Swerve Salon

Just had a blowdry with Demi and she’s fantastic. I didn’t know they was up charge to style but she wanted to make sure that I was happy so she added the waves. Great customer service. would totally go back and recommend. Plus I got a ton of compliments on my hair. Thanks Demi!

So happy with my haircut! I was looking for a salon in Chicago that offered top services but wouldn’t put a dent in my wallet. I came across this place through online searching for a place close to where I live. This little gem was right around the corner from me! I read all of the great reviews from other happy clients and I was confident that I wouldn’t be disappointed so I scheduled an appointment for the next day. The staff is very friendly and the salon is so clean and modern. My stylist was Caitlin and she was energetic and conversational– Not to mention she gave an amazing condition to my hair that was so relaxing I didn’t want it to end. I must have taken off at least 3 inches from my super long hair but the layers were cut to perfection and I can honestly say that I haven’t been this satisfied with my haircut in years. Can’t wait to go back!

I had a wonderful experience at Swerve this week. I am always a little apprehensive about going to a new stylist, but Nicole was AWESOME! We talked through how I wanted my hair colored and cut and she had great ideas on how to tailor my ideas to what would look best with my natural color and hair type. As she used different hair products in my hair she talked through the purpose of the product, but was not pushy about getting me to purchase anything. I LOVE how my hair turned out. The cut & color were exactly what I was looking for. Thanks, Nicole! I will definitely be back!

I absolutely love Swerve Salon! Joe was recommended to me by a close friend and he is awesome! You walk in and you’re greeted with a glass of wine and a beautiful salon. I have shorter hair and have been trying to grow out my bob (due to my wedding in October) — Joe has been so helpful with making me comfortable with growing my hair out! He gives a great cut! I have also never dyed my hair and I’ve entrusted him with that as well, go to Swerve and go see Joe!

This review is for Lindsay as she is the only one I have gone to at this salon for brows and brazillian. I love her!
The salon is also super clean and chic and I would go there for any other services as well!

About two years ago I booked a last minute hair cut appointment in a bind at Swerve… years later I am still going to swerve and the same stylist. Danielle is absolutely amazing. She has cut and colored my hair several times now and I have always left so happy. The atmosphere at the salon is inviting and friendly. I have not only recommended so many of my friends to go check it out but have now decided to get my hair and makeup done at Swerve for my wedding. It started as my neighborhood salon that was a quick step away, to now being my favorite place to visit!

THIS PLACE IS THE BEST
I have been coming here for about a year now and I love it.
They are ALWAYS on time for appointments and they always finish on time!
The salon is clean, professional and friendly.
I go to Gio for everything and I cannot say enough good things about him!
He is always willing to give advice about products and whats the best option for your hair.
I have my hair cut and dyed by him and he is WORTH every penny. Not to mention he is super easy to get an appointment with –even if its super last minute!
In conclusion, if you are getting your hair done anywhere else, you’re wasting your money!

I went to Dana for a haircut and I couldn’t be happier. It was my first time at this salon and many of my friends recommended Dana too me! She cut my hair exactly as I asked her, and it was perfect! Thank you for a great haircut!

I hate to write this review… just really hate to write this but my recent experiences with Swerve Salon have been so bad it deserves an update.
I started with this salon many many years ago and have seen the business build. I have been an evangelist telling everyone that compliments me on my hair color or cut to go see Jenn at Swerve. Boy do I have egg on my face!!!
This place started out great. Great talent, great service, no complaints. But as this salon grew there were changes.
The stylist I regularly go to (Jenn) is top notch, very talented. The problem is that she isn’t the one always working on me. She has an assistant. The assistant is always early in their training (maybe still in school or right out of school I’m not sure). And my stylist is basically training the assistant on the job… using me as the teaching tool.
This just started a couple years ago and the assistant regularly changes. If her assistant is good, it is usually fine. But the assistant does things like checks to see if my hair is fully lightened, tones my hair color, and other things that I would feel way more comfortable having my very talented and very expensive stylist do. Sometimes it hasn’t come out well.
Maybe this isn’t the case if you go to a stylist that isn’t as busy. But Jenn is always super booked and is usually taking two clients at one time. So I guess she needs the assistant.
I have been very patient with this whole situation and really haven’t cared if it takes longer or if they don’t get my color exactly right. I’m pretty low key about these things and take it in stride.
But the thing that really irks me is that I’m still paying full price as if I were getting the full attention of my stylist!
I don’t even get a say in it! I have never once been asked if am comfortable letting the assistant do parts of my service. Which frankly sometimes I am not.
On top of that, I have recently had problems with the management and admin process.
The salon keeps your credit card on file and charges you ½ of the cost of services if you don’t show up for a confirmed appointment. I understand why this is done and it makes sense.
My problem is that they don’t really confirm the appointment. They call ONCE and leave you a message if you get voicemail.
After many years of reliably showing up for appointments I missed one. I didn’t even realized I had missed it until way after the fact. And when I showed up for my next appointment they charged me an extra $ 75. I was not a happy camper, but whatever… I understand the policy.
At that first missed appointment I asked that they actually confirm the appointment. Like, talk to me. Or email with me, or text me. The answer was No.
I spoke with the manager and owner and their software doesn’t support email or text and they don’t think it it practical to actually talk to someone before considering an appointment confirmed. Okay, noted… I will need to be more vigilant about checking voicemails left by the salon. Besides it was anomaly that would probably never happen again.
Skip to a couple months later and I started sharing my calendar with my co-​workers and removed my salon appointments. I thought I moved it to another calendar, but apparently I screwed it up. Doah! So I missed another appointment and they charged me another $ 75. Okay, ouch but I knew better that is my fault.
The kicker is that after year and years of religiously reliable appointments now they tell me they won’t book my appointments in advance any longer. Are you kidding me!!!
I guess this salon has grown so much and so big that they don’t need the reliable long-​term customers that helped them build their business or to actually provide the high-​quality level of service that they certainly charge for. $$$$$
Bummer

