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EveryHairstyle

Fringes and partings

Bangs, curtain fringes, side partings and the widow's peak. 3 hairstyles on EveryHairstyle so far.

A fringe, called bangs in American English, is hair cut to fall over the forehead. Partings decide which way the rest of the hair falls. Together they shape the face more than any other part of a haircut. The blunt fringe of the hime cut, the parted curtain fringe of the 1990s, the straight-across Edgar cut and the side-swept fringe are all built from these two choices.

Kinds of fringe

A blunt fringe is cut straight across, often at the brows. A wispy fringe is thinned so skin shows through. A side fringe sweeps across the forehead. A curtain fringe parts in the middle and falls to each side, blending into face-framing layers. A micro fringe sits high on the forehead. Cowlicks at the hairline can make a fringe stand up, so stylists check how the hair grows before cutting.

Partings

A centre parting divides the hair evenly; a side parting puts more hair on one side and adds height there. In the 2020s the debate between centre and side partings became a running joke between generations online. The zigzag parting, the hard part shaved into short hair and the neat grid partings of box braids are other kinds. Partings can carry meaning too: married Hindu women may mark theirs with red sindoor.

Famous fringe hairstyles

BangsHair cut to fall over the foreheadCurtained hairA centre-parted fringe falling both waysHime cutA blunt fringe with straight side locksBowl cutAn all-round fringe like an upturned bowl

Still to be written: Edgar cut, Seiko-chan cut, Dido flip.

Further reading

Hair typeStraight hairWavy hairCurly hairCoily and kinky hairFine hairThick hairAny hair
Worn byMostly womenMostly menAnyoneChildrenBrides and weddingsFaith and religious ordersUniform and workSubcultures and music
OrderBest knownA to ZOldest firstNewest firstBy length
WorldBangs Strands of hair cut to cover the forehead and fall over the eyebrows.Cut · Any hair · 1880 🇺🇸 United StatesDevilock A punk style featuring short sides and a long front section combed forward.Cut · Any hair · 1970 🇻🇳 VietnamCurtained hair A parted fringe with short sides and back.Cut · Any hair · 1980

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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