Enduring Legacy of Classic Style

Old-school English gentlemen’s grooming that’s been sprucing up the heads of Royalty and celebrities for the last 200 years can be enjoyed in the heart of Bangkok.

The heritage of the world’s oldest barbershop, Truefitt & Hill, is alive and well in Bangkok, where two immaculate and characterful salons provide the ultimate grooming experience for discerning gentlemen.

Founded by William Francis Truefitt in London in 1805, the year of The Battle of Trafalgar, Truefitt & Hill is recognised as its hometown’s finest traditional gentlemen’s barber and perfumer, bolstered by two centuries of unmatched tradition and history.

As befits such a gilded history, the company has served British monarchs through nine consecutive reigns and held a succession of Royal Warrants. Today, it holds the British Royal Warrant by Appointment to HRH the Duke of Edinburgh and serves the male line of the British royal family.

Regular patrons also include famous politicians, supreme military commanders and members of parliament, as well as legendary figures of literature and entertainment.

It’s famous for its unmatchable close shaves, expert haircuts and attractive grooming, and justifiably renowned for the skill of its barbers that created this fame.

This skill, and 200 years of tradition can be indulged in at two Truefitt & Hill barbershops in Bangkok - at three of the city's luxury malls: Central Embassy, Gaysorn and Emporium – where the ambience of classic interiors and scents of fine grooming oils can transport imaginative customers back to more polished eras when good grooming was the prerequisite of a gentleman.

The Truefitt & Hill franchise was brought to Thailand by the well-groomed Sakorn Thavisin, managing director of P.S. Grooming, who has devoted himself to a worldwide search for the finest grooming experiences and products for gentlemen.

After discovering Truefitt & Hill’s London barbershop whilestrolling along historic St. James’s Street, he decided to open thefirst Truefitt & Hill in Thailand to serve discerning, affluent customerswith this old-school barbershop experience that exudes English style,luxury and comfort.

"Receiving Truefitt & Hill’s blessing to open its first branch in Central Embassy was no easy task because the brand has exceptionally highstandards in the selection of a franchisee to operate the shop in each country, he says.

Interior design, furniture selection and even the photo frames all meetTruefitt & Hill’s exceptional standards. The antique barber chairs offerclients genuine comfort, where they can sink in and receive haircuts, oldschoollather shaves, manicures, massages and a shoe shine.

The uniforms of the barbers and staff are tailor-made, using the samefabric as the uniforms at Truefitt & Hill on St James’s Street. Trainingis of the utmost importance to the success of Truefitt & Hill so that allservices meet its high standards.

Thai people are known for our hospitality and for being serviceminded. In combining these Thai values with old-school Englishtechniques, I believe that Truefitt & Hill in Thailand provides excellentservices beyond the international standard", he says.

It’s a delight to experience this glorious vestige of more gracious times amid the modern brashness of Bangkok, and fascinating to reflect on the history of the extraordinary company behind it.

The story began in 1805 when Francis William Truefitt took premises at number 2 Cross Lane, Long Acre and established himself as Court Wigmaker, Court Hair Cutter and Court Head Dresser. He was also a gifted perfumer and began to formulate and make colognes, pomades and hair tonics on the premises. Truefitt’s reputation grew and he was designated Court Wigmaker to the reigning monarch, George III.

Charles Dickens, who used services of this fashionable barbershop, makes a reference to Truefitt’s in his book The Uncommercial Traveller when he recognises its superior reputation.

 

The story is also intertwined with one of maritime history’s greatest tragedies – the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, when Truefitt’s lost a number of patrons to the disaster. Various bottles and pomade containers from the shop were retrieved from Titanic’s wreck and can be seen in the Maritime Museum at Greenwich and permanent exhibition in New York.

The current Truefitt & Hill was formed in 1935 in a merger with Edwin Hill, when the new company moved to extensive premises in Old Bond Street.

During the London Blitz in World War II, Truefitt & Hill battled on, its premises often shored up from bomb damage while business, as usual, carried on inside.

At times the salon was said to resemble a fighter station, with Battle of Britain pilots arriving for a daily shave and trim, before venturing back to their airfields or visiting the nightclubs that still remained open.

In fact, the only time Truefitt & Hill has ever closed its doors was in 1965 to respect the death of one of its longest-standing clients, Sir Winston Churchill.

The names of clients in Truefitt & Hill’s appointment books kept over the years represent a Who’s Who of history-shapers: most male members of the British Royal Family since George III; Royals of other

European Courts such as Tsar Nicholas of Russia and King Michael of Romania; politicians and military commanders including William Gladstone, the Duke of Wellington, Sir Winston Churchill and Field

Marshal Montgomery, even the infamous Lord Lucan of the Charge of the Light Brigade.

And many celebrated figures from the worlds of literature and entertainment have also enjoyed the legendary Truefitt & Hill touch, including Oscar Wilde, Lord Byron, Alfred Hitchcock, Sir Laurence Olivier, John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire and Cary Grant.

 

For more browse: truefittandhillthailand.com