Great people and awesome atmosphere. Greeted with a glass of wine and amazing service throughout.
I had Giavanni as my hair stylist for the evening and he was wonderful. So polite and was showing me lots of products that could help my hair.
I ended up purchasing a $ 16 hair spray and brought my total to $ 96. Only complaint is that that is very pricey for a haircut!

First of all I want to say that this salon is absolutely adorable! It is so organized, clean, and a very warm friendly atmosphere. You’re greeted right as you arrive which is always a great sign! This salon was recommended to me by my boss as she knew I was very nervous about cutting my hair short since it has always been on the longer side. She recommended Elle to me and I now will also be spreading her name about! She even fit me in on a day she was booked! Elle was very friendly, personable, and very understanding of what kind of look I was going for. She didn’t try to pressure me into something I didn’t want. She knew I was nervous and she walked me through the whole thing which ultimately made it way easier to start cutting it! I love the cut and I may even be on team short hair now thanks to Elle!
Long review short… My experience was ¹⁰⁄₁₀! So, go to Swerve & go to Elle! You won’t be disappointed! And did I also mention they will serve you wine?!
Very reasonable prices for Old Town & everyone is very friendly! I will definitely be returning in the future! Thanks again Elle! You rock! :D

Gio was awesome! Love my haircut, and he was really nice and friendly. Took his time to do it correctly. Definitely going back! Thanks Gio!

I decided to try this salon after hearing several raves about this place and I am glad that I did! I went in for a conditioning treatment and haircut with a blow dry. Dana was my stylist and I’m so happy that she was. She listened to what I wanted out of my haircut and gave me her honest opinions on what would work best for me. She also didn’t try to sell me too much on products (which I bought anyway) or additional services. I already booked my next appointment! Also I love that they use Pureology and Redken products. Although Pureology is a bit pricey they have great products that actually work and are worth the splurge every once in a while and you can’t go wrong with Redken.

I was referred to Caitlyn by my roommate who has been urging me to go and give her a try. I’m very particular about who I let color my hair, but after getting a HORRIBLE bleach job from my usual stylist at a different salon, I took my roommates advice– and I couldn’t be more pleased.
I texted Caitlyn in a panic & she immediately responded and was able to get me in the next day. Her level of professionalism and care was outstanding. She made me feel so comfortable & talked through every step of the way through the correction. I will note that she is still training at the salon, which is even more impressive for how great of a job she did. I went from this awful platinum white bleach job to a warm, natural bright blonde. Honestly the best consult/​service I have received by a stylist.
The salon itself is beautiful! Everything is so clean, it makes you feel really good knowing that you are being taken care of by people who respect their workplace. I highly recommend this salon, & Caitlyn! Thanks again for fixing me!

Absolutely love! I get my hair cut and colored by Amy and I have never been disappointed. No matter what color I want, Amy somehow always perfects it, even while working around my hair dye allergy. I’ve gone from brown, to blonde, to auburn, and every time, my hair comes out exactly how I wanted it. They also give you a nice scalp massage when they wash your hair which is a nice little bonus. Amy’s always great when recommending products for me, and instead of blindly trying to make a sale, she tailors the products to my particular hair so it stays healthy and vibrant between cuts/​colors. It can be a bit pricy, but in my opinion it is 100% worth it. I’d rather my cut/​color be a little more expensive and look amazing than it be cheap and look mediocre. Everyone that works at Swerve Salon is extremely friendly and helpful and I have always had a positive experience.
The only downside is that you can only tip in cash. There is a Chase bank a couple blocks down, and if I forgot cash, they’ve always been nice and let me run down to the ATM after my appointment. Plus, they said they’re working on getting their own ATM machine in the salon, so fingers crossed!

