The Most Popular Blowout Style in 7 Different Cities

The blowout bar is a wondrous invention of modern society. Thanks to the many blow-dry-only salons popping up around the country, we never have to wash, dry, and style our hair ourselves ever again if we don't want to. We can simply enter the salon with a greasy mess on our heads, pony up a little cash, and then sit back with a glass of champagne as a stylist does the dirty work. Thirty minutes later, we walk out of the salon with a style light-years beyond what we could achieve ourselves. Genius.

Speaking of style, I happen to live in L.A., where Drybar is my blow-dry spot of choice, and most guests I see walk out of the salon sport a very similar look. It probably won't surprise you to know that most L.A. patrons request a "beachy blowout" from their stylist. I, too, fit the stereotype. I almost always leave my Drybar appointment with a head of messy waves.

But this had me thinking—this L.A. blowout can't be the go-to look in every city. What does the top-requested style look like in New York City? Or Chicago? Or Dallas? To get the stats on the most popular blowouts in different cities around the country, I consulted Drybar's founder Alli Webb. Want to see your city's most requested blowout style? Just keep scrolling.

The typical NYC girl asks for a straight-but-not-too-straight blowout. It's grown-up and professional but still offers a little wiggle room for fun. This might look like a subtle wave from midshaft down; on a bob or lob, it might boast some curve at the ends. At Drybar, this look is called the "Straight Up." Achieve the look at home by applying a shine serum, like Wendy Iles's Haute Performance Finishing Serum ($44). Blow-dry with a paddle brush, and then lightly glide a flatiron through the hair, rotating it as you go where you want a slight wave.

Surprise! Angelenos are all about the beachy blowout. Their top-requested style involves textured, perfectly imperfect waves to match the city's effortless vibe. Webb has termed this style the "Mai Tai" and achieves it by gently waving the hair with a curling wand, leaving the ends free for a more relaxed finish. Texture spray like Oribe's Dry Texturizer ($22) is always involved.

No beachy waves or sleek strands here. At Drybar's Dallas location, women almost always request the "Southern Comfort" style, which offers tons of body and curl. The key to this look is applying generous amounts of volumizing mousse like Drybar's Southern Belle Volumizing Mousse ($22) to wet hair before styling with a round brush and large-barrel curling iron.

Chicagoans have two blowout styles they request with equal frequency—a straight, sleek style similar to New York's look and a loosely waved style better suited to a night out. It reflects the desk-to-dusk nature of the Chicago lifestyle. Either way, the look is always playful yet professional.

Webb says the top-requested D.C. blowout is a sleek, smooth, perfectly straight look. It makes sense, considering the city's polished, white-collar way of life. For this style, a quality flatiron and smoothing serum are essential. Try Ghd's Classic 1" Styling Iron ($149) and Tresemmé's Keratin Smooth Keratin Infusing Smoothing Serum ($6).

Las Vegas's most popular blowout consists of loose, bombshell curls. This dramatic, feminine style requires a thickening mousse and curling wand, worked all the way throughout the hair to create those luscious barrel waves. We recommend T3's Whirl Trio Interchangeable Styling Wand ($270), which works for any and every hair length.

At Drybar in Denver, the most requested blowout is the "Cosmo-Tai," which is a blend of L.A.'s beachy waves and the bombshell curls of Las Vegas—still effortless, but with a little more volume than SoCal's just-off-the-coast texture. Achieve the look at home with Hot Tools' 3/4" Professional Marcel Iron ($50) and Ouai's Texturizing Hair Spray ($26).