The Soft Parade

Absolutely fabulous! I’ve been getting my haircut by Jude for about 5 years now and she never disappoints. I’m 25 years old and had many hairstyles from long hair to my lower back to a bob cut and she always does a great job. I’ve always gotten compliments on my haircuts and I wouldn’t trust another place to do my hair. I definitely recommend going to the soft parade.

Absolutely the best experience I have ever had in a salon!!! Cool and trendy atmosphere among the historical beauty of Shockoe Bottom.
And what an awesome pleasure it was watching Jude go to work on my hair and seeing the pure JOY she got from me letting her have creative control to bring to life my hair and personality!!! Thank Jude and will absolutely be a retuning client!

Just left my second hair cut with Claire. She did a great job helping me design a haircut that works for my curly hair and low maintenance preference. I will definitely be going back!

I just moved to the city and needed a hair dresser. this soft parade is within walking distance so I tried them. I love this place. Jude takes good quality time with me and makes sure I like my hair style. you are definitely pampered.

I was in my thirties before I FINALLY found a stylist who made me love having curly hair! I am so grateful to both Lolly and Jude, for their skill and their positivity. Spending an hour in The Soft Parade is like going to a spa/​retreat. I always leave refreshed and feeling wonderful about myself.

Jude is great. Been going to her for 5 years now and she knows how to listen to my ideas and what I want and then try to make it work with the type of hair I have. She is the best.

Best salon in Richmond. Lolly has owned this salon since the 80’s, when Shockoe Bottom was completely undeveloped, and has had a thriving business for so long because of the atmosphere, customer service and the artistry.
Jude is Lolly’s older sister, and joined her many years ago, and is my stylist. She has cut my hair, my husband’s hair and the hair of my two children for as long as I have lived in Richmond (well over a decade). She is brilliant with color and highlights, but my real focus is on the cut. I am a VERY finnicky client, but Jude is infinitely patient with any concerns I have.
Also, because she’s been cutting my hair and my husband’s hair for so long, she know our heads better than a surgeon. She knows every cowlick, the direction our hair shafts point, how long/​short to cut every piece of hair so it doesn’t lay «funny» after I go home and style it.
Lolly, having been in this business for 30+ years, also steps in on those days when I come in and want to do something extremely new and gives Jude advice/​techniques and they end up both «playing» on my hair until it ends up perfect.
I’m the type of person who radically changes my style and/​or color pretty often, and Jude and Lolly always rise to the challenge!

I stopped in to get my hair cut after about 6 months of not having anything done to it. I checked out the ladies on Unilocal and they had great reviews so I decided I’d go with them.
Oh my goodness they are sweet as pie and Jude listened and knew exactly what I wanted. She gave me a quick consultation and asked me a good number of questions because she really wanted to know what I myself wanted.
Everyone there is so nice, great environment and you’ll be offered coffee, tea, or some water.
Jude and lolly are the only two stylists there and have been with the soft parade for 15+ years.
This is my new place even though I live in DC. Just try ‘em out.

Let me just start off by saying, I am that type that is so picky about a haircut that if I do not have 110% trust in the hairdresser, I would rather keep my hair growing for the rest of my life. Funny thing was, my boyfriend was the one that set the appointment and brought me to this place as he gets his haircuts from Lolly (So guys! Go here! She’s fantastic with men’s hair also!).
I came in for a trim initially but ended up leaving with a fantastic new hairstyle and a set of beautiful brows. Claire and Lolly both did my brows and Lolly was the one that cut my hair. When you talk to Lolly, you realize how much she really loves hair and how passionate she feels about her job. She will take the time to make sure you are «ready for the red carpet». I had showed her a picture of a hairstyle that I wanted and she did exactly what I wanted and more.
Honestly I could go on and on about the details of how great this place is but in short: this place is fantastic and trust me, after you come here, you won’t want to go anywhere else!

These ladies are fantastic! I moved to Richmond, leaving behind my long-​trusted hair stylist and was extremely nervous about finding someone here in Richmond who could have has much fun with my hair as I like to.
I called for an appointment and from the moment the receptionist answered the phone I knew this salon would be brilliant. When I arrived, I had to wait a little bit but I knew just by watching Lolly that it was because she seriously pays attention to every single snip of her scissors. She isn’t slow — she is thoughtful — there is a HUGE difference.
I showed her some photos of a haircut that I wanted, and even showed her some from the last haircut I had that I loved — and then she went to work.
I got a fantastic haircut and had a blast talking with the staff while I was there. Everything was great about the experience and I look forward to returning. This is the only place I will go in Richmond!

I have been going to Jude for over 10 years and would not consider another stylist. She takes the time to research current styles and has pictures prepared to help me choose the perfect cut. It is a family atmosphere and the polar opposite of the chains like Sports Clips and Supercuts that only want to know what size guard you want on the clippers.
The Soft Parade is well worth the drive from the West End.

I have been loyal to Lolly for 5+ years and will not go anywhere else! I drive all the way from Arlington, but she is totally worth it. She is the sweetest person and she pays so much attention to giving you the perfect cut. I have never left with a bad haircut from Lolly! The décor and ambiance is very luxurious and eclectic, but calming. Her cats roam freely and everyone is very friendly. Haircuts are only $ 45 and very reasonable, considering its the best haircut of my life and I’ve paid 2x more and up for worse haircuts. I had very curly, thick, frizzy hair that most people couldn’t handle, but Lolly gave me beautiful cuts every time. Then she turned me on to keratin treatments and I am hooked on those! Love you, Soft Parade!

Lolly saved my hair! I’d been walking around with bad cuts that didn’t flatter me at all, done by other salons in Richmond. She took the time to hear what I was looking for and gave some great suggestions on how to better flatter my face and head shape~ Amazing! I’ve never had some take so much time to cut my hair~ it’s usually been a rush job at the end of a color. I have found my salon~ finally~ just when I was giving up hope in Richmond! When my hair was washed a hot towel was placed on my face ~ felt amazing. Then I was asked if I’d like my brows waxed… Perfect! One stop shopping. Loved the experience!

Jude and Lolly are simply the best. They create a salon environment that makes you not only look beautiful, but also feel beautiful. There’s so much down-​to-​earth goodness with these sisters, and they have a great spirit that’s contagious. They take the time to evaluate what you want, and they have great suggestions on how to style your hair when you’re on your own. I always leave feeling elated but relaxed. Great prices too!

After getting my hair botched at the Aveda salon in Short Pump, I asked fellow curly-​tops for recommendations. A friend who had just had a similar situation referred to Lolly at The Soft Parade.
Lolly was able to fix my haircut and give me the style I was looking for. She even looked at strands of my hair and explained what she was seeing (hormonal changes, etc) that may have affected the texture of my hair. She was so knowledgable and so sweet. SHe has a few cats that roam around the salon, making the overall feel trendy but cozy. I’ve found my Richmond hair salon!