Envogue Salon: Dads Bond With Daughters by Learning To Style Hair

Daddy's Little Girls

Calli Huebl-Bodilis came up with the idea for Beer and Braids—a special father-daughter hairstyling class that she now offers at Envogue Salon in Denver, CO, after her husband Stephan approached her with the idea. A male co-worker of his could not figure out how to style his daughter’s hair for school and was late to a meeting, which triggered a light-bulb moment for Huebl-Bodilis. “I realized there really was a need for this class because dads these days are more hands-on than ever before,” she says.

Huebl-Bodilis offers Beer and Braids classes every six to eight weeks on Friday evenings in the salon, which closes just for the event so the dads feel more comfortable. The hour-long, one-on-one lessons—each dad gets his own stylist—cost $55 and include three basic looks: a ponytail, braid and a ballet bun. After the coaching, the dads get to create their own look, and at the end of the class, the stylists judge the hairstyles. “I believe all guys like a little competition,” says Huebl-Bodilis. The winner receives a six-pack of beer from a local brewery, but all of the dads go home with a goody bag that includes Unite 7Seconds Leave-In Conditioner, The Wet Brush and a packet of barrettes. The events have been so popular—“The dads leave with more confidence,” says Huebl-Bodilis—that the class is booked up through the end of 2015. As for the father-daughter bonding that takes place, well, that was icing on the cake.—Kamala Kirk, West Coast Editor