Side-swept hair is the easy and elegant style everyone's wearing this season

While blunt bobs and dramatic shades of red are trending, we've spotted another, more versatile and minimal-effort hairstyle making the rounds - and it's as timeless as it is chic...

Elevating and refreshing your look doesn't always require a major transformation despite the number of short bob hairstyles currently topping the 2024 hair trends. Sometimes just changing how you style your hair, as opposed to the cut and colour, can make all the difference. In fact, it can be as simple as your parting, or where your hair falls, the latter of which we're concerned with today - as side-swept hair is having a moment. 

So far, we've spied the likes of Meryl Streep, Michelle Yeoh and Jennifer Lopez opting for the glamourous look and we're keen to add it to our repertoire. Thus, we've quizzed a celebrity hairstylist on how to achieve the elegant look - no matter your hair length and texture...

Edward James

Edward James is an award-winning Hairdresser and Co-Founder of The Hair Consult, with salons based in London and a list of star-studded clientele, who has shared expertise on the eternally glamorous, side-swept look...

Why side-swept hair is the low-effort style to wear this season

Side-swept hairstyles, as well as side fringes and partings, are nothing new, but lately, we have a newfound appreciation for the timeless looks - and clearly, we're not the only ones.

As celebrity Hairstylist and Co-Founder of The Hair Consult says: "I am seeing more clients embracing the side-swept parting and it's easy to see why. This timeless look has been popping up everywhere, from Instagram feeds to the red carpet, and it's being rocked by some of the most stylish celebs around."

James adds that "it is an easy way to update a style where a client doesn’t necessarily want to go shorter or longer, but wants a fresh look.  It can involve growing out some of the layers around the face to allow for the deeper parting, but the advantage of this is that it can be shaped and feathered around the face to allow more movement." If you've recently opted for feathered layers, this could be a great styling option for you. 

How to achieve a side-swept look

So, if you're keen to give this glamourous and effortlessly chic look a whirl, James has shared some pointers on achieving the look: 

1. Create your parting: Begin with damp hair and then, "take a deep side parting using a comb and then apply a heat protector - Oribe’s Balm D’Or is great as it also adds shine as well as protecting the hair when heat styling."
2. Use a flat brush and blow-dry: "Use a flat brush, I love Aveda’s Paddle Brush with its soft cushioning, and dry the hair, with the nozzle pointing down the hair. Dry the hair, starting with the top/front area as this hair tends to be finer and make sure the root area is dry first, using gentle tension with the brush to smooth the hair and eliminate any unwanted bumps."
3. Style: Whether you prefer a straight, sleek look or loose waves, James recommends styling the rest of your hair by, "taking sections of hair at the back and sides and working up to the crown." 
4. End with a serum: "Finish your look by adding a couple of pumps of serum to smooth any flyaways. I particularly like Color Wow’s Pop and Lock Serum as it contains light reflectors that create shimmer on all shades of hair."

For those with more stubborn central partings, James says: "If your hair is used to sitting more in a central parting, you are best styling your hair from wet as it will ensure that the fresh side parting sits properly and doesn’t start to split in the wrong direction."

Which hairstyles work best side-swept?

"The side-sweep is such a great universal style as it literally suits all hair lengths and is flattering on all hair textures," says James, adding: "It works on shorter pixie cuts for a more dramatic look, which looks great when wet styled or when some texture spray is added.  

"On bobs it also looks great, just be mindful that you may need to visit your stylist to have the style cut into a side-parting if you are changing your parting from central."

The only look James says you may struggle to achieve this effortless sweep with is a blunt box-fringe, "as it may not sit well when it is dry due to the cut being blunt, so you may need to grow out the fringe before attempting the side part."

Which face shapes suit side-swept hair?

As for what face shapes this look best suits, James notes that "side-swept hair is flattering for a wide range of face shapes, also making it very wearable. Oval and heart-shaped faces can benefit from the asymmetry, balancing their features beautifully. Round faces may find the side-swept style elongates their appearance, while with square faces it softens the angles of the jawline."

Essentially, James explains that this hairstyle, "can be customised to highlight the best features of any face shape." So if you have a preferred side of your face, you can use this side-swept hairstyle to frame the other, leaving your "best" side bare - to take centre stage.

6 best side-swept looks we're loving

Now, if you're looking to recreate this sophisticated, side-swept 'do, these celebrity examples offer all the inspiration you need... 

1. Sleek Side-Swept hair

If you've got mid to long hair, a simple side-swept look like Michelle Yeoh's is perfect for elevating your everyday look. It's stylish and perfect for pairing with an off-the-shoulder top or dress. Simply grab your best hair straighteners, a heat protectant and a high-shine hairspray or serum and voilà, you have a red-carpet-ready look.

2. Wavy Side Swept Hair

For a more glam and polished look, replicate Natalie Portman's soft, face-framing waves - which curve around one side of her jaw and neck. Ideal for an occasion or event look. 

3. Curly side-swept hair

We're obsessed with Angela Bassett's voluminous side-swept look. It's bouncy and classic and is the perfect choice for a more formal occasion. We especially like the way her curls flick out and away from her face, which is a great option for those who don't like hair falling over their eyes. 

4. With a Side-fringe

If you've got a side-fringe or want to debut a more dramatic side parting, this look is perfect. It's sleek and feels slightly more elevated than an ordinary, straight hairstyle with a central parting. 

5. Side-swept pixie cut

If you've got a pixie haircut or a short bob hairstyle, you can also replicate a very stylish side-swept look, as proven by Glenn Close.

6. Framing side-swept hair

This side-swept moment for Jennifer Lopez feels so old Hollywood and we love it for a wedding or formal event look. It's also ideal if you have layouts and favour a more bouncy and blown-out look.