Original Gents

Makers • Erik and Eugene Potts

Ages • Both are 41

Family • Erik has three sons; Eugene is married with one son.

Home • Florissant

What they make • The Potts brothers make and sell Original Gents premium men’s grooming products and boxed gift sets, primarily for beard care and maintenance.

Where to buy • Precise Haircuts, Florissant; Haircuts Barbershop, Rock Hill; La Foi Hair Imports and Beauty Supply, St. Louis; Mane Coarse Barbershop, St. Ann. Their products are also available online at originalgents.com

How much • Beard care items individually priced from $10 to $12. Boxed sets from $30 to $45.

Twin brothers Erik and Eugene Potts entered the premium men’s grooming products business soon after Eugene decided to grow out his beard. “My wife wasn’t totally on board with the idea,” he says.

As children, the twin brothers admired their father’s full beard. When Eugene decided to grow his beard, he remembered the lessons he and Erik learned from both parents about living with pride in all aspects of life. “Our mom often told us ‘Respect yourself, and take pride in your appearance,’ so I wanted to maintain my beard properly, as my father had,” Eugene said. “I did some investigating. I have some background in cosmetology from years ago, so I started using the beard products I made on myself.”

His twin, Erik, who has a background in chemistry and business, soon joined him. Their products worked so well, the twins decided to market them. Eugene’s 20-year career in sales helped open doors at barber shops, at a wholesale beauty supply business and at a series of pop-up markets.

What’s in a name? • “At Original Gents, we’re about style and appearance. In the old days, people dressed up,” Eugene says. “Men had a decorum about themselves. In the 1990s, Erik and I wore hand-tied bowties, an old-fashioned style we updated to our contemporary look. Today, gentlemen may have facial hair, an Afro or tattoos to express themselves in a contemporary style, but we stress keeping those looks polished.”

Both brothers believe style and good grooming depend on a person’s willingness to take the time to take care of himself. “A man can wear be a hand-me-down suit but still look good, dignified and well put-together,” Erik says. “As our mother told us, ‘Always put your best foot forward. You never know who you will come in contact with.’ It’s pretty rare to see either of us in the grocery store in basketball shorts.”

“A gentleman recognizes another gentleman,” Eugene says, “That’s how we named the business.”

A dapper Edwardian gentleman • We asked if the dapper gent who looks out confidently from Original Gents labels was perhaps a relative of the brothers. “He is not, but we were influenced by our aunt and uncle, who were one of the first tenants at St. Louis Centre,” Erik says. “They owned the store Little Africa, which carried books, artifacts and clothes. We’ve been interested in business since we modeled for them when we were in the third grade. They were our early role models for business.”

Made by hand, made to work • “We make everything by hand in small batches. Our cleaners and conditioners are plant-based. We use beeswax from a local beekeeper in Florissant. It’s important to us to source locally. We don’t use artificial colors or fragrances.” Eugene says. “Our business has grown so fast; we would like to outsource some of the production without compromising quality in the products. Right now we sell beard wash, conditioner, beard oil and beard balm. These are specialized products to keep beards looking good. We are developing a new body wash, and we’re also looking at ways to expand our brand and our presence in the community.”

Two gentlemen’s work is society’s gain • “We’re not just a beard company. We want to encourage people to adopt a gentleman’s mind-set, which includes pride in everything you do,” Eugene says. “We’ve been working with local barbers to help homeless veterans look better so they can get jobs and to show someone cares about them. We’re just now in the process of creating a nonprofit company that would teach and promote a shoeshine trade in St. Louis. It’s a cost-effective way to get veterans back to work for a very small investment,” Eugene says. It will be the second community-focused project for Erik. In 2013, he created the nonprofit group Cycle Dads to help dads connect with their children and to improve themselves physically, mentally and emotionally through cycling.

Beard postscript • At holiday pop-ups, women buying gifts for the bearded men in their lives made up 60 percent of Original Gents’ sales. “Women want their guys to be well-groomed,” Eugene says. “My wife was skeptical, but once she saw that I kept my beard shaped and cared for, she liked it.”