“So, how long do we have?” Sherrie asked.
“I have all afternoon, no hurry,” I said.
“Good, I like everything to be perfect,” she said.      
She leaned my leather recliner back just enough that my eyes matched with the 21-inch flat-screen mounted to the wall playing Sports Center. Yes, it was love at first sight.
I was watching a Jordanesque LeBron highlight on ESPN’s morning Top 10 while my master barber, Sherrie, began shaping an amazing style cut for me. The days of watching Oprah and listening to wives’ stories in barbershops are over. Well, they are over if you are willing to fork out a few extra dollars to indulge in the truly masculine experience you’ll get at Old South Barber Spa.     
Sherrie, who has been working for eight years at her craft, and the other master barbers and stylists at the men’s-only Old South Barber Spa are completely devoted to making their clients feel comfortable, and, of course, providing an impeccable grooming experience.      
“I wanted to create an old men’s club where guys can come and be guys,” said Old South Barber Spa owner Joe Specter. “A place where guys can come and have all the amenities of a modern barber spa setting and have a great time during the experience.”      
The three-story location on lower State Street in Charleston’s French Quarter provides multiple levels of comfort. The reception desk and lounge make up the ground floor. The lounge is exactly what it sounds like: a finely furnished area with a full bar and cigar-friendly patio and garden where Old South’s patrons can forget about their lives, jobs and women while waiting for a trim.      
On the way up the stairs, two things are evident. The first is that this building took a lot of work to restore. The second is that Old South did a wonderful job of it (the hardwood floors are a dead giveaway).
Specter has done everything he can to keep the architectural fabric intact. There are three styling rooms on the second floor, all decked out with old-style barber chairs, fine furnishings and wall-mounted televisions. “Quality over quantity” is certainly the underlying theme of the establishment. In fact, unlike most “get-in get-out” barbershops, Old South allots 40 to 60 minutes for each appointment to leave enough time for patrons to completely relax.      
The third floor is where the magic happens. There are two full-service massage rooms, each with its own cloud-like massage table and walk-in shower. Old South employs male and female massage therapists as well, allowing the customer to choose the level of intensity.      
All three floors of Old South are a testament to the fact that a man needs to feel at home where he gets his hair cut. The service should be focused on the customer, not gossip floating in and out of the barber chairs.
Old South Barber Spa is unique in bringing that classic style back to the 21st century. Although the service is a bit pricey, $24 for a cut with the student discount, what other place offers a free drink and shoeshine with their services?
Nowhere in downtown Charleston, that’s for sure.