The side-swept fringe hairstyle parted in the middle — also known as curtain bangs — has seen a resurgence on red carpets and social media since 2020. On TikTok, videos under #curtainbangs have garnered more than 4.4 billion views, mainly from tutorials teaching viewers how to accomplish the perfect curtain bangs at home.
L’Oréal Paris League of Experts hairstylist Jennifer Yepez, who’s worked with Salma Hayek, Emily Ratajkowski, Heidi Klum and Natasha Lyonne, credited the style’s versatility for its recent popularity.
“Most of my clients want a change and, to be honest, it’s bangs and curtain bangs,” Yepez told WWD, adding that the hairstyle works for nearly everyone. “I think you can do it with any length and also any texture. It’s one of the most flattering cuts you can do on your face.”
For Flamingo Lounge NYC and Los Angeles salon owner Jessica Ruby, who has worked with St. Vincent, David Byrne and Meg Myers, curtain bangs can provide a powerful transformation to one’s look.
“It’s honestly been so exciting because you can really dramatically change somebody’s whole life by giving them bangs. People get really excited by curtain bangs because they’re beautiful and easy to style at home,” Ruby said.
Ruby believes “anybody can pull off curtain bangs” if the hair is trimmed correctly. “It is so important that the bangs are sectioned out properly, and there are enough to open up somebody’s face shape. The point of bangs is to open up somebody’s face literally, and show their eyes and cheekbones and brows,” she explained. “The stylist needs to know how to properly make them fluid and seamless with the rest of the style.”
How to get the perfect curtain bangs
According to the professionals, for low-maintenance curtain bangs one should simply let them air dry, part them and go. For more feathered, wavy or curled styles, one needs heat tools like a round brush and blow dryer and wide-barrel curling iron. A touch of smoothing serum can help with flyaways and frizz for a sleek look.
“I love to style curtain bangs with a round brush, blowing the hair back and away from the face to get the bend in the hair. I then style it into place by using my fingertips and finish it off with a soft working hairspray,” said Jennifer Korab, who owns Renaissance Salon and Revival Barbershop in New Jersey and has worked on New York Fashion Week.
“You’ll definitely need a round barrel brush and a blow dryer to lock in the outward sweep and volume needed to create this style. For an added bonus, set the bangs on a large Velcro roller for as long as you can before walking out the door,” celebrity hairstylist and extension artist Michelle Cleveland added.
Celebrity with bangs
In the ’60s, French actor Brigette Bardot’s glam hairstyle consisted of curtain bangs, a bouffant and wavy layer. In the following decade, Farrah Fawcett’s iconic winged bangs and voluminous dirty blond locks were a widely emulated ’70s “bombshell” look.
Nowadays, Jennifer Lopez is one of the main references for curtain bangs, according to Cleveland. “I got a ton of pics of Jessica Alba and Jennifer Lopez as reference for curtain bangs. Both wore the trend really well,” she said. “Curtain bangs were probably the number one request this past year.”
Yepez also revealed most of her clients want to have bangs like Sabrina Carpenter and Emily Ratajkowski. “Emily loves a bang and she loves to change it up, so she’s her own reference. It’s all about what looks good on your face. Also, Salma Hayek recently wanted to cut a longer version of a curtain bang so I did that here in New York and added layers around her face just a bit longer than curtain bangs. You can be very versatile with a curtain bang, whatever frames your face the best.”
Here, WWD takes a closer look at celebrities who tried the hairstyle in the past couple of years.
Katie Holmes
Katie Holmes tried out a new hairstyle featuring above-the-eyebrow curtain bangs. She debuted this look recently on Oct. 23 at the launch of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s secretary Melissa DeRosa’s new book, “What’s Left Unsaid.” Holmes wore a long Junya Watanabe earth-tone crepe accordion dress with button and belt details.
Emily Ratajkowski
Emily Ratajowski has been wearing different iterations of the straight, deeply parted curtain bangs for the last year. At the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 12, Ratajowski wore her glossy brown hair in a modern take of the Farrah Fawcett, with loose waves that her curtain bangs blend into. She paired her shiny locks with a ’70s- and 2000s-inspired green mesh handkerchief halter dress from Jean Paul Gaultier.
Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Deschanel often wears her bangs long, eye-length, with a small curtain part. At a Neiman Marcus holiday party on Oct. 25, the “New Girl” star showcased her glossy, long curtain bangs, which she’s styled with a half-updo. She wore a pink and gold Rebecca Vallance Gabrielle check tweed minidress and black-and-white Miu Miu chain-strapped mary jane chunky-heeled pumps.
Selena Gomez
In 2020, singer and Rare Beauty founder Selena Gomez tried out the curtain bang trend for herself. At the 2020 Hollywood Beauty Awards, she wore a messy yet sleek updo with bangs parted to her outer eyes and pieces of longer hair framing her face. She paired it with a blush pink above-the-knee Patou tube shift dress with princess sleeves.
Camila Cabello
Camila Cabello wore her glossy curtain bangs right above her eyebrows with a small middle part and her long, wavy hair down. She posed with designer Giambattista Valli backstage at his fall 2023 runway show in Paris on July 3.
Jameela Jamil
Jameela Jamil claims she has had bangs her whole life. She often wears her bangs at eye level with a peekaboo part in the middle. At the 29th annual Elle Women in Hollywood Celebration on Oct. 17, 2022, she paired her glossy curtain bangs with her long hair blown out and down her back, styled by Robert Lopez. She wore a long, fitted black tube dress with large eyes by Christian Siriano, as styled by Erin Walsh.
Dakota Johnson
At Martini Vermouth’s 160th celebration in Milan on July 25, Dakota Johnson wore her bangs eyebrow length and side-swept, with a small part in the middle and her long hair down and wavy, similarly to Jamil. She wore a black Versace wool and silk long pencil dress.
Halle Berry
Halle Berry has worn many hairstyles over her years in the spotlight. At the fourth annual Celebration of Black Cinema & Television on Dec. 6, 2021, she wore long curtain bangs with a half updo and subtle waves and golden highlights. She paired it with a red Christian Siriano minidress with puffy skirt and long train, as styled by Lindsay Flores.
Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish has experimented with many hair colors and styles. Curtain bangs of various lengths and colors, including long, two-tone lime green and black, have been a staple of her style. At Vanity Fair’s 2023 Oscar Party on March 12, she wore long glossy bangs with a deep part that partly covered her eyes. She served up glam goth with a head-turning black Rick Owens gown covered in layers and layers of tulle.
