Photo Credit: Tailored Salon
There are plenty of excellent hair salons in San Francisco, but one that has recently caught our attention and completely swept us away is Tailored salon. From stylists Nicole Brown and Todd J. Strelitz, Tailored opened a little over a year ago on Sutter Street near Union Square. Like many salons downtown, Tailored is a couple of floors above street level, so you won’t notice it when you’re walking by. Elevator doors open on to the airy, bright salon that has a modern industrial atmosphere that’s sophisticated, but not fussy. There’s coiled up black cords hanging from the ceiling, brightly colored patio furniture in the waiting room, and custom-built moveable wood mirrored stations for each of the artists. Tailored truly offers an unparalleled hair experience and here’s five reasons that illustrate why.
1. Tailored cuts. A graduate of the Vidal Sassoon Academy, Creative Director Nicole Brown has over 13 years of cutting experience and is a something of a scissors expert who has traveled the world teaching others how to cut hair. She believes that each cut should be tailored to the individual and takes into consideration a client’s face shape. Cuts are fashion-oriented and feature graceful grow outs. Rarely does Brown perform an entire cut on wet hair as this results in blunt shapes that might not highlight the client’s face. Instead she starts the cut on wet hair and finishes the face framing when the hair is dry.
Photo Credit: Tailored Salon
2. Artful atmosphere. Tailored salon is also an art gallery. Since the Tailored team finds immense inspiration in art and fashion, the salon features a changing installation of artwork by local artists. Past shows have included Maria Forde, Ben Johnston, and Sam Lee. Loyal Tailored customers look forward to checking out the new artwork each time they set foot in the salon.
3. Unpretentious stylists. Sometimes sought after stylists can be pompous or unapproachable, but that’s not the case with the Tailored team. With piercing blue eyes and a banged A-line bob cut, Brown is effortlessly chic, but wildly down to earth. The new mom jokes with clients while providing tips on how to style hair at home. The mood is collaborative, friendly, and encouraging.
Photo Credit: Tailored Salon
4. Hard to find products. Tailored carries highly coveted brands including the Australian line by Kevin Murphy, Number 4, Reverie, and Davines. Brown’s a huge fan of Murphy’s collection and his skincare-like approach to haircare.
5. Lux extras. We’re suckers for the little details and a perfectly frothy and rich cappuccino presented to us in the waiting room gets us every time. The staff also take great care in each step of the process. A double shampooing ensures that the blow out lasts several days. An extensive head massage during the shampoo provides ultimate relaxation. A black silk kimono safeguards against stray hairs landing on the clothes. Gentle blow-drying and delicious smelling products are also pluses. Another one? Brown doesn’t set a time limit for any of her stylists and feels that if a cut and dry takes more than an hour, so be it.
