It’s the debate that’s been raging between Tiktok’s Gen-Z community and their older counterparts, the millennials, as of late, with the #MiddlePartChallenge here to inform us that swooping your hair over into a side parting is very 2013. However, if our favourite fashion houses have anything to say about it, deep-set side partings are anything but outdated. In fact, they are effortlessly cool and a must-try trend for the season.
While the centre parting was a staple of the 1920s, 1970s and 1990s, the side parting’s domination has always been ruthless, and it’s most certainly set to be popular yet again this year. At Chanel’s cruise 2021/22 show in Provence earlier this month, models took to the catwalk with everything from long-tousled waves to shorter, blunt-cut bobs, all with side parting in tow. As for SS21, everyone from Boss and Balmain to Miu Miu, Blumarine, Ports 1961 and Giorgio Armani were channeling the trend in both voluminous swoops and slicked down styles.
“The side parting will never go out of style,” says Hicham Eid, creative director of EIDEAL and Davines Arabia. “Most people don't have perfectly symmetrical faces, so an off-centre side parting can instantly bring harmony to any imbalanced facial feature.” Leela Wood, senior stylist at Pastels Salon Jumeirah agrees, saying: “I love a side parting. It has a strong impact on face shape. It’s great for slimming and softening the features and hiding any concerns such as thinning hair or hair loss. It creates instant volume and texture for the hair.”
While a side-parting can work for anyone, Hicham believes that if you are oval-shaped or have a long face, this is definitely the way to go. “In terms of styles, it can work brilliantly with a lob, long, beachy waves and pixie cut,” adds Leela. “You can also switch up the parting and make it a deeper side parting to add a more glamorous look to a simple blowdry or braid.” That’s what’s so great about the side-parting after all – its versatility. And while there’s no exact rules, a silky smooth, frizz-free texture is one way of ensuring you look polished, pulled together and bang on trend. Look to finishing sprays such as Redken Shine Flash which should be applied directly after a blowdry to seal in any frizz, while Davines’ Blow Dry Primer can also be used beforehand to support the fold in a natural way.
Don’t be shy to invest in a treatment, either – available at Pastels, the Kerastase KWater backwash will add an instant mirror-like shine finish, or instead of colour glossing, try asking for a clear Redken toner which gives hair a glossy smooth finish. At home, incorporate Olaplex into your routine which is beneficial to all hair types and enhances hair health.
#TeamSideParting
