by Beth Ryan
If you’d have asked me a couple of years ago to name three styles I would have put money on *not* coming back into fashion, I would pretty easily have chosen juicy tracksuits, crocs, and (most definitely) the mullet.
Cut to 2021: Juicy tracksuits are a fave of every insta baddie from Kylie Jenner and Addison Rae to Bimini Bon Boulash. Crocs are a summer staple of Justin Bieber and Post Malone, and are selling out in Urban Outfitters. And most shockingly of all, the mullet is pretty much officially the coolest hairstyle out there – and I’m 100% here for it.
Whilst the rise of the iconic ‘business in the front, party in the back’ hairstyle might be a trend we didn’t expect, it’s for sure one that continues to grow – with a tonne of our fave celebs sporting the look over the past year. The modern mullet is edgy, sexy, gender-neutral, and surprisingly wearable – which goes some way to explain why everyone is kind of obsessed with it. We’ve gathered some info and tips for those bold enough to consider the chop. Read on to find out more.
By Beth Ryan
1What is a mullet?
Put simply, the mullet haircut is one that’s shorter in the frontand longer in the back. There are a million variations, from the classic 80s rocker mullet, to much shorter, subtler versions.
The mullet was a staple on the 70s and 80s pop culture scene, with legends such as David Bowie and Billy-Ray Cyrus giving the look a serious *iconic* status. Since then though, the popularity of the mullet pretty much dive-bombed, and the cut became (for lack of a better term) a big fashion no-no.
Over the past couple of years, though, the mullet has been edging its way back to star status. Initially, this was thanks to fashion cool-kids in the likes of NYC and London. More recently, this has been thanks to the slew of celebs and influencers sporting the look: Miley, Rihanna, and Doja Cat to name a few. Tbh, we can’t thank them enough.
2Who does the mullet work for?
For starters, you will need a good base of long-ish hair to get a mullet. Your hair should reach around mid-way down your neck to be able to contrast against the shorter cut at the front.
The good news is that mullets are pretty versatile, and they suit almost any hair type. If there’s one thing a mullet loves – its texture, so thick curly or wavy hair will work really well. Thinner, sleeker hair can also work though – it might just need a different approach in terms of styling.
Thicker and curlier hair tends to disguise the drastic-ness of the style, (and thinner hair can accentuate it) so it’s worth bearing this in mind when deciding the level of drama that you want in your chop.
3What should you ask for?
Okay so the answer to this question might seem obvious – ‘can’t I just ask for a mullet?’ Really though, it totally depends on what style you want, as well as your natural hair texture and length.
If you’re going for a dramatic vibe – you can go down the traditional route: think shaved or a close crop on the sides, an inch or so on top, and pretty long at the back (around three-quarters of the way down your neck).
If you want a more subtle version, you can leave the sides a little longer, which will make the cut feel more connected, almost closer to a shag or wolfcut.
Because there are so many versions out there, we’d recommend taking a tonne of inspo pics to show your stylist, to make sure the length and texture of the cut will result in the look you’re going for. Make sure that the pictures roughly match your natural texture – again, this makes all the difference.
4How to style it
How you style this cut will (again) depend on your hair type.
General advice would be to rough-dry the hair, using your fingers to brush through. It can then be styled with product (such as wax or pomade) for definition.
Wavy, thick-ish hair won’t require much styling at all, and can even be left to air-dry for a relaxed and edgy look. Curly hair can be scrunched up with your fave curl cream for definition and bounce. For thinner or straight hair, any texturising product such as salt spray will add the texture needed for an undone messy-chic look. We’re also loving the less traditional approach of a sleek mullet with flicked ends, which gives more glam vibes.
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Image credits: Shutterstock, Instagram: @billyraycyrus, @daisyngn, @dojacat, @jrbibeau, @laura.spinney.creative, @maisie_williams, @ozandero, @siksadmik, @troyesivan
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