Working with a straight razor in hand might help overcome shyness. Just ask master barber Cheryl Meyers, who uses a single-blade, straight-edge razor to provide closer-than-close shaves at Heimie's Haberdashery in downtown St. Paul.

"I was a shier person and I wanted to be able to talk to people," said Meyers, who has been a barber for 27 years. "So this helped me to talk to people."

She liked working with hair and had studied commercial art, so when her machine operator job went overseas, barber school in Minneapolis seemed like a natural fit.

Clients include pro athletes, doctors and lawyers, grooms and groomsmen, actors and hipster musicians, and regular guys.

The traditional shave, Meyers said, begins with a hot towel, Truefitt & Hill lemon oil and a mini massage. After a second hot towel, Meyers applies warm shaving cream and goes to work with that iconic blade on the 14 shaving areas of your face. A cold towel and aftershave — Meyers prefers Bay Rum Lime — complete the experience.

Meyers loves the retro ambience at Heimie's, with its dark wood, throwback decor and racks of fine men's clothing — sporting goods, tailored goods and custom goods, as manager Vincent Jenny explained. A variety hats and a selection of stogies add to the old-school atmosphere.

Heimie's features sportcoats, dress trousers and suits, including custom-made, or bespoke suits. "That means it has to be made on premises," Jenny said. "Outside of Chicago and New York, there are not many places in the country that do that."

Meyers: If you have a microwave you can heat up a towel and put it over your face and use a Mach3. That works well. A little lemon oil and you're good.