Which way should you part your hair this fall: to the side or in the middle? The answer might surprise you

Remember when Gen-Z-ers shamed their millennial elders for their proclivity for side parts? They declared the look “cheugy,” meaning basic and untrendy, and prompted many to reconsider their long-time hairstyle. Well now it seems the reigning authorities on cool have revised their position on the matter. (No word yet on the state of skinny jeans, the cry-laugh emoji or “The Office.”)

Rumblings of the side part’s return began when Megan Fox was pictured sporting the style on social media. Now yes, Fox is a millennial, but one whose raven locks are almost always — save for the occasional fling with clip-on bangs — split squarely in the middle. On TikTok, users were quick to point out the shift: “Proof that side parts are superior,” one person commented.

Then a real-deal Gen Z-er did it. And not just any Gen Z-er, but the star of the most Gen Z show ever: “Euphoria.” Sydney Sweeney, who is up for two awards at the upcoming Emmys, showed off a voluminous shoulder-length cut parted right above her left eye. The internet became ablaze with headlines announcing the side part’s redemption. Millennials were officially avenged. Perhaps their younger counterparts had realized what they’d known all along: that side parts offer a slew of benefits.

As Kelly Araujo, stylist at Toronto’s Thic Studio, told The Kit last year: “I love a side part because I like the volume. If you have wavy hair or any kind of texture, it creates a beautiful cascading effect. And if your hair doesn’t have a lot of volume and you want to add some, then a side part is always going to do that for you.” An off-centre part also tends to be more flattering on square- or diamond-shaped faces as it softens sharp or angular features.

Having made appearances at Chanel, Miu Miu, Hermès, Coperni and Saint Laurent, side parts promise to be huge this fall. But that doesn’t mean middle parts are passé, either. The whole “middle part good, side part bad” business was pretty Orwellian to begin with. The reverse wouldn’t be any better. So let’s just agree that everyone should wear their hair however they please and no one should call them old or cheugy for it. Deal?

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