The Pantyhose Barber

Say the word “barbershop” and you’ve probably already conjured an image in your head: white walls and a cheery cleanliness. The Pantyhose Barber is no exception, mixing old school vintage with classic flair. But while haircuts are her beat, Rita Pereira has built a small pantyhose-centric empire out of her space on Dundas West.

Rita is open about her rough start: after spending many years bouncing around the foster care system, she realized she had a natural aptitude for cutting hair and decided to run with it. She worked in various salons before starting up Salon Beauty Mark, which closed in 2013. Rita knew how difficult running a business could be but felt motivated to open a full-service beauty salon again. And so The Pantyhose Barber was born, offering quick quality haircuts in the heart of Little Portugal in 2015.

The only thing left? A name. Strapped for inspiration, Rita turned to her own “uniform”: a dress, heels and, of course, pantyhose. She could never have imagined how it would take off. "Within the first week from social media, I got messages from fans around the world,” she says.