Jennifer Aniston has long served as hairstyle inspiration to onlookers; from the moment she debuted what became dubbed as 'The Rachel' circa 1995 in iconic sitcom Friends, renditions of her haircuts have rebounded far and wide. Whether short and shaggy, long, straight and swishy, or in between with beachy texture, her looks have been embedded on mood boards far and wide.
Her latest haircut, a sleek bob, has become yet another addition. Since stepping out at this year's SAG Awards with the shorter hair bearing some nonchalant '90s minimalism in execution, Aniston has motivated our spring/summer hair choices.
It's not only the length of her hair – now a lightly layered chin-grazing cut – but the styling, too. Since the SAG Awards debut, she's been photographed at PaleyFest 2024 and the Emmy FYC Event, each time nodding to a key theme in hair for this year: asymmetry.
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While partings oscillate from side to centre seasonally, there's also been a big move towards millennial-eque side fringes and side-swept down 'dos in general this year. As hair trend forecaster Tom Smith tells us, all of this connotes femininity and ties into the sartorial mood of 'old money', thanks to the the glamour and luxuriousness that comes with it. But when it comes to side partings in particular, he confirms that they are specifically trending.
'Side partings were popular this spring and not only remain popular but are getting further and further to the side,' he notes. While Aniston offers a more timeless take on the look for us all, this season the trend can also be seen styled 'super flipped over from the outside edge of the head,' adds Smith, which 'can be worn on almost any length of hair'.
That's not to say the middle part is 'out', of course – a detail such as where you wear your hair can be completely meaningless as much as it can be very purposeful. But if you're tempted to shift your style for summer and want to try something temporary over permanent, it can't hurt to let Aniston incentivise you once more.
Bridget March is the Multiplatform Beauty Birector at Harper’s Bazaar, overseeing all beauty and wellbeing content on the UK website and YouTube channel.
From news and interviews to tutorials and treatment reviews, she answers the beauty questions you’re searching for with expert advice (see the renowned #SkinSchool franchise for evidence), taking deep dives into the latest trends (from polynucleotides to Profhilo), and sharing the products A-listers really use (via the ‘Inside my beauty bag’ video series).
Bridget has written for various brands within the Hearst portfolio and beyond, and was formerly Digital Beauty Editor at Cosmopolitan. She lives with her husband and two sons (plus a baby on the way!) in the Cotswolds.
Follow Bridget on Instagram @bridgetmarch
