Kim Kardashian Brings Back the Asymmetric Cut

Every decade has their version of the asymmetric hairstyle. The sixties saw Vidal Sassoon's five-point cut, popularized by stylish women like Mary Quant, Peggy Moffet, and Grace Coddington. In the 80s, the asymmetrical bob was like all hairstyles at the time: big and and tall and teased (see Salt n' Pepa circa 1986). Then who could forget Victoria Beckham's blonde, spiky pixie/bob hybrid of the early 2000s. And while we're not through the 2010s quite yet (let's not get ahead of ourselves shall we), we may just have come across this decade's iteration of the lopsided style.

Long and blunt, Kim Kardashian's new, asymmetric hairstyle—cut by hairstylist Christian Appleton—doesn't feel dated or goofy. In fact, it feels simultaneously effortless and polished, which in my opinion is the definition of our ideal beauty aesthetic at the moment. And with one side slightly longer than the other and cut on a sloping, 45 degree angle, her hair falls in a subtly sexy way over her right shoulder.

Unlike many of Kardashian fashion and beauty choices (heavy contouring, waist training corsets, dresses the colors of Band-Aids), this hairstyle could work for a ton of people, flattering any face shape and playing nicely with lots of different hair textures (some textures may just require more daily styling efforts). "There are no layers around the face and the deep part instantly makes the face look slimmer by closing off one side," explains hairstylist Matt Fugate of the Serge Normant at John Frieda in New York City. "Because of that, round faces appear narrower, wide faces look slimmer, and even hard jawlines seem softened as the chin becomes more of the focal point." It's also a great way to troubleshoot for hair that's superthin. "The added bonus of [this cut] being longer on one side is that it can make fine hair look thicker, as it draws attention to the different lengths rather than the texture," says Fugate. The blunt ends also help bulk up wimpy strands.

But remember, this is a look on a Kardashian, which means it does require a bit of effort. First off, no matter your hair texture, you'll need to start with a good blow-dry. "You want to blow it out straight to get rid of any bumps or bends in the hair," says Fugate, and a flatiron is definitely necessary to make sure the ends look that sharp and clean. The good news, though, is that air-drying isn't totally out of the question with this cut. "Air-dried hair is still going to have that cool, unbalanced feel, which I love," says Fugate.

We still have plenty of time to see if this asymmetric style will catch on or not (or how long until Kardashian will get bored and changes it again), but with September just a month a way, it's a good one to keep in mind—and on your Pinterest board—the next time you're itching for a new look.