Be a Hero: Get The Job

Gentlemen,
You're on the job hunt. Your collar is starched. Your resume is crisp.

You're an American Hero.

Naturally, the employer of your dreams has requested an interview.  Being the go-getter beast you are, you want to look your best and blow their minds.

Here are a few tips to making your first tete-a-tete with your future boss remarkable.

Don't get a haircut the day of your interview. A brand new cut can make you appear over eager. Especially if it's a haircut that doesn't complement your personality. You want to look dynamite not desperate. Plan ahead.

Not too short. Not too long. Shaving your own head in lieu of getting a haircut makes you look insane. As does trying to quaff your long unruly hair into a Trump comb-over. Conservative doesn't necessarily mean boring, it means clean. The goal is to be remembered for your demeanor, not your 'do.

Less is more.  Slimy hair implies overcompensation. (Unless you are applying to be a full time cartoon villain or gelatin dessert.) An easy matte finish exudes confidence. If you have questions about how to properly use product to get the best results, consult your Cg stylist.

A professional badass is always ready for action. Plan ahead and ask your Cg stylist about the Smart and Neat service.









get cut. look good.

The Worst Haircut I Ever Had

I'd never been to Mall of America. My thirteen-year-old heart was glee-drunk with the thought of miles and miles of scrunchies, indoor roller coasters and a post office. (A post office!)

 As a kid who grew up in the burbs, malls were more than Cinn-a-bons and cell phone kiosks. They were hubs of culture and style. Like the port of Ithaca. And this? This was the mother load.

We're going to shop till we die...and pet sting rays.

In the tizzy of pawing through movie posters and novelty sunglasses, we stumbled on a salon.

HAIRCUTS: $10.

Our sugar-fried tween brains were hell bent on becoming total babes and getting haircuts without our parents permission.

This was lawless frontier.

Meanwhile on MTV, this video was on loop. Natalie Imbruglia was pouty, fresh, effortless and Australian.  It was my first hair fantasy--and I imagine every other girl's on the planet at the time.

I imagined casually swiping a bit of sexy fringe away from my face. I would look just like her. I had already bought my stretched out t-shirt. This was totally going to work.

Looking back, I'm not sure where the red flags and blaring sirens were. Between the abnormally low price tag and the obvious language barrier, this was probably illegal.

The stylist kept squinting at me in the mirror holding two fingers up:

"I want two inches taken off here, and cut close in the back."

"Two?"

"Yes, two inches taken off here and close in the back."

"Okay. Two."

After sitting in the chair for twenty minutes half-arguing with the stylist, she pulled out a trimmer with a guard the size of a show shovel. She proceeded to leave two inches of hair on my entire head. So instead of this:

I got this.

Back at the hotel, I locked myself in the bathroom to sulk because my life was over. My best friend tried to reassure me through the door, "It's really not that bad. Okay, it is bad. BUT we're at the Mall of America. You can buy any hat you want."


Do you have a hair horror story?

Cg

Chelsea Girls: Subversion Style

In the wake of the Met Gala, the New Yorker's recent (embarrassing) "How Punk Are You" quiz and the prevalence of post-apocalyptic imagery, we can confidently say that in style conversation Punk is having a Moment.

Great minds are debating the historical and cultural implications of the political and artistic revolution, and critics and participants alike deliberate whether the sub culture has come full circle or faces extinction.

The Cutting Group conclusion: we appreciate creativity, past and present. Dead or not, it looks AWESOME.

The 'punk discussion' inspired us to revisit one of the most iconic and controversial counter-culture cuts: The Chelsea.

There are several variations on this style, but is most easily defined by one area of the scalp (either the crown or the nape) being cut close while the remaining pieces around the ears or base of the neck are left long.

Bangs often survive this procedure.

The cut made its debut with mods in the English underground during the 1960's. Due to economic shifts, an insurgence of disposable income for youths lead to the rabid consumption of  music and American fashions. THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

The style was later adopted by punks in the early 1970's and reinterpreted during the hardcore revival of the 80's. The Chelsea has chameleoned throughout the decades and because of its incredible texture and enticing rebellious implications, reincarnations of the cut still surface in the fashion sphere today.

Still subversive. Still striking. Still making a statement.

From hooligan street gangs to the pages of Vogue, the Chelsea is a survivor.

Do you have a favorite punk inspired cut?

get cut. look good.
Cg

Full Frontal Bang Fest

It was recently scientifically proven that Zooey Daschanel is totally unrecognizable without her bangs.   In the wake of this distressing event, we have been left to ponder: To bang or not to bang?

Have you considered taking the plunge and flaunting statement fringe? Here are a few of our favorites:

Practice safe bangs: put down the scissors and visit your stylist.

Do you have a favorite bang?

get cut. look good.

cg

No Party Like a Gatsby Party

Baz Luhrman's sparkling adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's decadent and foreboding novel, The Great Gatsby has been making waves with designers as well as stylists.  Clean and crisp is in this summer!

Carey Mulligan as Daisy is pixie perfect in an elegantly accessorized bob.

Historically, the Bob was shock-rocking. It signified a new expressive wave of freedom and made a statement about the women who boldly wore it. The cut made its mass media debut in 1920 via the Saturday Evening Post with its infamous article, “Bernice Bobs Her Hair”.

Madness (and hotness) ensued.

DiCaprio as Gatsby sporting a smooth close cut with just enough length to keep it romantic.

In the new decade, gentlemen departed from slicked back single length cuts and transitioned into dramatic parts, Marcel waves and sexy smooth fades.

Pair it with a glass of champagne?
Perfection.

Are you feeling inspired to flaunt a crop? 
 Check out our Smart and Neat service.

get cut. look good.

M.R.

Cutting Costs NOT Quality at the Cutting Group!!

 At the Cutting Group our stylists receive training from one of Milwaukee's own top stylists, Bjorn Nasett each and every Monday at our Downtown Cutting Group location at 773 North Jefferson Street.  He coaches our talented staff in the fine art of consultation as well as the precise execution of their  haircuts.

If you'd like to be a model for one of our staff members and receive a FREE haircut on a Monday in the future, please give the salon a call at 414.224.1593 and ask to be put on the model list.  One of our stylists will call you to set up a time to come in.  If you'd just like to stop by, walk in, and  have Mr. Nasett oversee your consultation and cut from one of our staff for just $22, come in any Monday between 12-4. I guarantee you'll learn more about your hair and haircut than you ever imagined!  All Cutting Group Salons are Bumble and Bumble exclusive, so you know that your signature cut will get just the right product recommended.  Our stylists will show you how to use it to keep you looking and feeling great about yourself.  All photos in this blog were taken on Monday, June 27, 2011.