Of all the 2000s trends that made their way back into the mainstream, side bangs have stayed relatively in the past. Sure, deep side parts and Y2K blunt bangs are seemingly just as popular now as they were in the early aughts; however, the combo of the two hasn’t caught fire like the others. Besides a brief moment in 2022 when piecey, wispy side bangs were in, and some recent stints on stars like Keke Palmer and Bella Hadid, proper Y2K side bangs haven’t reentered the spotlight. However, Selena Gomez thinks it’s time for a revival.
On March 11, after the Oscars and its infamous after-party were long complete, Gomez’s bestie, Nicola Peltz-Beckham, posted an Instagram carousel showing off a fun night the duo had while celebrating Benny Blanco’s 36th birthday. How did Gomez dress for her boyfriend’s big night? Side bangs, of course, paired with a very trendy outfit.
All the girls in the birthday group were wearing very mob wife-coded outfits—Nicola in all black with a coordinating black fur coat and Selena in a bright cherry red dress layered under a just as bright red fur coat. Though, where Nicola kept her hair on trend with today, Selena’s hair was, as mentioned, a throwback.
Parted in an off-center side part, Gomez straightened her dark brown hair from root to end to get the Y2K effect to full force. Traveling to her chest, there was noticeable bounce and shine through the camera. However, the most exciting part was her bangs. Shorter than the rest of her hair, the very millennial-coded bangs traveled to her cheekbone. Since she parted her hair down the side and swept her bangs with it, the Y2K bangs completely covered her left eye—adding all the sultry drama we could’ve hoped for in combination with her statement red outfit.
Although the hair is new for 2024 Selena, it’s not really a new hairstyle for her in the grand scheme of things. Alongside superstars like Beyoncé, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie, Rihanna, and more, Gomez once rocked the style when millennials were at their pop culture peak.
In the late 2000s to 2010s, Gomez rocked a side bang nearly everywhere she went—on red carpets, occasionally on Wizards of Waverly Place, and infamous with “a little edge” of blue streaks at a 2007 Teen Vogue party. Then, they left. First for classic middle parts and blowouts, then, more recently, for updos, ballerina buns, and tapering classic bangs. However, if Benny Blanco’s party is any indication, Gomez is all for a revival, and we kind of are, too.
