Are Side Bangs Trending for 2024? An Investigation

Side bangs? For 2024? Groundbreaking. But really: Even Miranda Priestly—a.k.a. Meryl Streep—thinks so. As did almost every A-lister who attended the 2023 Academy Museum Gala on December 3.

Yes, really, the Devil Wears Prada star was just one of many celebs to declare the controversial style back in for the new year. Dua Lipa, Keke Palmer, Christina Ricci, Natasha Lyonne, Chloë Grace Mortez, Eva Longoria, Saoirse Ronan, Cara Delevingne, Glamour Woman of the Year America Ferrara, and more wore the look while posing on the gala's red carpet. Math may not be my strong suit, but one thing is for sure: That's a lot of side parts.

Side bangs' comeback isn't entirely new, since the style has made a handful of appearances over the past few years. But these usually happen on the heads of hair chameleons like Kim Kardashian and Megan Fox, who are known for switching up their hairstyles and colors all the time as is.

That's what makes the Academy Museum Gala's influx of side parts such a pleasant surprise: This is one of the first times we’ve seen celebrities wearing the style to such a high-profile event—especially one that's famously black-tie.

Not to be a side-part-apologist millennial, but the event really did prove how versatile side-parted bangs can be. This would imply that yes, they're black-tie-gala-approved.

Streep’s and Christina Ricci's side parts were paired with chic updos, while Lipa and Lyonne wore the traditional, late-aughts, MySpace-era-inspired side bang that literally everyone had in 2009. You know, the one that nearly covers one of your eyes. Great minds—and redheads—think alike, apparently.

Look at them! They're just begging to take an angled selfie with a digital camera.

Other stars modernized the classic style, pairing theirs with chic blunt bob haircuts and lobs.

Once again, proof that the bob haircut can simply do no wrong. (But IMO, neither can side bangs.)

Not to mention, Mortez, Delevingne, and Keke Palmer wore side parts with honey blonde hair, which has already been dubbed the trending hair color of 2024. Palmer and her freshly dyed locks gave us a master class in voluminous, Old Hollywood waves.

Judging by these red-carpet photos, I'd say that the debate on whether or not side-part bangs are back is now concluded: They most definitely are. At this rate 2024 just might be the year that skinny jeans make their red-carpet debut too. Hear that, Meryl Streep? We're looking at you.

Danielle Sinay is the associate beauty editor at Glamour. Follow her on Instagram @daniellesinay.