Fringe

Stephanie Byxbe is the bomb! I recently went into Fringe not knowing what to expect after 10 years of searching long and hard for my go-​to stylist — enduring some pretty bad cut/​colors over the years. Historically, stylists would presume I wanted a certain look even after much coaching, or they just had an overall attitude problem which is just plain uncomfortable. Not with Stephanie. Not only did she give me the look I have been craving, but she was very approachable and made me feel welcome through conversation, jokes and her incredibly infectious laugh. She treated me like I was her only client, truly taking the time to talk to me about what I wanted, making sure I was comfortable with every step of the experience and never rushing the process just to get me out the door like some salons are known to do. Stephanie has an amazing background in styling and her experience really came through during my visit. At the end of the day, Stephanie is a great stylist and I highly recommend her to anyone looking for someone to be their go-​to.

I love this place and the bigger space is amazing! Ronnie gave me manicure and she has a great personality. Hysterical and very down to Earth. Next, Emily gave me a fantastic blowout before a date. Great conversationalist and my hair looked just how I had asked (messy and voluminous) I highly recommend this place!

Christina did an amazing job on my hair. She easily understood what I wanted and did a fantastic job cutting and dying my hair with multiple colors. She excels in this department! She was also fun to chat with while she did her magic.

So confused I called in for a manicure I’m on Ashland and Milwaukee and she tells me she has to ask the nail tech cause it’s cutting it close… to what?
Then she says the nail tech can’t do it.
But she was able too before they spoke?

I had a great experience with Ashley at Fringe for a cut & color. I came in with a picture of what I wanted, but didn’t really know any specifics or how to achieve it. Ashley got it immediately, asked specific questions to gauge what I liked and didn’t like, and delivered exactly what I wanted. This was my first time ever getting my hair colored, and she made me feel totally comfortable and explained everything very clearly, including how to extend the life of my color. She also was totally honest with me in telling me I didn’t need an add-​on service that would have been an extra charge. Fringe’s services aren’t the cheapest around, but I feel like I got my money’s worth. I love my hair (which is a new experience for me!) and I’ll definitely be back.

First of all, the atmosphere in the salon was really nice. The receptionist was sweet, and immediately pointed me toward the little coffee/​tea bar they have near the coat closet, where they have actual mugs for actual coffee. I got two waxing services done by Susan, after I bought a Gilt City voucher, and it was probably the best wax I’ve ever had. I usually go to the nearest European Wax Center, so I’m used to cheap and inconsistent but good-​enough waxes, but I’ve been to upscale salons a few times. This (needless to say) was much better than EWC. She was chatty and very nice, and they are much more attentive to modesty than any other waxing salon I’ve ever been to, it was a nice touch! The whole service didn’t feel rushed at all, she did a very thorough job, but ended up taking only about 30 minutes for both services. They had a package deal (maybe for first-​time customers? I’m not sure) on waxes which I promptly bought when they pointed it out. It’s a long drive and there’s only street parking, but it’s worth it!

Amber transformed my hair. I had been gradually trying to get very blonde ends and during my last appointment the stylist put too much toner in my hair and took off all my years of work. I decided to take a break and let my hair grow out, and then I decided to try Fringe and I was not disappointed.
Amber walked me through the whole process, and did an outstanding job. I now have my gorgeous blonde ends again and I’m going back to her in a few weeks for a touch up. Which by the way I now have to do less because she’s so good at what she does.
If you have two-​tone hair of any color, Amber is your girl.
Thanks for doing a great job.

Emily did a wonderful job on my cut and color. It had been a year since I colored my hair, so I really appreciated that Emily took the time to talk (and Pinterest) through my ideas until we came up with the highlights that I was hoping for. Highly recommend her to anyone!

I have been coming to Amber for over a year now after reading great reviews on Unilocal.Amber knows her craft extremely well and can provide the exact service I need without hesitation. She has done color correction, ombré, partial highlight, full highlights and great cuts. I always leave the salon feeling fabulous. I highly recommend a visit to Amber

Hip, chic and friendly. Amber Hug is a hair artist! She helped me achieve the drastic, edgy style change I was seeking, she cut over 18 inches off my hair patiently and beautifully. I love my hair cut!!! Going back for color, can’t wait.

