from the beauty closet

Play Your Part

10 years ago by

Play Your Part

I’m trying to come to terms with my middle part.

For years (like really, so many years) I had a deep side part and dramatic side swept bags. You never saw both of my eyes at the same time, which in my head made me mysterious, in reality made me partially blind. I thought I would keep those bangs (and that look) for the rest of my life, it becoming as iconic as Anna Wintour’s bob.

Then one day, I blacked out and got straight across bangs with a middle part. I’ve told you that story before and how it traumatized me to the point where I didn’t really do much to my hair for a while, afraid of making another big, huge, life altering mistake (yeah yeah, it’s just hair, it will grow back).

And now here I am today: grown out bangs, long layers and a middle part.

Most of the time, I feel exposed, like my forehead is this giant billboard walking down the street. I don’t really have anything to hide behind anymore. I can see out of both my eyes most of the time. I have a tendency, which Erik has pointed out a number of times, to push my hair in front of my face throughout the day, so I look kind of like the girl from The Ring (if you haven’t seen it, don’t watch it, too scary). I rarely wear my hair pulled back, again for fear that I’m going to just be all forehead (if you didn’t know it, now you do: I have a forehead complex). But today, yes TODAY, I’m turning over a new leaf. I’m leaving behind my forehead complex and I’m moving forward with my middle part! I’m tucking my hair behind my ears!

I’m a new woman. I’m a new woman with a middle part.

Do you change your part often or have yout stuck with one for a long time?

24 comments

Add yours
  • I change my part every day… Or maybe I don’t have a part?

    I think living in France for a while made me appreciate and learn how to rock the messy hair… Basically depending on how my hair looks in the morning I comb it a little bit, part it where it feels more natural that day and I’m ready!!

    Some days when it is really too crazy I tie it in a high bun and that’s it :)

  • exactly the same (except for the tight bun which I only wear on the beach).

  • i’m great friends with my side parting! :)
    http://littleaesthete.com

  • I think we the women are very lucky that we can play with our hair …short long ..to the side ..pony tale..
    we can show our face and we can hide it …and that is such a great power we have …amazing
    xoxo
    Yael Guetta

    http://www.ftwwl.com

  • I’ve been using my part to one side for years! I used to have in the middle but now I’m too used to having it to one side and I refuse to change it haha Maybe I should!
    https://sheseeksadventure.wordpress.com

  • Love this story! I actually always change, so no signature look for me !

    http://www.fashion-hooked.blogspot.com

  • I am stuck in the middle too, no matter what I do. But hopefully this groovy song will help us feel better:

    Stuck In The Middle With You – Stealers Wheel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DohRa9lsx0Q

  • je ne change jamais la raie de côté, à force de faire des photos j’ai trouvé quel profil était le plus avantageux et, petite lubie, j’ai un grain de beauté à côté de l’oeil gauche qu’on ne verrait plus si je changeais de côté ^^ je trouve qu’entre la frange, le changement de couleur et toutes les possibilités de lissages/bouclages, on a assez de possibilités pour les petits changements et l’expériementation capillaire, mais c’est bien d’assumer , bonne chance! :)

    Cécile
    http://www.maxcebycecilej.com

  • My hair will only part in one place! Every time my stylist and I try to part it on the other side for a new look, it doesn’t work. I’m stuck. My only choices are long hair or short hair, but no matter the length, the part goes “THERE!”

  • That’s exactly the same for me! Sometimes I try something different but mostly I just give up!

  • I tend to have all my hair tide in a strong pony tail and use hairspray to hold the fine little hairs around my face. I feel much comfortable with a tide hairstyle like gymnastics do. The thing is that my locks are fine and I most certainly never accomplished what I wanted. Then I saw Emma Stone and long story short now I rock bangs and waves. Then every day when I´m back home I use hair bands. It’s the secret weapon.

  • I have made the opposite “part migration”, going from middle to side. My husband told me last night that it’s the best my hair has ever looked. Ever. In life. Not sure if that means that I’ve been walking around looking hideous for all of the years.

    http://www.enduringethereal.com

  • I also had a very deep side part for years, its not been called my ‘combover’ hairstyle. Looking back now it was pretty horrendous! I’ve been wanting to change to a middle part for a few months now, but like you I have a bit of a forehead complex!

    Joanne | http://www.fashion-oh.blogspot.com

  • C’est vraiment bizarre (!) je me suis fait la raie de côté mardi, juste après mon shampooing, moi qui depuis la sixième ai la raie du côté gauche… Et depuis je me sens plus femme, vraiment, et jolie plus souvent!!! Je suis super contente, et je pense la garder longtemps, en espérant que l’effet je me trouve bonasse perdure (ça ne dure jamais bien longtemps cette histoire, dans 2 jours je voudrai me cacher… Le plus bizarre c’est que ‘ai le visage ovale, et que j’ai toujours cru que ça l’allongerait encore plus.

  • My grandmother used to part my hair in the middle and braid my hair as a child so I have a middle part. But a side part looks the best on my square face so I keep *trying* to do a side part. Though the natural tendency of my hair is a middle part and eventually my side part becomes a middle part in like half an hour. It’s annoying.

    Anceeta.com

  • Nothing is more alarming to me, nor leaves me stuttering like a fool more than a hair stylist asking before a new cut, ‘so which way do you part your hair?’

  • Deep side part…and it took me FOREVER to grow out my bangs! Usually, I’d get just so far, and then I’d become frustrated and cut them. But I’m loving my bob sans bangs. It’s good!

  • I am having a side part, and side swept bangs. I kind of relate to your post, because when I think of changing something to my hairstyle, bangs are the big thing. When I’m indoors I tend to pin them back and have exposed forehead, and i like my face that way, but when I am supposed to go to the public, I’d rather go blind having long bangs than exposing myself. :D
    Also, what I’ve found so handy about the bangs is the fact that you can wash them every morning and add a freshness to your hairstyle, as well as hide imperfections that burst out every now and then. :)

  • I used to love my middle part. She was really nice, but I lost her. Sad. One day a huge white /grey lock appeared just in the center of it. And let me tell you it was NOT a cool white /grey lock. So I’ve been colouring my hair since then… but the white / grey lock appears every two weeks!! How can my hair grow so fast for the love of God! So, in order to avoid the hairdresser every two weeks, I decided to go for a side part. Problem solved. Well, almost. I still have to go to the hairdresser to retouch every three weeks, but at least the white/grey lock is not that obvious. The side part has also the positive effect that my face is not so exposed… but it’s a nightmare with my glasses… Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that I’m all for a side part now :)
    xx,
    E.
    http://www.theslowpace.com

  • Jennifer August, 29 2014, 8:25 / Reply

    I went back and forth between a side part and middle part for years. I liked both and it seemed like an easy way to change things up without a ton of effort. Some days my hair chose the part for me and I just went with it.

    Two weeks ago I got bangs, long fringe bangs and it’s changed me look completely. So for now I’m not really having a part.

  • I have a side part, and I have thought about trying the middle part, but I am afraid! The side part is sooooo my comfort zone and I think I look weird when I part it in the middle. That and you can see more of my grey hair if I part it in the middle. :/

  • My views on this are a bit odd and it may just be me but I really dislike it when I’ve had the same part for a long time and the line becomes too divided and noticeable. I always prefer thin part lines so I try to change my part every once in a while to achieve that effect.

  • Story of my life! It took me years to finally embrace my middle part. One day, after a blow dry where I forgot to mention I didn’t embrace my natural middle part, I looked in the mirror and thought – hey, that isn’t so bad. And now I think I look odd without it!

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