Bermel Coiffures International

When I first moved to Memphis, finding a good hair dresser was right up there with finding a dentist and my go-​to grocery store. For my middle school through early post-​college years back in Pennsylvania, I stuck with Heather at Philip Pelusi, a typical upscale shopping mall salon, and we had a great thing going. During the time I was away at college in South Carolina, I found Gretchen at NV Salon, a studio that started off downtown and later moved out to a trendy location close to campus. I loved both places and I wanted something similar in Memphis – I wanted the fun, young hairdressers and the close location and the cute décor, but the longer it took for me to find a place, the longer my hair grew, so I finally decided to make an appt. at Bermel’s because, well, when your boyfriend and his family have lived in a city their whole lives and recommend a place for any reason, you check it out.
Bermel’s was not quite what I expected, but I warmed up to it quickly and I’ve no real interest in going anywhere else. Owned and staffed by a Dutch family, the place is small, neat, and tidy with a large group of regular patrons. What threw me off my first time there was the hair-​washing station. I was used to the usual routine of the hairdresser draping me in a cloak, leaning me back over a sink, vigorously scrubbing at my head, wrapping it up in a towel, leading me over to her station, and asking the usual «So, what are we doing with your hair today?» At Bermel’s, there are some lovely, chatty older women whose sole job is to man the hair-​washing station (along with the over-​head hair dryers and other hair contraptions). Once you’ve gotten a very thorough washing, they send you off to your hairdresser for your cut. From the beginning, I’ve stuck with Annamarie, recommended to me by my boyfriend’s mother, and she is wonderful. I don’t necessarily want that longtime customer, gossip and laugh about the good ol’ days relationship with my hairdresser; I’m content to chat and, if the conversation hits a lull, sit and relax and roll with it, and Annamarie suits this attitude so well. She’s easy to talk to and it’s lovely that she knows my boyfriend and his family and that she remembers the little details about all of us and is interested. My boyfriend and his brother always see Brian and love him (he’s quite a character), and his mother and aunt see Annamarie; I’ve heard great things about many of the other stylists there though.
I’ve never really had my hair «styled» there – I get it washed and cut, pay, and leave as my hair air dries and I’m fine with this. I usually make an appt. after work and drive straight home from there, which works quite well. The pricing is quite reasonable, but do remember to not only tip your hairdresser but your hair washer too. The hours are convenient and the location is easy to access with plenty of parking, though it can get a little tricky turning left at the light at the intersection where the salon is located if you’re heading there going towards downtown on Poplar.
I really like Bermel’s and, even though it’s not that sort of trendy, chic place I thought I wanted, they are wonderful people who are great at what they do and I’m so glad I got the recommendation to go there.