Huge Review for Stephanie Pearson: She is the best hairstylist so Im writing this review for her! This salon is listed as a great salon for Redkin if you go to Redkins website. that is how I started to initially go to Swerve after moving here to Chicago a little over a year ago. My hair is pretty high maintenance and I had to go to the best ha. So after the Redkin site recommended this salon, I was paired with Stephanie and she has been my girl ever since. I love her. She gets my style, and I think I went from Dark brown to Blonde. back to brown (bc I always like to change my look!) and she has taken such good care of my hair. And Ive always loved the color. She is truly the best. If you are in downtown and are looking for a salon, go to swerve. and ask for Stephanie! Love you girl!
Sincerely, Jessica Ramsey

Two coworkers of mine have been seeing Dana at Swerve for a while, so I decided to give her a try. Turns out, she is the stylist I’ve been searching for after living in Chicago for 3 years! The thing I really love about Dana is that she truly listens to what you ask for and genuinely wants to be sure you love your hair before you leave the salon.
Overall, I had a great experience. The salon is very clean and the staff are all very nice and attentive. You get a complimentary glass of beer or wine (or coffee/​tea/​water) while you get your hair done, which I love. It’s the little things! As a first time client, I also received a little goody bag that included a 25% off coupon for all products I purchased that day, so I loaded up on makeup (they just launched their own line) – the products are great and VERY reasonably priced.
I can’t wait to come back for my next appointment!

I would be lost without Jenn!
I am VERY particular about who I let cut/​color my hair and Jenn always does an amazing job! I started going to Jenn about 6 years ago after I moved to the city and it was the best decision I have made. She is great at giving advice about color and cut and talks me thought things when I get in my «I want a change» moods. I constantly get compliments on my hair and I have her to thank!
The salon and all of the employees are stand up and I always look forward to my appointments!

I’ve gone back and forth about whether to write a review on Swerve since I stopped going there about two years ago, but when I saw that it was on Gilt I felt compelled to warn people not to spend their money here. It is such an unprofessional environment and for the cost and final product, there are better places in Chicago.
STYLING:
At first, I loved Swerve. My stylist, who I won’t name for reasons that will become obvious below, was awesome and I even let her highlight my hair for the first time in my life which I had always said I would never do. But over time, the way she cut my hair really thinned it out, and oddly made it triangular around my face. Two years later, I’m starting to get the fullness back, but it’s not fully recovered yet. I should also mention that of the 4 – 5 people I referred there during the time I was a client, no one ever went back for a second trip, so they must have had a negative or lackluster experience as well. Also, the first time my stylist did my highlights, they were great, but the price was more than twice the price that the website listed for highlights at the time because they were «custom». This is my bad for not asking first, but seriously, over twice the top price quoted? Come on. For reference, I just looked at the current price for «custom» on the site, and mine were about 60% more expensive than that. Then, the second time, she pretty much just slapped on some dye so that I had obvious, rectangular chunks of color strewn about my head. Not cool. Had to get it fixed elsewhere.
RAGING UNPROFESSIONALISM:
My stylist once laughed while telling me about how she’d run out of the right color of red dye while doing a full color on the customer before me, so she’d just mixed a different color to finish the back of the person’s head. Isn’t step one of any process in life «Figure out if I have the requisite tools to complete this project?» And then, if you’re going to flake out on doing something the right way, you’re going to TELL ANOTHER CUSTOMER ABOUT HOW YOU LITERALLY JUST JACKED UP ANOTHER CUSTOMER’S HAIR AND DON’T EVEN CARE???
It gets better though! My stylist also put me in the middle of a conflict between Swerve and a friend of mine that I’d referred to Swerve. As background, the front desk staff at Swerve are horrible. They’ve tried to call me to schedule something and then won’t call me back when they drop the call mid-​conversation, they’ve lost appointments, failed to call to confirm appointments, etc. In keeping with this trend, Swerve attempted to charge a friend of mine a no-​show fee for an appointment that she’d never made and that, when they called her to confirm, she affirmatively canceled. It escalated to the point where she had to cancel her credit card because of multiple charge attempts by Swerve. But instead of calling my friend directly to apologize for the misunderstanding and try to make it right (which probably would have worked), my stylist put me in the middle of it by asking me to talk to my friend to urge her to come back to my stylist despite the poor front desk experience! How awkward is that!!! She pretty much laid out a script for me of what to say to my friend on her behalf. It was so bizarre. This is your business, not mine.
FALSE ADVERTISING:
At one point, Swerve ran a promotion giving you $ 100 to the salon for any friend you referred. The fine print said that the credit had to be used towards services, which I was fine with. I ended up referring three friends during the promotion period, who all confirmed to me that they’d visited with my stylist after they’d done so. When I tried to cash in on the credit, though, my stylist told me that only two of them had visited. I decided not to push the issue. Then, when I received the credits, they were in $ 25 increments, could only be used one per visit, and all 8 expired within 3 months of issuance. In other words, I basically only got a $ 25 credit. When I called, Swerve did at least extend one coupon for me so that I could take advantage of $ 50 of the $ 200 I should have gotten. So beware, their promotions probably aren’t as good as they say.
So that’s Swerve. I found a new place that I’m super happy at and will never go back.

Clean and well-​decorated
I did not wait and was offered a beverage instantly
good products and they can deal with a variety of hair types
quick and efficient service
Honestly the friendliest/​cutest staff and very affordable