Rance John was making sure men’s facial hair game was on point long before “Beard Game Matters” became a social media sensation.
The stellar word-of-mouth reputation that Rance John Styles and Barbering carries aside, his own impeccably trimmed beard makes him a walking advertisement for the services of his shop.
“Barbering has actually changed,” John said. “Men are starting to get more pampered now. It’s going back to the classic days where men are getting more hot shaves and things like that as opposed to just coming in and getting a quick haircut.”
His spot in South City has been on the short list of go-to spots that go beyond a crisp fade for several years. They offer a buffet of services that live up to John’s motto: “Not just a haircut, but an experience” – from beard grooming and skin treatments to hair units for men experiencing baldness.
This weekend John will raise the stakes with the official launch of the Classic Man Collection – a line of male grooming products that cater to the bearded community.
The Classic Man Collection, or TCM Collection, will feature beard oils, beard conditioners and pomades, among other products and is a joint venture with Atlanta-based businessman Terry Armstrong.
The idea for his own line grew out of working with Chris Givens, who was then with Design Essentials. John became the first barber educator for the line – which showed him the ropes with respect to the development and sales of products for men’s facial hair.
“Me coming out of the beauty industry, I saw that everything had been marketed and packaged towards women and stylists,” John said. “But there wasn’t anything pretty much packaged towards guys. There’s been a void in grooming for guys. We saw that and wanted to pounce on that.”
The Launch party for the TCM Collection will take place on Saturday, November 4 at Urb Arts in Old North St. Louis.
“This brand will be a staple in today’s ‘classic man’ grooming regimen and we’re happy to announce it’s coming straight out of St. Louis,” said John.
From pep talk to personal passion
It was a career day talk during his junior year at Webster Groves high school that would ultimately order John’s steps in finding his life’s work. Barbershop owner Lee Moss spoke to John’s class about his profession. John, who had not too long since settled back in St. Louis permanently after a back-and-forth period between here and his birth city of Chicago, instantly connected with the points of Moss’ presentation.
“He talked about being a businessman, being able to provide for his family, the freedom, the artistic point of everything,” John said. “I just liked everything that he talked about.” John spent his senior year apprenticing with Moss. He swept up hair and did other tasks as assigned by Moss. “Just being in the atmosphere was enough for me,” John said. After graduation, John entered Missouri Barber College. In the mid-1990s, he started working as a professional barber, first with Sweet Shears and then with his mentor Moss.
In 1996, John lost his mother and his brother in the span of six months. Dealing with the back-to-back tragedies took him on a spiritual journey that led him to take the steps towards owning his own business.
“I was in a weird transition,” John said. “My brother in law at the time, George Smith, we saw a place on Jefferson and Cherokee and I would just ride past that place. I was newly found in my faith and I would just have conversations with myself and God and I was talking about that corner space and was like ‘that would be perfect.’”
Thanks to the generosity of building owner Lloyd Jones, John secured the location for his first shop. Things went so well that John was able to buy the building. But a divorce and business naivete caused him to lose the space – and everything else. “I was sleeping on a buddy’s floor,” John said. “I had to start all over. I had three kids, no business, no home. Nothing. It was just rock bottom.”
He bounced around at different shops with the few clients that were willing to follow him before he noticed another space on Jefferson. He was in that space for a few years before moving two doors down to his current location nearly 10 years ago. He now has a team of eight barbers – including himself and his son Isaiah Miner, who John is grooming to take over the business.
The shop expanded to include The Experience salon a year-and-a-half ago. “I always knew we would do more than just cut hair, which is why I named it Rance John Styles and Barbering,” John said.
The depth of services John offers will continue to grow with this weekend’s introduction of TCM collection.
“This is only the beginning,” John said. “We advocate for men to look at personal grooming and their own overall wellness as a necessity and not an option.”
The TCM Collection launch party will take place at 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 4th at Urb Arts, 2600 N. 14th St., St. Louis, MO 63106. For more information, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-tcm-collection-launch-party-st-louis-tickets-38535882863.
