A New York hairstyle may be tempting during a trip to Gotham, but the city's reputation for high prices and snooty officiousness can be intimidating. To test the premise, Allure magazine sent four 30-something women from the St. Louis area into four high-profile New York salons for a makeover.
One woman's bill was $550 at Stephen Knoll for cut and color. One waited an hour at Peter Coppola while Meg Ryan was ushered in ahead. Another found the New York look didn't translate to home: She used L'Oreal Ash Blonde the next week.- Jackie White