The side part has returned to the spotlight after years in exile, much like skinny jeans, ballet flats and the rest of the millennial canon once dismissed by Gen Z. Across recent runways and red carpets, we saw the fashion set deviating from a strict centre part, moving toward a softer side part.
“Trends always tend to come back around,” notes celebrity hairstylist Deena Al Awaid. “As humans, we naturally feel nostalgic for different eras and the worlds we were once so consumed by. The side part is a look back at something that feels nostalgic, and when we’re craving change, we naturally gravitate toward what feels familiar.”
Familiar, yes, but the current iteration feels far more deliberate than the haphazard side-sweeps of 2012. Take Olivia Dean, who has made the deep side part a signature, most notably at the Grammys, where the misaligned partition brought out the natural texture and movement of her hair. Elsewhere, Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber have traded their sleek, symmetrical buns for off-centre iterations, sometimes styled into updos, other times swept casually through voluminous layers.
Part of the appeal lies in its adaptability. While a middle part demands symmetry, shifting the line offers a softer and more dynamic frame. “A side part is actually one of the most versatile hairstyles because the position, the volume and the direction can all be adjusted to complement your face shape,” Al Awaid explains. “It’s less about having the ‘right’ face shape and more about creating balance. If you want your face to appear longer, try going deeper with the part and adding some height. If you want to create more width, keep it softer and add volume through the sides.”
Making the pivot back, however, requires breaking your hair’s ‘muscle’ memory. After seasons of training roots to fall evenly on either side, a switch takes some coaxing. “I always start with wet hair,” advises Al Awaid. “Use a fine-toothed rat-tail comb to map out your new part, following the arch of your eyebrow—it instantly gives the face a more flattering frame. Then blow-dry the roots in that direction to train the hair and lock in the shape.”
Whether worn razor-sharp or brushed out into old-Hollywood bounce, the side part is proof that symmetry was never the only measure of a head-turning look.
