Bishops Pasadena — Attraction in Pasadena

PINOK HAIR STUDIO & LUX HAIR BISHOPS ) Stylist gaslighting you like you couldn’t tell the difference between "sharp ends" and a blunt cut.

And don’t even get me started on their little tag-team routine! The guy doing your hair apparently just snapped anytime you tried to ask for what you wanted. When you asked for a point cut—perfectly reasonable, just to get that sharp look—he came out with some whole line about it being a “style” he “couldn’t do.” Excuse me? Since when is a simple technique a style? And the reviews...ooh girl, with all the Asian women mentioning the same kind of treatment in their reviews, it’s definitely giving hostility. I shelled out $75 for that haircut, and then left two generous $20 tips on top, even for the redo? That's $115 down the drain just for them to serve you attitude and uneven layers! My whole hair do was uneven and looked unfinished. He only did some work on the areas I can visibly see has he puffed and yanked my hair while giving me attitude cuz he was too sad to be at work. And then when you tried to be patient and professional about it—calling in for a redo, confirming it four times over the phone, mind you—they went ahead and acted like you weren’t even on the books? That is some peak-level shady behavior! Girl, let me tell you—this whole thing was a hot mess! First off, he had me standing up while he was cutting my hair—who even does that? And the whole time he’s just yanking my head, pulling my hair every which way, like he’s mad about the redo or something. But, like, why is that my problem?! I’m paying for a service, so I deserve to get it done right, not be treated like some inconvenience! Went for the redo and, oh, they hit you with the ultimate gaslight: laughing at you for the exact appointment time they gave you! Girl, she even hit you with the “12:10? Like, 12:10?”—like you’re out here making things up. Why do they think it’s cute to act like they’ve never heard of an appointment they made with you (for the 2nd time) and then act like you’re the crazy one? You did everything right, and they still turned it around on you.

And the worst part? During and before my redo he wasn’t even lifting my hair! He was just cutting straight across with my hair lying flat against my chest. I felt like he could cut chunk out of my clothes because he couldn’t be bothered to lift it up to do the point cut right! And when he did cut, it was all these blunt, jagged lines, like he was chopping wood or something. I could feel the attitude in every snip—just going at it out of pure spite. The hostility, fake niceness and gas lighting was insane. Ridiculous! Even more funny one of them complimented my eye liner said they could never get it right like that when their make up hair was done to the T, so i was like I doubt it cause it was to the T. Well I must've struck a nerve cause 4 minutes later he was like, OH, I'M GOOD at it??! They bashed on my...

First off, I really appreciate the vision of Bishops. Everyone needs haircuts, and for many people, including myself, it’s hard to find a salon or barber with a stylish and contemporary perspective.

Moreover, most salons with a modern aesthetic are exorbitantly expensive. As someone with long hair, the price range is often $150 or more—outrageous, even if you can afford it. Bishops meets this demand perfectly. I wanted a haircut for under $100, and they delivered!

From a business model perspective, Bishops’ mission and franchise strategy are brilliant. The Pasadena location, situated across the street from Pasadena City College, is a smart choice. Copy and paste this model to UCLA and USC, and you’ve got a booming business. The demand is there—college students and people 25+—and the supply comes in the form of a place for both experienced and new stylists to showcase their skills while the franchise handles the administrative side, allowing them to build their brand.

As a first-time visitor, my hair desperately needed trimming, but more importantly, I wanted a haircut that reflected the styles in the reference photos I always bring. My last two haircuts—both at typical LA salons charging $120+—were fine but didn’t give me the new look I wanted. I always assumed it was because my hair type (thick, coarse, porous) wasn’t suitable for the styles I liked.

I was matched with Stevie Moon, who gave me a truly transformative haircut. I showed her the photos and shared that I wanted to try curtain bangs and add some shorter layers. Previously, my hair was cut into long layers, which always felt too heavy and thick to wear down. Stevie totally understood what I was going for. She nailed the curtain bangs, showed me how to style them, and agreed that shorter face-framing layers were absolutely doable.

To address the heaviness, she used a technique I wasn’t familiar with—she cut a sizeable chunk from the back. The result? A long, semi-shaggy style with a Sharon Van Etten vibe that I can comfortably wear down. It’s also perfect for wearing up, with my face framed by curtain bangs and breezy, face-framing layers.

I’m super happy with the haircut, and it was well worth the drive...

I came in for a wash and a trim, scheduled over the phone, my stylist immediately talked me out of a wash, which I thought was odd given that’s what I specifically requested and have always had done. Regardless, the wash didn’t happen…

I tried to explain to them what works and what doesn’t with my hair, and detailed, specifically, what service I wanted, and again, very quickly they talked me out of that.

I have wavy hair that is usually cut both wet and dry. My length is always cut wet. I have never once had a haircut in my life that was cut 100% dry, not a single drop of water was applied to my hair. Although, they did say they would spray it to dampen it, that didn’t happen. To be honest, the entire experience felt lazy.

I have a lot of hair and have always gotten it layered, thinned out, and texturized, and I asked for exactly that, yet they insisted it wouldn’t be good for my hair. It felt very dismissive and, as I said, quite lazy. I asked for a wash, didn’t get it. I asked for texturizing, didn’t get it. I asked for thinning, didn’t get it. Essentially, I got a trim that was upcharged to a long cut. And, frankly, I was uncomfortable and didn’t want to get into an argument with them.

I felt there was absolutely no consideration for my opinion based on MY experience of MY hair.

I’m always open to suggestions, I’m an easy client with pretty easy and manageable hair, but this felt incredibly dismissive in a way I didn’t appreciate.

Additionally, as a member of the LGBTQ community, I have tried really hard, multiple times, to give this place another try, in an effort to support a business that cultivates a safe space. However, this particular experience, paired with several past experiences has been anything but that, unfortunately.

Essentially, my overall take of Bishops has been that it prioritizes a niche aesthetic over substance, which, unfortunately, in my case, appears to be very limited in...