Julia Roberts has been the personification of my hair goals for basically my entire life. Twenty-six years after My Best Friend’s Wedding, I still keep photos on my phone of her in that movie just in case I decide to finally ask for that curly, layered cut and perfect auburn color at the salon. But everything she’s done with her hair since has also found a spot in my “Hair Ideas” folder, including the new look she debuted in Italy today.
For the vast majority of this century, the Oscar winner’s go-to look has been middle-parted, loose waves. Even when the color changes, that voluminous, long style has served as the devastatingly gorgeous default. But when she arrived at the Gucci show on Friday, September 22, for Milan Fashion Week, even though her hair is still long and copper-colored as it has been for a while, the absence of a middle part fully changed her aesthetic.
Has Roberts side-parted her hair on occasion over the last decade or two? Sure. But you have to admit, something about this instance just hits different. My theory? It’s not just a side part: It’s the heavy, off-center curtain bangs. Although pushed to the side to let one of her brows peek through, the bangs still cover most of her forehead with impressive opacity — a look that reads much differently than totally sweeping bangs off to the side (not to mention differently than wearing them straight across like she did a few months ago).
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