for more than two centuries Truefitt & Hill has been recognized as the finest traditional gentlemen's barber and perfumer in london, and now worldwide. providing discerning gentlemen with only the finest in grooming products and services.

Truefitt & Hill aims to give gentlemen the best opportunity to look and feel their very best and having been established in 1805 it remains the world’s oldest barbershop and boasts the title of Royal Warrant holders to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.

The knowledge and experience contained within the walls of the Truefitt & Hill barbershops extends to the talent and wide skillset of the barbers who welcome gentlemen every day for all their grooming needs.

We speak to Dom Sicilia, the owner of Truefitt & Hill in Toronto to talk about why the brand is still as relevant today, as it was back in 1805.

Dom discovered Truefitt & Hill while he was visiting London some 25 years ago and he had the aim of bringing the brand to Toronto. It took a couple of years to convince them, but eventually, Dom and his business partner, Rick Ricci, who is a barber, were given the agreement to open the ship in Bay Street in Toronto’s Financial District.

What was so special about Truefitt & Hill that had Dom traveling halfway across the world to bring it back to Canada? “What piqued my interest was that it was one of the only men’s grooming lounges in the world that catered at a sophisticated level to a gentleman's refinery. A place where politicians, lawyers, accountants, and movie stars could go and be pampered in a man’s environment. I’ll give you an example. Our hot lather shave is a nine-steam towel, cocoa butter cream, straight razor shave. It’s a man’s facial. Some of the clients would never be comfortable going to a regular salon to get a facial, but Truefitt gives them that boy’s club that they desire. Our barbers are all in crisp white shirts with bow ties, they are experts in doing scissor over combs cutting techniques and the luxury Truefitt straight razor shave routine which takes six months to perfect. We see a lot of new barbershops open every month in North America, but nobody is opening a ship with the traditional values that Truefitt & Hill demonstrate daily.

Truefitt & Hill is known worldwide for its exquisite barbershops, however, the other jewel in its crown is the extensive product line that it produces.

Formulated with a blend of rare, natural, and sophisticated essences, that also boast sustainability, the luxury grooming line is tailored for the modern man.

Grouped into various collections, the range of products is unmatched. Offerings for shaving, hair care, skincare, fragrances, bath and body and accessories and gifts, the products have been researched and refined for as long as the brand has been around. And the products continue to be a large part of the brand’s fame.

Dom continues: “We take into account that our clients come to us to forget their busy professional lives, we don’t have a distracting radio playing, we have maybe Frank Sinatra or some jazz music playing. We don’t have TVs, we are trying to provide a place of calm. They left the office to get 45 minutes of peace, and we don’t have a clock and worrying about being somewhere else.

“Our shop is adorned in mahogany and oak and we have antique Koken barber chairs in our Toronto shop.”

Antique barber chairs are a beautiful addition to a traditional barbershop, but they are so rare it is almost impossible to find matching chairs. There are 35 Truefitt & Hill shops around the world, so the chances of having the same antique chairs in all the shops are impossible. Another issue with antique chairs is that they require service. Dom said: “They are like old trucks they don’t operate efficiency without constant maintenance.”

Keeping the classic looks of the shops intact, a more modern alternative to the antique chairs had to be found, and the in-depth research pointed straight toward Collins for its manufacturing superiority.

Maintaining that traditional feel of quality and legacy in the other Truefitt & Hill shops has been achieved by furnishing the shops with beautiful Collins chairs.

Azhar Kazim is the owner of the Truefitt & Hill barbershop in Chicago, and he feels that the classic look of his Collins chairs has been a tremendous addition to his beautiful shop.

Azhar said: “The Collins chairs are traditional classics. For one thing, they are very comfortable, and that’s not just my own opinion, our clients love them. We have a very buddy shop here and our clients love them. We have a very busy shop here and our clients are in the chairs for a ;east 30 minutes up to 45 minutes, so we need the chairs to be part of the experience.

“Our old chairs were just that, old, and we had a have a little cushion on the back to increase the comfort. Of course, we don’t have to do that anymore. Now clients can sit back and relax during their service without having to worry about being uncomfortable, plus they are a really good size for everyone who visits.”

Azhar’s chairs are the Collins Commander II chairs, which can come in many different colors. He continues: “Whenever we are doing our shave services, the most important thing is that the chair does not shake. We offer more than just shaves we also offer services like stress reliving massages that involve a lot of motion and movement from the client and when we recline the chair we know that the Collins chairs are always so steady and that’s really important.”

The journey toward investing in Collins chairs came from recommendations from other users of the brand. Azhar said: “Because we had not had new chairs before we were rather hesitant, but when we got them and started to physically use them in our daily operations, we liked them more and more. And if we ever open further locations, we will most definitely have the same chairs. They fit in so well with our aesthetic, and the comfort and stability are unmatched.”