Okay guys, so my hair was looking like a thick jungle again, seriously overdue for a chop. And I mean, way past “just a trim” territory. Saw a pic of Emily Kaplan – you know, that awesome hockey reporter? Her hair always looks sharp, that perfect kinda messy-but-polished lob. Figured, hey, why not try to chase that look? So I decided to hunt down where she might get it done, or at least find a place that could get me close.
The Starting Point: Pure Frustration
Looked at my own reflection. Bangs flopping in my eyes, ends split and fried – total hot mess. Knew I needed change, bad. That pic of Kaplan with her killer, textured cut? Yeah, that became the goal. Zero clue where she actually goes, obviously. Like, she doesn’t post salon selfies tagging her stylist. So my plan? Hit up some fancy spots around NYC and LA that get mentioned for celeb sightings. Figured the odds were decent at one of the big names.
Salon Safari Begins (Trial & Error Galore)
Grabbed my phone, started digging. Wasn’t gonna just walk into any old place. Nope. Focused on high-end salons known for stylists who do that kinda cool-girl, lived-in hair Kaplan rocks. Booked consultations at three spots people whisper about celebs using:
- Place #1: Glossy & Expensive Downtown NYC. Walked in, felt fancy as heck. Showed the stylist a pic. They nodded, seemed to get it. But man, the cut felt… careful? Like they were sculpting marble. Ended up super sleek, super blunt. Sharp? Sure. Looked amazing? Absolutely. But the messy, effortless vibe Kaplan has? Zero percent. More like “expensive lawyer” than “chills in the hockey arena.” Cost a kidney too. Not the vibe.
- Place #2: Trendy “It Girl” Spot in LA. Whole different energy. Loud music, super cool stylist. Told her I wanted Kaplan’s kinda messy lob. She was all “Yeah! Piece-y! Texture! We got you!” And she went nuts with the thinning shears, razors, you name it. Result? SO MUCH texture. Like, too much. Hair looked shredded, almost feathery. Way too punk rock, not enough polished sportscaster. Good energy, wrong shape for me. Back to square one.
- Place #3: Low-Key Studio in Brooklyn. Feeling kinda defeated at this point. Almost chickened out. Found this studio through a photographer friend who mentioned stylists there being low-key geniuses with natural texture. It looked tiny online, no big flashy name. Consultant call felt different – stylist actually asked about my hair texture, how I actually live, how much effort I wanna put in, not just “show me the pic.”
Finally, Landing the Look (Maybe!)
That Brooklyn stylist? She looked at Kaplan’s pic, nodded, but then spent ages feeling my hair. Said, “Okay, cool reference, but yours is thicker/coarser/straighter (fill in your hair type!), we need to adapt it for you.” Music to my ears! She talked about internal layers, about keeping weight off the ends but not taking out too much bulk, about how to cut it so when I inevitably air-dry it (because lazy), it would still fall kinda cool. Did she replicate Kaplan’s cut exactly? Probably not. But OMG this place – they got the spirit of it. It moves! It has body! It dries looking kinda intentional even when I just wash and go! Sleek enough to look professional but tossable and not stiff. THAT’S the vibe I think Kaplan nails.
So… Bottom Line?
No idea if Emily Kaplan actually snips her hair at any of these spots. Maybe hers is cut in a random airport salon between flights! The big, flashy celeb salons? Got me precision and cool factor, but missed the effortless mark that suits my actual life. That smaller spot focused on my hair and realistic styling? That’s where the magic (or at least, the “good enough” hair day) finally happened. Moral of the story: Forget chasing the exact stylist. Chase the stylist who looks at your head and gets what you need to look like your best self, even if it’s inspired by someone else.