I've had a beard for years.
It's not quite an Abraham Lincoln-type beard - it is a less bizarre-looking beard than that as I don't like when it starts to get out of control. There is definitely a fashion for beards and some men have them for the sake of the trend but I think there is a general rise in the number of men that are happy having one and are happy looking after it. It is more culturally acceptable than it was a few years ago to have a beard. Having the right products to look after it helps as it can be itchy and it can be tricky to maintain. The most popular product at our store is Braw beard oils, which are made just a few miles out of town.
Beard oil allows the skin to find its own balance again as the oil production changes as the beard length grows and getting the right products can affect that in a good way.
There is a resurgence in men's grooming and I think it is linked to the fact there has been such a shift for men in the last few years and there is a focus on being masculine but not macho. Social media is a huge part of it too. There is a growing interest from men in grooming products.
We moved to our current store last November. It took months to refurbish and pick everything and get it right. I really wanted to make it as eclectic as possible and to make it feel more like a lounge than a shop. We don't have generic shelving, instead we have the string system from Sweden and proper bookcases for the books. We sell the fixtures and finishings as well.
Picking the products we stock is my favourite part. The idea is to curate the most interesting bits and pieces that we can find. We have a criteria for everything we stock: it has to be innovative, definitive or original. For example, the brand Bellroy are focused on slimming the wallet down and simplifying. The watches by Glasgow-based Paulin aren't too flamboyant but have nice subtle design details like navy leather straps. Everything across our range has a bit more personality than anything you would find on the high street.
We source products from all around the world. We've got things in the shop from South Korea and Revo Radios that are produced in Lanark. It almost takes more work to find things in Scotland but I really want to show off what is made locally.
The man hampers were our first product and were the core that we built our business from. We were trying to think of a way to bring together products we liked so we introduced custom hampers that people can make up in store. People buy them as birthday, graduation and corporate gifts.
Our customer base is mixed but our core customers are predominantly men aged 25-40 of all professions. Edinburgh shoppers have in the past been considered to be quite conservative because there is a larger banking sector but I think that may be passing. People here are enjoying showing off more now and the retail sector in Edinburgh has really changed over the past few years.
The Brotique, 39 Queen Street, Edinburgh. 0131 623 7770 (thebrotique.co.uk)
CARRIE McADAM
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