Being a curly is hard. I grew up with the most terrible nicknames as a consequence of my hair. I still spend a great deal of time, effort and money trying to tame my hair, usually without success and so I also spend a lot of my time looking enviously at women with sleek, frizz free mops.
When I moved to DC two years ago, I was thrilled when a fellow curly recommended Fiddleheads at Dupont Circle - finally a place that specializes in curlies! My experience with Fiddleheads was amazing. For those who have never seen it, its on the corner of 17th and P on the first floor. Charming place, where books and glasses of wine while you wait are happily offered and accepted. The haircuts are great too. Finally, I had a haircut that defined my curls, my hair felt glam rather than shabby and it was a wonderful experience. I had found true love.
My relationship with Fiddleheads hit a speed bump when last week in desperate need of a haircut I called and could not get an appointment. Quite by accident later that day, I was at a mall in Ballston that boasted of a Haircuttery. I have never had my hair cut at Haircuttery before. I understood from the adverts on TV that its a $16 haircut. Why not, I thought feeling adventurous. The haircut was well worth the $16.
It got me thinking about how the two places - Haircuttery and Fiddleheads- compare. So here I am, writing the headnotes for the case of Haircuttery v. Fiddleheads.
Haircuttery was anything but charming. It was any basic salon in a mall. Fiddleheads has charm. On the flip side, that charm comes at a price. I have been happily shelling out $60 plus 20% tip per visit for a wash and cut at Fiddleheads. Haircuttery was all of $16 plus 20% tip making it less than one third of the price. The haircut itself at Haircuttery was almost as good as Fiddleheads, I thought. However, Kalli who cut my hair, did not scrunch it but ran her fingers through it, ruining my post cut curls - but that was a minor detail. I liked the haircut. The experience at Fiddleheads is always chatty and relatively social. Haircuttery is all business and the deed is done quicker. I always have to wait at Fiddleheads, at Haircuttery I walked in without an appointment and there was no wait. Maybe I lucked out, but given my experience at Haircuttery, I think I may have a few more $16 haircuts headed my way!
