The mullet is celebrating a comeback of sorts. Hollywood star Kristen Stewart has walked the red carpet and sported hers for quite some time. Photo: dpa
Short at the front, long at the back – the mullet hairstyle of the 1980s and early 1990s once worn by pop star legends like Prince and Duran Duran – is making a comeback, more than 30 years later.
But don’t expect everyone to be sprinting to the salon just yet. The mullet remains one of the most controversial hairstyles ever, with plenty of folks still giving it the cold shoulder.
Plus, its name doesn't exactly scream glamour. “Mullet” has rather unflattering roots, making it a style that’s as divisive as it is memorable.
Mullethead means stupid
The word mullet comes from the word "mullethead", which was used in the 19th century to describe "stupid" or "dumb" people. But still, the hairdo is celebrating a comeback of sorts, for example Hollywood star Kristen Stewart, 34, has sported one for quite some time.
The legendary hardcore punk and hip-hop band Beastie Boys coined the term and released their Mullet Head single 30 years ago.
Part of the chorus gives a barber some tips, which goes: "Cut the sides, don't touch the back."
Until the 1990s, a mullet mane was quite common on the streets of Germany and elsewhere. The hairstyle has many names, including "redneck chic" and "hockey hair" in North America.
In Europe, it was also popular with football players. Men often paired the haircut with a moustache.
Read more: Beach waves, short cuts, bobs: A look at this season's favoured hairstyles
In Denmark, people still call the cut Bundesligahar today because it is considered characteristic of Bundesliga footballers.
The mullet also gained popularity in the queer community, where it became an iconic look for lesbians who identified as "butch" – a term describing individuals with a gender expression that aligns with a traditionally masculine presentation.
Rock stars and ancient warriors also wore mullets But even before the 1980s, the hairstyle achieved cult status. David Bowie, Rod Stewart, Keith Richards and Paul McCartney all wore a mullet in the early 1970s.
The New York Times explained that the helmet-like mullet was already common in ancient Assyria, Egypt and Greece.
"Greek texts suggest the style was particularly popular with warriors; no doubt the longer strands kept their necks warm while the bangs ensured they could see clearly and, indeed, there’s something helmet-like about the style," the paper wrote in a story published in May 2022.
Musician David Bowie wore a mullet in the early 1970s even before it became a cult fashion in the 1980s. Photo: dpa
A haircut to break gender stereotypes
The English expression for the mullet is "business in the front, party in the back". But it could also be "man in the front, woman in the back", according to the Swiss newspaper the Neue Zurcher Zeitung.
"The play with gender roles is perhaps the most exciting and zeitgeisty thing about the mullet. And that was certainly what David Bowie liked so much about it."
The recent revival was initially more of an assertive trend on the runways of brands such as Gucci and Off-White. Stylist Guido Palau had models wearing mullets at Marc Jacobs fashion shows around 10 years ago.
In recent years, it has actually become a hipster phenomenon and a more common sight.
When men were allowed to take part in Heidi Klum's Germany's Next Topmodel for the first time in 2024, two contestants, Maximilian and Yanik, wore a mullet.
Read more: Minimal upkeep, enhancing natural curls, short chops: 2024’s popular hair trends
The modern mullet is sleek and refined
"We've already included mullet variants a few times in our trend looks collections – for both men and women," says Antonio Weinitschke, art director at the Central Association of the German Hairdressing Trade.
"But it always takes time before a fashion really catches on, it takes a few years."
If it is aesthetically pleasing, there is nothing wrong with a mullet, says the expert.
Weinitschke emphasises that today's mullet doesn't look like the mullets of the 1980s. Men's cuts are much softer at the joints and are not extremely long at the back, but the sides are short and almost shaved.
"Back then, it was usually a standing haircut at the top and the rest was long down the neck," says the master hairdresser from Aachen near the Dutch border.
"Today, the hair tends to be more evenly layered and the whole thing is worn flatter and wider, so not with such a blockhead." – dpa
