It’s 2024 and the world domination of the middle part is finally being challenged.
Throughout the last few years, it was deemed ‘very millennial’ (A.K.A. overwhelmingly embarrassing, in Gen Z speak) to wear skinny jeans or a side part, with middle parts owning the spotlight.
It’s something we’ve seen many celebrities rock, from Rosie Huntington-Whiteley to Emma Stone, with the middle part complementing the symmetry of the face and creating a sleek, clean look.
However, the 2024 Golden Globe awards were positively dripping in side parts.
Celebrities the likes of Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Amanda Seyfried, Jennifer Lawrence, Dua Lipa and Brie Larson all went against the grain with the side swept look.
Pop superstar Taylor Swift even wore the look to the 2024 Grammys, bringing the side part out of hiding and infusing it into a new generation.
Content creators have been responding on TikTok celebrating the revival of the hairstyle that was banished to the land of beauty faux pas just a few years ago:
So, why are we seeing such a resurgence of the side part, especially on the red carpet?
The side part is a historically glamourous parting, which adds volume to the side with more hair and a sense of mystery, as it sweeps over one of the face.
The side part was famously favoured by old Hollywood beauties, such as Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe and Lauren Bacall.
A side part is also a lot softer, more romantic look than a middle part, which can help to take the edge off faces that are more angular, such as those with heart, square or diamond-shaped faces.
It’s important to note that a lot of the side-part hating that has taken place over the last few years has a more to do with the way they were worn, than the parting itself.
In the early 2010s it was common to wear a very heavy side part, creating a heavy fringe. It was not uncommon to cut this heavy fringe into the hair, creating a Little Mermaid ‘Ariel’-style bang that feels quite dated these days.
How Is The 2024 Side Part Different?
The 2024 side part is not a reversal, but an evolution. Rather than cutting heavy fringes into the hair, celebrities are wearing their side parts long, with the smaller side tucked behind the ear. It creates an elegant ‘wall’ of hair that goes directly to the side, not in front of, the face.
It’s more about the parting, and less about the ‘bang’, if you will.
Every few years there is a rebellion against the beauty status quo, and Gen Z effectively ‘cancelling’ the side part couldn’t keep the style away forever. Maybe it’s a reminder that we shouldn’t really ‘cancel’ natural hair styles at all.
The truth is that everyone’s hair is going to inherently part differently, and different parts will suit different people.
Rather than being so prescriptive that one parting is the only way, perhaps 2024 is the year of ‘part tolerance’. Lord knows, we’ve seen enough slick centre-part looks to last a lifetime, so why not open the door to more romantic side-parted styles?
At least, the celebrity hairstylists seem to think this is the way forward.
