The modern mullet, a bold and trendy men's haircut, is a cool twist on a retro style that can look effortlessly stylish and charming with minimal styling. This contemporary adaptation involves cutting the hair at the front and on the sides short while maintaining extra length in the back, a striking and unique look suitable for rebellious guys.
The modern mullet hairstyle symbolizes a daring persona, a fashion-forward mindset and a willingness to stand out, offering the perfect canvas for self-expression. While rooted in non-conformity, the latest mullet styles work well with several popular tapers, fades and textures.
Here are some of the coolest variations to talk to your barber about.
Modern Mullet Haircut Variations
Modern Mullet Fade
The modern mullet fade is a stylish haircut that blends the sides to contrast the longer, flowing style on top, balancing the classic look with recent trends. As the most popular version, this present-day style keeps the volume in the back but incorporates a graduated cut that adds dimension and sleekness to the aesthetic. A low temp fade will focus the trim around the temples and near the sideburns for a smooth touch, while a mid taper fade offers a bolder transition. Use a matte pomade or wax to achieve a relaxed, textured finish that looks natural.
Undercut Mullet
The undercut mullet is a trendy hairstyle that highlights the disconnect between the short sides and longer hair on top and in the back, making it a bold choice for modern men. This fashionable cut involves buzzing the sides high and to one length without any tapering for an easy-to-maintain look that will stand out in the crowd. Maximize the volume and flow on top with a light texturizing product like mousse or cream, which can naturally show off your waves or curls.
Short Mullet
A short mullet is a low-maintenance, versatile haircut for men who want to express themselves with a rebellious look. This style is equally expressive as its full-fledged counterparts but subdued enough to be considered distinguished and neat. After scissor-cutting the hair to a respectable length, the stylist uses clippers to create a bold fade at the sides. The hair's layers and natural wave pattern are noticeable from a textured fringe to the nape.
Curly Mullet
A curly mullet is an edgy, stylish haircut that shows off your texture and enhances the volume of this retro style, offering an effortless, cool vibe. The curls flow from a thick fringe in the front to the back. A tapered cut or undercut provides some contrast without being too stark. A good mousse or curl cream can help with separation and definition.
Classy Mullet
A classy mullet is a sophisticated take on the classic style that exudes modern elegance and confidence, making it perfect for different occasions. This style relies on expert layering techniques that enhance the hair's natural texture and wave pattern. The versatile cut is choppy and flowy, and it looks impressive with a well-groomed beard.
Layered Mullet with Taper Fade
A layered mullet with a fresh taper fade is a charming choice that will show off your naturally thick flow and attractive features while elongating your face shape. This style combines the sleek greaser look, including the iconic “kiss curl,” with the fun shape of a mullet. Long, stacked layers serve as the foundation for this look, and the most important styling aids are a round brush and a blow dryer. The optional kiss curl adds a boyish and flirty element to the style, and the taper fade at the sides brings everything together.
Thick Mullet
The thick mullet is a dynamic cut that highlights your fullness with a stylish layered top and elongated back, elevating the traditional style with a contemporary twist. This style features a blunt fringe that brushes the brows connects to the fade at the sides, extending the fringe through. Use sea salt spray or a texturizing pomade to create the matte texture, or choose a quality styling gel for a shinier appearance.
Textured Mullet
A textured mullet is a go-to style for guys who want their finer hair to appear more voluminous. A slightly wavy fringe sets the stage for the rest of the cut, incorporating short, stacking layers at the sides and back to form a cohesive, rounded profile. For extra lift, work some texturizing pomade into the roots of the hair with the fingertips, then tousle.
Long Mullet
The long mullet is a bold, flowing style that involves cutting layers into your length, creating body and movement that elevates the appearance. This version was especially popular among musicians in the 1990s country and rock spaces, and it continues to make an edgy statement today. Men who prefer long tresses but have little body and movement due to fine or thinning hair often find that the layering required for a mullet creates more volume. The slicked-back front appears shorter than it is, and a full beard is a rugged finishing touch.
Messy Mullet
A messy mullet is a captivating hairstyle that uses choppy layers and a voluminous, tousled touch to create dimension without sacrificing flow. With a buzzed undercut, the sides are uniform with the fringe, and the gratuitous texture amplifies the volume. This style is youthful, charismatic and fun, making it popular for young men, athletes and non-conformists.
Shaggy Mullet
A shaggy mullet is a fashion-forward style featuring choppy layering and a heavy brush forward to create a moody, fringe in the front. Additional layers at the sides and in the back also sweep toward the face, forming a bold frame that accentuates angular, masculine features. The messy texture relies heavily on texturizing spray or pomade, and a thin mustache and goatee add a little maturity to the style.
Short Mullet with Skin Fade and Beard
A short mullet with a skin fade is a subtle, understated cut popular with modern gentlemen and athletes. The style looks like a traditional men's cut from the hairline to the crown. The hair is slightly longer and pushed upward in the back, and an aggressive drop fade brings the two together. Short, well-groomed facial hair balances the look.
Wavy Mullet
A wavy mullet is an attractive look involving several textured, flowing layers that blend to achieve a sleek, classy style. The texture enhances the aesthetic and the defined waves naturally play into the look, amplifying the results. Volumizing mousse applied to the root of damp hair can add extra lift and hold.
Mullet Mohawk Fade
A mullet mohawk fade is a modern men's haircut that adds extra contrast and personality to the style, offering an understated and sexy punk rock cut. A long, tousled fringe frames the face, and the hair gradually gets shorter as it moves toward the back of the head. An angular skin fade shapes the cut and gives it some rebellious, auspicious flair. To achieve the thick texture, generously apply sea salt spray, tousle with the fingertips, and then allow the hair to dry naturally.