This locale is spacious and hip with a highly professional staff. The value is good in light of the high quality especially with the free trims between full cuts. My stylist Amber does a great job with my professional male cut. Although it would be nice if they allowed tipping on credit cards (to allow one transaction per visit), this is a minor hassle; I highly recommend Fringe overall.

There’s a mass of healthy shiny locks of purple on my head and it’s thanks to the amazing Amber that worked hair magic on me yesterday. I had wanted to get an appointment with her after I saw my coworker’s hair and about died because it was gorgeous. I got Amber’s name and salon phone number where she worked and booked an appointment right away. I told her I wanted a pastel lavender purple hair, I just knew I wanted to leave purple! I did have some doubts if it would be possible to do in one sitting, especially since I have long black Asian hair. But Amber sat me down and said you’re in good hands. Honestly, I’m at the point where I’m confident to say no other hands will touch my hair. She talked me through everything she was doing and checked on me repeatedly to make sure everything was going along well. I love her excitement for her work, it definitely kept me calm because this was such a drastic change for me. After the bleaching process in which I saw how healthy my hair was still, I just gave her artistic license and told her she can play with the colors however she wanted, but just keep it to purple tones. And it turned out better than I could have imagined! I’m so in love with this look. Everybody was super friendly too! It was rainy that day and I walked in soaked, but the receptionist up front was kind enough to ask if I needed a towel to dry up. It was such a nice atmosphere to walk into. It’s a little out of the way for me because I live around Lincoln Square, but I’ve found a keeper and I’m done shopping for my go to hair salon.

Dear Management,
Your receptionist will scare paying customers away. I work in the area and people ALWAYS ask me about my hair and where I get it done at. I decided to try something different yesterday, but sadly left your establishment thinking, «jeeze if your receptionist (front face for salon) is that rude, I wonder if the services can be just as bad» I will never return and I will never recommend your salon to anyone. Train your receptionist some manners, it will do her and your business some good.

Came in with a botched at-​home color and hair that needed to be cut. Emily took the time to fix my hair color and give me a trim. She did two color processes that made my hair look natural and normal again (it was grayish green from drugstore dye), yay! For what she did, the price was pretty good too. Will be back!

All I can say is that Patrick does an AMAZING job with my hair color and cuts! :o) I get complimented on my hair color all the time and I definitely have Patrick to thank for his GREAT skills! :o) Highly recommend! :o)

One star for the polite April Joy who refunded my money, comped me a hair product, and calmly listened and had a conversation with me as I felt hysterical. The other girl at the front desk who had proceeded to charge me after this cut had mumbled a «sorry» when I told her how upset i was that Emily cut 4 inches off instead of 2.
Here’s a little context: I’m a new mom, my son’s christening is in 4 weeks, my sister’s wedding in 12 weeks, and I battle weak hair due to a thyroid condition.
My go-​to stylists are Hans at Maxine and Daniel at Salon U. They are that good that I will post them in another salon’s review. Sadly, both were unavailable this weekend and my hair had started the post-​partum falling out. I needed a haircut desperately.
I gambled & scheduled a haircut with Emily since we were going to be in the neighborhood for eye exams. My first mistake was not asking what level of a stylist she was. During my hair wash, I asked how long she had been at the salon and she said it was her FIRST WEEK. Red flag! Still, I thought «I have pictures, all I need is a trim, this might work.»
I showed her multiple photos, told her where I wanted the shortest layer to be. She proceeds to take her scissors and cut straight across at that level. I said that’s really short, even for the front and that’s not face-​framing — that’s a cut! She said it was longer in the back. Okkkk, bad answer #1. Instead of showing me the back, she continues cutting away. I picked up some of the hair and said this is about 3 – 4 inches and she says, no, it’s maybe 2 – 2.5 at the most. Bad answer #2. She should have stopped right there, asked questions, freakin brought out a measuring tape, anything to soothe the client, but rather, she insisted on her opinion. I wanted to tell her to stop, that I would just have Hans or Daniel fix it and I am SO MAD at myself for not stopping her. Hans always holds up the hair right before he cuts and asks «is this good?» That, a technique of a stylist who charges $ 110 for a haircut.
My second mistake: trusting her. She’s the stylist, she should know wet hair is not the same length as dry hair! No, that’s an assumption and never again will I be so polite. Well, NEVER again will I let Emily touch my hair.
In the end, she cut 4 inches off. No style, no length. I fought back tears while I was in the chair and after I was done. It had taken me 5 months to get that length! Now I’m going to wear my hair up for the next two months, have to get extensions for the big events and soothe my self esteem. Bad hair and baby weight are a double whammy.
I think she heard mom, suburb, dead hair and gave me what she thought fit her vision. She clearly did not translate the picture I brought into her cutting. I could be really mean and say she literally did not see the vision, even with those glasses, but her non-​work speaks for itself.
If anyone’s interested, I have photos from a wedding the night before and my hair afterward. No exaggeration, it was 4 inches and THAT is NOT a trim.
I should also mention, I took off a star for this: I had paid, walked out, was crying at the car, decided I needed to talk to the manager, so I went back. All the stylists were gathered around at the front desk and, seeing me, scattered like little roaches. Emily literally stood up and ran off to the back. Seriously? Grow a pair. When you see a client walk back in, after not tipping you, making it clear that you cut her hair way too short, the least you could do is stand up and ask «what’s up?» And I didn’t even need to mention my name, they knew who I was, BY NAME. Gossip, much?

