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Where to part your hair

September 3, 2022

If your face is symmetrical, part your hair in the center.

If your face is asymmetrical, part your hair to the side.

Of course, no one’s face is perfectly symmetrical. The question is whether your face appears relatively symmetrical, overall.

To see which is better, you need to see the two options side by side.

Looking at the two faces together, we can see the center part is better for even features (at top: eyes the same size; straight nose; equally curved cheeks), whereas the side part is better for asymmetrical features (at bottom: one eye larger; curved nose; one cheek more curved than the other; proportions noticeably close- or wide-set). (Image is from The Triumph of Individual Style, page 89.)

Try parting your hair in the center. Take a photo of yourself in the mirror. Then part your hair to the side, take another photo, and compare. Over time, you’ll probably realize one way is more flattering than the other.

Why

The best hairstyle for you is the one that suits the lines of your face. In a beautiful portrait, the painter uses the art principles—balance, emphasis, movement, proportion, rhythm, unity, and variety—to create harmony. The idea here is to do the same with your appearance.

To look your most beautiful, you must choose lines in hair, makeup, and clothes that harmonize with the lines of your face.

So how do you find the right lines? Figure out your image archetype.

There are seven archetypes, corresponding to seven types of line:

  • Classic. Simple, elegant beauty. Moderate, balanced circle shapes. (Like Grace Kelly’s smooth, shoulder-length bob.)
  • Dramatic. Striking, powerful beauty. Elongated, sharp, straight lines. (Like Kim Kardashian’s long, pin-straight ponytail.)
  • Ethereal. Gentle, otherworldly beauty. Elongated, gently curved, S-shaped lines. (Like Blake Lively’s loose mermaid waves.)
  • Gamine. Youthful, boyish beauty. Short, diagonal, zigzag lines. (Like Halle Berry’s choppy pixie cut.)
  • Ingenue. Youthful, girlish beauty. Small, tightly curved circle shapes. (Like Shirley Temple’s neat ringlets.)
  • Natural. Friendly, down-to-earth beauty. Elongated, broad, blunt straight lines. (Like Lou Doillon’s manelike shag.)
  • Romantic. Womanly, sexy beauty. Full, lushly curved circle shapes. (Like Marilyn Monroe’s glamorous Old Hollywood waves.)

Note: Most people are a blend of two or three types. This is just an overview; I’ll explain image archetypes more in a future post.

When you know your image archetype, it’s easier to find your best hairstyle.

Center parts suit classic faces.

Hilary Rhoda effortlessly wears a center part, thanks to her symmetrical (dramatic classic) features.

Center parts also suit dramatic faces. The strong vertical line emphasizes the center line down the face, which highlights a strong nose.

Cher looks striking, powerful, and dramatically beautiful with a center part.

Side parts flatter romantic faces.

Adriana Lima is alluring with a side part, which creates a curtain of hair over one eye.

That’s because romantic beauty is asymmetrical. Think of Marilyn Monroe, Cindy Crawford, and Eva Mendes. They each have a single mole (or beauty mark)—a beautifully asymmetrical feature—that’s part of their signature look.

Eva Mendes has romantic, asymmetrical features, and she looks great with a side part.

Ingenues and gamines can wear side parts, center parts, or no part, depending on the apparent symmetry of the face.

A jewelled headband plays up Natalie Portman’s sweet, girlish beauty.

But ingenues look best with neat, “done” hair. If there is a part, it must be a straight line. Gamines can pull off choppy lines and wild zigzag parts.

A spiked pixie looks cool, daring, and high-energy on Zoe Kravitz.

Naturals don’t need a defined part. They look good with loose side parts, or no part.

Farrah Fawcett looks fabulous with a side part and broad, blunt hair, which frames her friendly smile.

If you’re a natural, you can run a hand through your tousled hair and flip it to one side—to amazingly seductive effect—like Cher (Alicia Silverstone) in Clueless (1995).

Sheryl Crow’s hair would look messy on a classic or ingenue woman, but it’s perfectly “undone” on her.

Also, consider your hairline

Your hairline affects your hair choices. Some women can wear a side part with hair swept across the forehead.

A classic deep side part on Amy Adams.

But this won’t work if you have a widow’s peak. Your hair will naturally sweep up and away from your forehead.

On a woman with a pronounced widow’s peak, like Rita Hayworth (here in Gilda, 1946), a deep side part results in hair that sweeps up and away from the face.

This look emphasizes the dramatic effect of the widow’s peak.

Rita Hayworth is more “femme fatale” (romantic dramatic) with this hairstyle.

So if you have a widow’s peak, keep in mind that a center part—or no part—might be more comfortable, because your hair is more inclined to “stay” that way.

Grace Kelly has a slight widow’s peak, and she looks classically beautiful with her hair swept upwards.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mari says

    September 10, 2022 at 7:24 pm

    Wow! This is so informative 🔆🤗🌸I never thought of the face symmetry as having something to do with how I part my hair. I’m going to do the taking a picture test to see which hair parting looks best.

    Reply
    • Kate Lemon says

      September 12, 2022 at 5:26 pm

      Thanks Mari! Glad you liked it 😊

      Reply

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