Scarlett Johansson Just Reignited The Side Part Debate

If you thought the side part versus middle part debate was laid to rest, think again. Scarlett Johansson just stepped out in New York City, and her hair made it very clear that the side part is very much back — and it’s more extreme than ever.

On Sept. 23, the actor stepped out with a honey blonde blowout, but the styling is what caught everyone’s attention.

ScarJo’s Honey Blonde Side Part

While promoting her directorial debut Eleanor the Great, Johansson wore a ’90s-style blowout, styled with a dramatic side part that was so deep, it swept over one eye. Think Cindy Crawford in her Pepsi ad days — a flipped-over bang with lots of volume at the root and loose roller curls toward the bottom.

The color added to the vintage starlet effect. Johansson’s caramel roots melted into rich blonde lengths, accented with cool-toned money pieces that perfectly framed her face. It’s a softer spin on the classic bombshell blonde she’s favored in recent months, and a noticeable shift from the sleek middle-part waves she’s usually known for.

Side Parts Are Trending

Johansson isn’t the only one signaling the side part’s comeback. Hair parts have long doubled as generational markers. In the early 2020s, there was nothing more Millennial than a side part (well, except skinny jeans and the laughing-crying emoji). When Gen Z took over TikTok, the #MiddlePartChallenge went viral — and just like that, side parts became cheugy.

In 2025, however, the tides have turned. Addison Rae has been sporting a clipped-back side part. Sabrina Carpenter styled her strands into the “older sister side part” at Paris Couture Week. Emily Ratajkowski rocked one at Tory Burch’s fall runway show. Even Kylie Jenner has been favoring a slightly off-center part all summer.

After years of nudging Millennials toward the middle part, Gen Z is now embracing the very same look. Has the side part become the latter’s new generational signature? (Cue: “Girl, so confusing” by Charli XCX.)

Regardless, ScarJo’s latest ‘do is on the right side of history. Maybe Millennials were onto something all along.