It’s Not Your Grampa’s Mullet

Back in the day, the ’80s, the mullet was a popular hairstyle for men and women. Who can forget MacGyver and his infamous mullet? Then Billy Ray Cyrus rose to popularity sporting one. Since then the mullet has gotten a bad rap. Destined to be the butt of bad jokes and worn with sleeveless flannel shirts, the mullet faded into the back of fashion. But wait, what do you see now on the heads of chic men and women? Yes, it’s the mullet revamped for the new millennium.

Anime Hair, Osaka
Image by timlam18 via Flickr

The mullet has been reborn with new and exciting options. It has gone from “business in the front and party in the back” to a fashion statement worn long and short. Today’s mullet is more of a blend of the shag of the ’70s and the mullet of the 80’s. Short choppy layers are found atop long layers. This mixture of lengths and textures make the mullet a great canvas for color.

Emo kids have taken the mullet for their own. Many of the Japanese Anime styles can be traced back to their mullet origins. Bright colors are woven through the long length of the back. Chunky highlights are mixed in the choppy short hair on the crown. The possibilities for color and style are endless and today’s younger generation is taking the mullet to extremes. For them it is not a fashion statement, but a lifestyle statement.

No longer relegated to the trailer parks of bad sitcom’s, the mullet is showing up in mainstream styles. It has withstood the test of time and humor to become the basis for some of the most cutting edge styles today. So put away the old MacGyver reruns and get out your fashion magazine. The mullet is here to stay and it will surely go through more variations before it fades in popularity again.

Anastasia is a salon hair stylist in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Out of town appointments welcome.

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