Side Bangs Are Officially Back, and They're 2024's Hottest Hair Trend (2024)

The indie sleaze revival is in full force. From smudged eyeliner to party pics in harsh flash lighting, everyone is trying to emulate all of the fun and messiness that the indie sleaze era brought. We’ve all become so nostalgic for that time period and it’s caused a lot of indie sleaze inspired trends to pop up again. Side bangs are one of the most iconic beauty trends from that era, so it’s no wonder everyone from Taylor Swift to Dua Lipa has been seen with them.

Bangs have been a huge hair trend in 2024, but this reinvention of bangs is possibly its most shocking iteration so far. While a lot of us remember side bangs from the beloved Myspace emo era, it’s one of those past trends we tend to cringe at. (Especially when we see old pictures of ourselves.) It’s hard to believe that with all of our own embarrassing memories of the side bang era, they’re slowly inching towards being a trendy hairstyle again. Why is the side bang so much more jaw-dropping than any other bang? It could be the memories that some of us associate with it, or the fact that none of us were prepared for it to make a comeback so soon.

Whether you like it or not, the side bang is here to stay. Like most bangs, there are different variations of the side bang that make it more wearable. Zoë Kravitz favors a baby side bang, a lovechild of the micro bang and the side bang. While Suki Waterhouse likes a wispy side bang, similar to her usual curtain bangs. Thankfully, if you’re not fully convinced to run to the salon, you can simply style your current bangs to the side in order to get a feel for the look.

After all, the best part about bangs is how fast they grow out. No matter if you’re a side bang apologist or anti side bang, be prepared to see this hair trend even more as the year goes on. All you can do is accept it and admire all of the brave souls who are bringing it back.