Saoirse Ronan Debuts a Side-Parted Bob At The 2024 Emmy Awards
If you’ve been championing the side-part while the middle-part has been in vogue, take heart - the pendulum might be swinging back your way. Though the 2010s-core hairstyle has gotten a bad rap in recent years, with Gen Z eschewing the style along with skinny jeans and over-plucked eyebrows, Saoirse Ronan’s stunning appearance at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards suggests that the side-part is making a strong return.
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Kicking off awards season in style, the Lady Bird star stepped out on the red-carpet with newlywed husband Jack Lowden, in adorably co-ordinated navy-blue outfits. She completed her look with standout details, like a chunky, diamond-encrusted necklace and, most notably, a chic side-parted bob. The American actress reimagined the year’s hottest trend (the bob, of course) with a deep side-part, and delivered the ultimate autumn hairstyle du jour.
Ronan has sported a bob of varying lengths and styles for some time, but most frequently in a middle-parting. Now, she marks the beginning of a new season with a deep side-parting, a jaw-grazing length and lightly tousled waves. Her entire ensemble is in-keeping with the trend for pared-back beauty, as she accompanies her newfound off-centre parting with an understated make-up look, allowing the side-part to become the statement.
Though the side-part is only just starting to catch our attention, it appears that hairstylists have been anticipating its return for some time. Back in January, hairstylist and trend forecaster Tom Smith predicted deep side-partings to be a key trend for 2024 and beyond, referencing Florence Pugh, Gigi Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski as his key inspiration. 'Its glamorous, it's bouncy and it's an easy, immediate way to change-up your look.'
Smith advises that you part the hair on your favourite side of your face, so that most of your hair sits on your least-favourite side, to uniquely flatter your facial features.
'The beauty of the deep side-part is that it's extremely glamorous,' says Andreas Wild, stylist at Larry King Notting Hill. 'It instantly adds lift and volume to the front of the hair, mimicking a big, bouncy blow-dry, as it does on Zendaya, Lily Collins and Cate Blanchett. It's everywhere at the moment, and it's only going to grow in popularity.'
Kevin Mazur
Ronan wasn’t the only notable figure flaunting this retro style last night, as the likes of Naomi Watts and Kristen Wiig (and the list goes on) kept her in good company. Some wore it softly and romantically, with bouncy curls and flicked-in ends (here's looking at you, Sabrina Elba), while others wore it fiercely and loudly, like Carrie Coon's slick, gelled silhouette or Sarah Paulson's poised, coiffed interpretation.
It seems, if the 2024 Emmy Awards red carpet is any indication, side partings are back in a big way.
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Chloe Woodland is the Group Beauty Assistant at ELLE UK, Harper’s Bazaar UK, Red and Prima, working across print and digital features. She’s worked in the industry for two years, beginning her career writing for trade publications Hairdressers Journal and Professional Beauty. When she’s not demystifying the science behind growing your hair, gathering the best make-up products of all time or investigating buzzy skincare ingredients, you’ll most likely find her rewatching Modern Family for the thousandth time or trying to tame her two working cockers (who’ve never worked a day in their lives).
