. Before I knew it, she was introducing me to a styling product called Suavecito Pomade and I almost felt ashamed that her straight eye was tutoring the queer guy. I begrudgingly left the chair after 40-odd minutes, not only looking dandy with my new ‘do, but having also been thoroughly gob smacked that I didn’t have to stand up to go and wash my hair (the basin comes to you!), and that I didn’t have one single stray hair on me as I left.

One of the things my stylist mentioned to me before leaving the man cave was that my new hairstyle looked über impressive when wearing a suit.  She did her best sales pitch to the neighbouring stores but I switched into autopilot and nodded politely as I mapped out the route to Moustache on Aberdeen Street, which I consider to be the real deal when it comes to men’s tailoring.

Run by New York transplants Alex Daye and his partner Ellis Kruegar, these boys really understand the art of creating garments bespoke to its wearer.

I approached these guys with a pre-conceived idea that most tailors never adhere to my requests and always produce very traditional cuts that don’t work for my frame. That being said, Alex and Ellis just got it – I wanted a skinny suit that fit like a glove and a three piece that I could take apart and wear separately, yet pull all together and rock the dandy. And that is exactly what I got, and more!

This darling duo have such passion and dedication to their craft, I would even go as far as trusting them with handing over my measurements and leaving them to come up with anything they wanted… and that’s saying something coming from me!  You just know they will make your man look good!

So when you’re getting all the credit for your fella looking all swish and dapper, and when you’re reaping all the benefits of your hot man-dy (read – man candy) then don’t forget your source. I have plenty more tips in my back pocket…

Gentlemen’s Tonic  B47-B48, The Landmark, 15 Queens Road, 12-16 Des Voeux Road Central, Central, Hong Kong
2525 2455  www.gentlemenstonic.com

Moustache  31 Aberdeen Street, Central, Hong Kong
2541 1955  www.moustachehongkong.com