Modern-day Bentley Boys will be pleased to hear that retro-cool London barbershop Pankhurst has installed bespoke barbers’ chairs – hand upholstered by none other than Bentley’s team of awesome craftsmen.

No longer will the smooth leathery curves of Bentley seating be confined to just their cars (hurrah!). Six sumptuous Bentley chairs have been installed at Pankhurst, each one hand-engineered – using eight different hides no less – incorporating the craftsmanship and refined techniques of the illustrious marque. The colour combinations, chosen from the Bentley colour range, are ‘Fire Glow’ and ‘Burnt Oak’, with stitching and piping patterns based on the Continental GT range.

Part speakeasy, part gentleman’s club, Pankhurst is a veritable haven of masculinity located just off hip-and-happening Carnaby Street. Inside the style-conscious grooming den, the environment is as manly as the bay rum and lime scent of their products. Stop by for a classic wet shave, hot towel face massage or a full groom and finish, and emerge a short while later looking and smelling like Don Draper at his most dapper. Or just drop in for a whisky and road-test one of the chairs, if you like.

Owner Brent Pankhurst has styled for The Face, GQ, Vogue and Esquire, while also working in the music industry, creating iconic looks for album covers, videos and magazine shoots. His haircuts have featured in British films such as Snatch and Layer Cake as he’s styled hair for the likes of Daniel Craig and Clive Owen.

Blame nostalgia, the Great Gatsby effect, or the resurgence of urban dandy-ness, but these days there’s no shame in tightening up your grooming routine. Something about the smells, sounds and sheer theatre of a barbershop is hard to beat – it symbolises refinement, power and just, well, manliness. Besides, as we all know, you can wear the finest suit in the world but if you don’t have a sharp haircut and shave to match, it just won’t cut it.

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