It’s been four long years since the once-ridiculed mullet made an ironic comeback during lockdown, only for that comeback to quickly become one hundred per cent sincere.
Janky DIY cuts became fully realised, well-styled shags, and the streets of London suddenly started looking like the set of That 70s Show. Hairdressers started offering mullet-based portfolios (see: the wildly successful, talented @mulletbabyy on Instagram) with others having to teach themselves how to craft a shaggier look to keep up with the demand.
And just when you thought it might be dying down (how long can one hair trend live, really?) Harry Styles goes and jumps on board. The pop megastar debuted the look last Friday, when he appeared on stage alongside Stevie Nicks for an exclusive duet of Landslide during the Fleetwood Mac singer’s British Summer Time performance. Like it or not, this means the mullet is sticking around for the long haul. But how has a joke haircut become so strangely enduring?
“Mullets are famous for their subversive nature,” explains Luke Sawyer, a hairstylist at Taylor Taylor salon in Portobello. “In the 80s, the haircut was synonymous with rebelliousness, youth culture, and liberation. And while the modern mullet has more of a natural, effortless look with its softer and less obnoxious shape, the cultural statement it makes remains the same.”
On a more basic level, it’s easy to maintain with at home styling, which is pretty crucial in a cost of living crisis. “I don’t think it will be going anywhere anytime soon,” says Sawyer. “Clients are starting to adapt the hairstyle creating new trends all together, each inspired by the 70s mullet. For example, in the past year the ‘wolf cut’ has gained huge popularity, which is a hybrid cut that’s inspired by a 70s shag cut and an 80s mullet.”
@itslisamc2 Harry holding Stevie’s hand speaking about Christine McVie after performing Landslide 🥺#bsthydepark #harrystyles #stevienicks
♬ original sound - Lisa Mc
Now that Styles is championing the look alongside the likes of Paul Mescal, Miley Cyrus and Billie Eilish, the only hope of things moving on is if the mullet is fully dethroned. So what could possibly stem the flow of the ‘Kentucky waterfall’ (or so they call it)?
1. Curtains
“90’s curtains are in, think middle parts and floppy fringes,” says Sawyer at Taylor Taylor. “This look is great if you’re looking for something low-maintenance as it looks good grown out, so you can go a few months between cuts.
“It can also be tailored to your face shape and hair texture and is a very versatile look. It can be worn longer too, so around the cheekbones or chin. Think Backstreet Boys. We’re definitely seeing a lot of 90’s ‘old-money’ influence at the moment, from clothes to hair. Bring a photo of young Leonardo DiCaprio to the salon for inspo.”
2. The Brit pop mod cut
While Donnchadh Kurland at Blue Tit thinks the mullet is here to stay, they also see it adapting and changing more into the mod look popularised by the Gallagher brothers back in the early ‘90s.
“As we see more contemporary British fashion coming to the forefront again in 2024 we’ll start to see hair trends shift again,” they say. “The mod haircut will come back in a huge way with that Brit pop look coming back into focus, heavily influenced by early influences from the 90s and 2000s really coming back into the forefront of nostalgia and the ever spinning fashion wheel. Usually every 20 years a trend will resurface.” And given Oasis were at their peak 30 years ago, it looks like a revival of this look is well overdue.
3. A deconstructed bob
Angelo Vallillo, style director at STIL, senses the bob is set to dominate the coming years and months. “At STIL we’re seeing women become a lot braver with their haircuts, and there is a big push towards the tousled, deconstructed bob,” he says.
“When it comes to styling, it’s very loose and you can create texture as you cut. Length is key with this style - think jawline. This effortless style is definitely where it’s at.” If in need of inspo, look no further than Zendaya’s character in Challengers, or for those seeking bangs, model Mia Regan is your girl.
