A Cut Above

Forget your favourite salon with the 20-minute massage or just the right amount of bounce with your blowout. Back in the 1950s, Singapore's hair technicians were all about efficiency, not luxury. Commonly found in the back lanes and narrow streets, roadside barbers made a good living here. Their "shops" would have the bare necessities - a few chairs, a cupboard, wall mirror and some bins containing water. Instead of a roof, these makeshift structures had a tarpaulin canopy, which didn't always provide adequate shelter when it rained. Naturally, bad weather meant bad business for them.

A popular spot for roadside barbers was a side lane near Bugis, termed "Barber Row" on account of the traffic that flowed to these vendors. Though most of their customers have flocked to new (and air-conditioned) establishments, a couple of roadside barbers still operate today, and can be found in areas like Chinatown and Katong.