Barbershop poster, Gabon

I came across this poster in a barber shop in Moanda in Gabon when I was travelling around the equator.

I wasn’t getting a haircut. My hair was long and blonde back then and rarely needed anything other than a trim. But I’d befriended the barber, Cliff, and he invited me to just hang out in his shop while he worked.

Getting a haircut with Cliff was relatively straight forward. You simply pointed to the hairstyle you wanted on the poster and Cliff set about getting to work.

The poster features snapshots of famous people, each with a slightly different hairstyle and a caption underneath describing the style.

Saddam Hussein, for example, was modelling the ‘Revolutionary Look.’ George W. Bush the ‘Victorious Look.’ Nelson Mandela wore the ‘Resolute Look.’

Some of the models were ‘famous’ enough to go by their own names. While I was there a guy walked in and simply asked for a Will Smith. You could also get a Mike Tyson and an Eddie Murphy.

My favourite styles were the more generic ones modelled by guys I didn’t recognise. The ‘Young Executive’, the ‘Passionate Look’, the ‘Yuppie’ and the ‘Today’s Boys.’

The best, by far, was the ‘Girls Follow Me Look’.

In a mining town where over 75% of the population was male, Cliff told me it was easily the most popular style.

Which one would you choose?