I cry when I get my hair cut…well, OK, after I get it cut. An inch off feels too short to me but I know it’s necessary to fight split ends. Anyway, I’ve been trying different salons in my quest to find a hairstylist who understands me and my special hair needs. I’ve tried a $65 cut/style at Steam and Fred Segal Beauty student night for cheap, but have never found a place that offered cheap and hip.
So when I heard about Rudy’s Barber Shop at the Standard from a hip and money-challenged friend, I thought it was worth a shot. For my long hair, a cut (just a cut) costs $24. But to get it blown out and styled, it’s an extra $20. “I can deal with that since I don’t usually like how hair stylists style my hair anyway,” I thought to myself. It’s true, after a cut I usually go home, cry a little and try to style it myself to where I’m happy with it.
And Rudy’s is located off the lobby in the Standard on Sunset. A hip location, movie stars galore, young and beautiful Hollywood-ites. I called to put my name on the list. They don’t take reservations, but rather you call the same day and make an “ish” appointment. “I was thinking of coming in around 5-ish?”
I got my appointment but when I got there they said it would be about a half hour so I thought I could kill time by getting a drink by the pool and asked them to come and get me when they were ready.
Bad idea. First off, the servers in the pool area were very rude in that they completely ignored me. I wasn’t alone so how could they not see three people sitting together at one table in an empty room (we weren’t sitting by the pool, but in the dining room off the pool area)? When we finally managed to jump in front of one, they begrudgingly handed us menus. After looking at the prices, I opted out.
After 30 minutes of not hearing back from the barber shop, I went back to see what was the hold up. “It’ll be another 20 minutes…” Long story shortened a bit: I finally got in the chair. The stylist was nice, no attitude. Asked me what I wanted and was very understanding when I wanted to walk out of there with wet hair. The cut was fine and I have gotten compliments on it, but not getting it styled made me feel like I was missing out on an entire experience. However, I don’t know if I’ll go back.
I imagine paying $45 to get my hair cut and styled at Rudy’s and it doesn’t feel as much of a treat to myself as when I went to Goodform or Pacheco’s or any actual salon where for about $60-plus you get the bonus of scalp massage with your hair shampooed, and then a nice cut and a blow dry/style.
I guess I want to be pampered to soften the trauma of a hair cut and Rudy’s just doesn’t do that. So if you want a step up from a Fantastic Sam’s experience a la Sunset Strip, go to Rudy’s. But for that “just stepped out of a salon” glow, head elsewhere.
8300 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90069-1516
(323) 650-5669
Mon-Sat 9am-9pm; Sun 11am-7pm