The West Village Guy’s Guide to Looking Sharp

The West Village doesn't try hard. That's part of what makes it one of the best neighborhoods in Manhattan to call home — or at least spend a Saturday in. The streets are quieter than SoHo, the sidewalks are more walkable than Midtown, and the shops that survive here do it the old-fashioned way: by being genuinely good.

If you live in the neighborhood, or you're just planning a proper day below 14th Street, this guide is for you. It's a full routine for looking sharp — haircut, coffee, menswear, a decent lunch, a pair of shoes worth owning — built around the places we actually send people to. Most of them are within walking distance of 103 West 10th Street. All of them care about what they do.

Start With the Haircut

We're a barbershop, so we'll be the first to admit our bias. But there's a reason we opened The Kinsman in the West Village: this neighborhood takes grooming seriously without making a show of it. Nobody's getting a haircut here to be seen getting a haircut.

The best barbershop in the West Village — in our opinion and the opinion of a fair number of reviewers — should do four things well:

• Actually listen to what you're asking for
• Take the time the cut deserves, not the time the schedule allows
• Know the difference between a skin fade, a taper, and a low fade (and talk you through it if you don't)
• Send you back out into the neighborhood feeling more like yourself, not less

At The Kinsman, a standard haircut is $70, a cut and wash is $80, and a hot towel shave is $55. Walk-ins are welcome, and most of our Saturday regulars started by wandering in once on a whim. If you're looking for somewhere that still feels like a neighborhood shop — and has the reviews to back it up — we'd love to see you in the chair.

Then Get the Coffee

A good haircut deserves a good coffee to walk out with. The West Village has no shortage of options, but a few always come up when we ask regulars where they start their Saturday:

• Partners Coffee on Bleecker for reliably excellent espresso and a good counter to stand at
• Irving Farm if you prefer something with a quiet table
• Café Gitane in the West Village for breakfast that takes slightly longer but rewards the patience

Any of them is a ten-minute walk from The Kinsman. None of them play music loud enough to interrupt your morning.

Build a Wardrobe That Lasts

The West Village has quietly become one of the best menswear neighborhoods in the city. Not the flashiest — the best. If you're building a wardrobe that doesn't go out of style in eighteen months, a few stops worth making:

• J.Crew Men's Shop on Bleecker for everyday essentials that actually fit
• Freemans Sporting Club in the Lower East Side (close enough to count) for slightly more considered pieces
• Todd Snyderfor the Americana-meets-tailored look that fits the neighborhood's whole vibe
• Leffot on Christopher Street if you care about shoes and want someone who cares more than you do

A general rule we stand by: buy fewer things, spend more per thing, and take care of them. A pair of shoes that's been resoled three times beats three new pairs.

Lunch Without Fuss

There's something specific about a West Village lunch. You want it to be good, you want it to be fast enough that you don't lose your afternoon, and you want it to feel like somewhere a local would go, not somewhere the guidebook sent you.

A few we keep coming back to:

• Joe's Pizzaon Carmine if the day calls for a slice and you're being honest with yourself about it
• Via Carotaif you planned ahead and it's a special occasion — or if you'll wait an hour for a plate of cacio e pepe
• The Waverly Inn for the kind of lunch that ends with an espresso and a feeling that the afternoon is yours
• Bleecker Street Pizza for the slice-shop vote if you're sitting in the Joe's debate

Grooming Between Visits

Most guys see a good barber every three to four weeks. Between visits, a short list of things actually makes the difference between looking well-groomed and looking like you need a haircut:

• A proper pomade or styling cream, matched to your hair type. A stylist at a chain will give you whatever's on the shelf. A good barber will tell you what your hair actually needs.
• A neck clean-up two weeks in. Most shops, ours included, offer this for a small fee or as a courtesy for regulars. It keeps your cut looking fresh for twice as long.
• A beard trim halfway through your cycle. Even if you grow a full beard, the edges want attention every two weeks.
• Good shampoo. The stuff in your shower since college is probably not doing you any favors.

If you're not sure what to pick up, ask the barber cutting your hair. That's half of what a good one is for.

The Finishing Touches

Looking sharp in the West Village isn't about dressing up. It's about dressing like you put a little thought into it. A few things that separate the guys who pull it off from the guys who don't:

• Shoes that have been shined in the last six months. Leffot will shine them while you wait.
• A coat that actually fits your shoulders. If the shoulders are off, nothing else matters.
• A watch you've owned for more than a year. The one you bought because it looked interesting still looks interesting.
• A haircut that's two weeks old, not six. This is the easiest one on the list and also the one most guys get wrong.

One Saturday, Start to Finish

If you wanted to do it all in one day, the run looks like this:

You'll have spent a morning in one of the best neighborhoods in New York, you'll look better than you did when you woke up, and you'll have the kind of Saturday that makes you remember why you moved here.