Keith is great. He’s been my go-​to hair guy for a couple years. He’s super nice, easy to talk to, and most importantly always gives me a fantastic cut. I walk into Fringe with a thick head of hair, looking really hit up. I walk out of Fringe looking and feeling fresh!

I really dislike giving bad reviews… but I just had to say something about this experience.
I worked with Keith. He’s super nice and very attentive, but, unfortunately, I just don’t think his skills are up to par for thick wavy asian hair. I had very long, thick, unruly hair and wanted to get about 6 inches chopped off for the summer. I’m a busy student and usually like to keep my hair low maintenance (air dry with some product). My hair is naturally wavy, so it looks decent with air-​drying. I brought in a couple pics of the hairstyle I wanted and showed Keith. The girls in the pics had layered hair about 4 inches past the shoulders. Instead of cutting off about 6 inches of my hair to match the pics, I had almost a foot of hair chopped off. My hair was maybe just past my shoulders at this point. Initially, I thought, fine, whatever, my hair has been this length before. I can deal. However, as the cut came to an end, I realized that not only was the length too short, but the bottom of my hair was still SUPER thick. I always ask for my hair to be thinned out with those thinning scissors because I just have so much thick hair. However, when I ran my fingers through my hair after the cut, the hair on the bottom felt like it had been chopped straight across with no thinning/​layering/​texturing whatsoever. It looked decent coming out of the salon, but after showering the next day, my hair literally looked like one of those poodle cuts that puff out at the bottom. Not only that, the right side of my hair was actually a full inch and half shorter than the left side! I spent about an hour trying to fix my own hair at home afterwards, and the only time my hair looks decent enough to wear down is when I blow dry and straighten the snot out of it (otherwise I wear my hair in a ponytail daily now). Needless to say, I will never be coming back here. Sorry to rag on you, Keith. You were very professional, maybe you are just not meant to cut this type of hair.
For comparison, I’ve visited many popular Chicago salons in the past: Twisted Scissors, Marianne Strokirk, Art and Science, etc. and have never disliked a cut as much as I dislike this one. I usually don’t get cuts too often, but I will be visiting another salon shortly to get this cut fixed.

I refuse to go anywhere else to get my haircut.
Adam and Christina are the best!!!
I walk away with a fantastic haircut every time, and they always grow out fabulously.

I’ve been going to fringe salon for Brazilian waxes with Susan for about six months. A friend highly recommended her years ago but I finally moved to the neighborhood and decided to give her a try. I loved her from day one! Kind, down-​to-​earth, friendly, beautiful woman! Her waxes are quick and easy with no irritation. We catch up and all of sudden she’s done.
I have been going shorter with my haircut for awhile now and finally decided to delve into a pixie when a friend recommended Amber. I felt super comfortable with her right away. She took the time to get to know my lifestyle and desires for my hair– which was super low-​maintenace with some longer side bangs. I have wavy hair and I like my hair to be styled straight when I go in for haircuts because it makes it feel like a special occasion to have your hair styled professionally (they always do it better than I can!). The haircut looked great in a straight style and I appreciated that flexibility. It falls amazing when wavy too, which is how I wear it mostly. I love being able to run my hands through my short hair and keep my wavy curls messy. This cut is so easy, I love it! I just went for a cut this time but I was also recommended for her coloring skills too. Check this chika out!