Affectionately known as any of the following – a neck warmer, a Tennessee top hat, or a party at the back – mullets might be the most polarising hairstyle in history, but they are also the cut that refuses to die.
Salons across Britain are reporting a surge in demand for the haircut which Vogue describes as “history’s most divisive”. On TikTok, the mullet hashtag has more than 12.8bn views while on Instagram, The Mullet Society, a fan account where users send their own mullet selfies to be rated out of 10, has more than 20,000 followers. “Lavish and luscious,” reads one caption, which has been awarded top marks.
The style is defined by a hair cut shorter at the front, top and sides but left longer at the back. David Bowie popularised the look in the 70s with Ziggy Stardust’s crimson cut while a more shaggier style became Joan Jett’s trademark in the 80s. Fast forward to 2023 and pop stars including Lil Nas and Miley Cyrus are embracing the choppy cut.
In March, the Irish actor Paul Mescal, the star of Normal People and Aftersun, attended the Oscars while sporting a micro mullet, a curly-lock style he has continued to champion all summer long.
The subversive style has cropped up on the catwalks at Gucci and Stella McCartney, too, while at the Met Gala, Timothée Chalamet, star of Call Me By Your Name, and the model Amber Valletta both revealed shorter cuts with longer hair grazing their necks.
“It’s a gender-fluid style. It’s not limiting,” says Ricky Walters, the owner of Salon64 in London. Non-binary actors including The Crown’s Emma Corrin and House of the Dragon’s Emma D’arcy have been pictured on the red carpet with spiky mullets.
Walters credits Gen Z with popularising the cut. “They are the ones deciding what is cool nowadays. Although many who come into the salon don’t remember its original 70s origins. For them it’s just a really fun hairstyle.”
