The 90s Curtains, Updated
The middle part, or 'curtains', was everywhere in the 1990s. The modern version is softer and more textured, often with tapered or lightly faded sides instead of one length all over. It reads relaxed and slightly retro.
How Long Your Hair Needs to Be
The hair on top needs to be long enough to fall to the sides, usually at least 10 to 15 cm at the front. Shorter hair sticks up at the part instead. If you're growing it out, a textured crop or messy fringe gets you through the awkward stage, then you can start parting it as it reaches your eyebrows.
Middle Part Styles
Curtains with a taper: medium length on top, gently tapered sides. The most versatile. Middle part with a low fade: sharper sides for a cleaner look. Middle part with texture: wavy or curly hair parted loosely. Longer middle-parted flow: hair to the ears or jaw, tucked behind the ears.
Get new guides by email
Which Face Shapes Suit a Middle Part
A middle part is symmetrical, so it shows the face's symmetry and outline. Oval faces suit it best. Oblong faces benefit, because hair falling at the sides adds width. Heart faces suit it, as it covers the corners of a wide forehead. Round faces should keep lift at the roots and length below the cheeks so it doesn't frame the face in a circle. Square faces suit a softer, textured middle part.
The free face scan in Ollie Stylist measures your face shape in your browser and ranks cuts for it.
Read more: Curtain Bangs for Every Face Shape
How to Style It
Part the hair while damp with a comb. Blow-dry the roots upward and away from the part on each side, so it lifts instead of lying flat. Finish with a light cream or sea salt spray, not heavy gel. If you have a cowlick at the front, part along it rather than fighting it. More cut names in types of haircuts for men.