Why The Hime Haircut Is Tiktok's Hottest Hair Trend

Social media has the power to spark trends that can endure for years or even decades, and TikTok is no stranger to this phenomenon. Right now, one of the biggest trends is the Hime haircut, which has somehow managed to take over both Prada's spring 2021 fashion show and the Grammys (via W Magazine). If you aren't familiar with the style's name that might not mean you aren't familiar with the style's look; W Magazine writes that it the style is essentially made up of long hair that's been straightened and has cheek-length side locks along with bangs in front.

The publication also notes that mullets in general have become more popular, and the Hime is simply another version of a mullet, but styled in a much more dramatic way.

While over 100 million views on TikTok, it's easy to think the Hime cut is a new trend, but many sources believe it dates all the way back to the Heian Period of the Japanese court, which lasted from 794 to 1185 (via Britannica).

Hair historian Rachael Gibson explained to W Magazine that the haircut has an even more impressive history. She says that the haircut was popularized by noblewomen, noting that they originated the look. "The Hime, or princess cut, is named for the noblewomen who would have originally worn the style."

Gibson adds that far from simply being a unique aesthetic style, the haircut has a lot of symbolism. "It combines two styles: longer hair at the back, with blunt, shorter sections on either side at the front. These shorter front lengths would have been cut during the ceremony of Binsogi; an event that celebrates coming of age with a haircut. The combination of these two cuts led to a new style: Hime" (via W Magazine).

Japan Info also explains that only women who could afford to maintain the hairstyle would cut their hair this way, thus displaying their social status to everyone they met. The hairstyle is one that requires a fair bit of upkeep and maintenance, and that requires women to style it every day — something that only women who have a lot of leisure time could do.