Wolf Cut Mullet
A wolf cut mullet is a trendy and attractive choice that infuses layering and a tousled aesthetic to achieve a smooth transition between lengths. Resembling the fur that stands out around a wolf's face, the cut is fuzzy yet soft and touchable at the same time. Ask a stylist for a blend of choppy scissor-cut and more feathery razored layers to achieve this effect.
Mullet Fade with Curls
A mullet fade with curls is a creative contemporary style featuring hair about the same length from hairline to nape. Soft curls form a delicate fringe over the forehead and may barely kiss the shirt collar in some cuts. A mid fade creates the classic mullet shape while removing bulk from the style. Use a matte curl cream to soak wet hair, then allow it to air dry for incredible definition.
Mullet Pompadour
A mullet pompadour is a stylish look that reimagines the style, offering longer hair in the front than in the back to achieve the iconic lift. The pomp in front curls up and back then blends into the thick hair along the crown. A drop fade tapers to the skin just before the ear, and a full blended beard offers cohesion that enhances masculine facial structures.
Mullet Blowout
A mullet blowout is a standout style that involves blow-drying the typical mullet straight back so that it all aims toward the same direction. Voluminous hair up top flows back from the hairline and then blends into a thick strip of blown-out hair stretching to the nape. A striking fade and angular beard make the auspicious, edgy style stand out even more.
Messy Mullet Fade
The ease and simplicity of a messy mullet fade make it incredibly popular among busy, no-nonsense men. The short top blends beautifully into the slightly longer back, and the fade at the sides is subtle enough to result in a handsome yet somewhat bold style. Add a bit of sea salt spray to dry hair to achieve the look, then tousle and let the hair fall where it may.
Permed Mullet
A permed mullet is a modern hairstyle that features tight, well-defined curls with captivating shine. This style keeps the hair short enough to control the volume but long enough for the curl pattern to shine through. A lively fade to stubble and a bit of a patchy beard create an artful look that highlights texture rather than attempting to mask it. Accessorizing the cut with piercings gives it a daring vibe.
Burst Fade Mullet
A burst fade mullet puts a popular dapper spin on a contemporary cut. A quiff at the front is sophisticated and stylish, and handsome layers create a subtle transition to the shorter hair at the back. A dynamic, assertive burst fade creates the illusion of additional volume amplified by a clean-shaven face.
Wavy Mullet with Skin Fade and Beard
A wavy mullet with a skin fade combines thick layers, natural texture and a perfectly rounded edge at the nape to deliver an exciting and expressive style. The incredible skin fade moves down through the sideburns, leading to a blended beard that is much thicker along the jawline and at the chin. Styling pomade or clay is essential for creating and maintaining an appealing texture.
Mullet Fade with Curtains
A mullet fade with curtains is a simple and understated cut that offers plenty of styling versatility. Curtain bangs fall gently to each side from a subdued side part, and an undercut fade provides the classic mullet shape. Strong-hold styling gel or mousse can create a wet greaser look, especially among men with dark hair.
Mullet Fade with Fringe
A mullet fade with fringe features an attractive and voluminous frizzy texture that is easy for guys with natural waves or curls to style and wear. The “fluffy” fringe mimics the volume at the back of the head, and a low fade accentuates both. Wear it as-is for a casual look, or slick it down with styling gel for formal events.
Tousled Curly Mullet Mohawk with Low Taper Fade
A tousled curly mullet mohawk with a cool low taper fade is essential for attention-lovers, extroverts and non-conformists. Despite its atypical profile, it is a fun style that channels punk music, skateboarding, and youthfulness. A wide strip of long hair curls over the forehead and falls to the nape, while an aggressive fade creates a bold transition that makes the shape even more apparent.
Fluffy Mullet Fade with Fringe and Design
A fluffy mullet fade with fringe and a design captivates crowds by combining precise details with tousled tresses from front to back. A quiff-like fringe is boyish and flirty, and the wavy layers swirl and stack to create a gentlemanly touch. A broad V-shaped shaved line at the nape mimics the shaved angles at the temple, and a bold drop fade offers another opportunity for additional shaved designs.
Cool Short Mullet with High Drop Fade
A cool short mullet with a high drop fade focuses on the hair's differing lengths. A curly fringe sits high on the forehead, and while most of the hair along the crown is relatively short, another long patch at the nape produces the signature profile. The fade creates the illusion of more lift, and a bit of facial hair offers a masculine finishing touch.
Edgy Shaved Sides Mullet
A daring shaved sides mullet creates a unique blend of lengths across the head, offering impressive stylish versatility and a playful appearance. The low, shaved sides bring a clean look to the style, while the choppy top creates a retro, rock-and-roll aesthetic. The bangs are point-cut or razored to bring dimension and framing to the face while keeping the cut modern. Run pomade or wax through the front and back to insert some light texture. Regular trims with clippers are essential to maintaining the separation between sections, which enhances the style.
Textured Mullet with Low Fade
A textured mullet with a low fade is a laid-back, wearable take on the classic mullet, blending subtle faded edges and a free-flowing top. The length is relatively uniform throughout, but the fade and layering bring light structure to the look. Ask your barber to use thinning shears to remove unnecessary weight and bring movement to the old-school mullet silhouette. Guys with natural curls can let their locks flow to showcase natural bounce and lift or use a curl crème for a neat, defined style.
Spiky Mullet Fade
A spiky mullet fade is a dynamic look that maintains the traditional style, spikes the top and pairs it with a precisely graduated fade for a striking profile. A low taper fade can be a conservative blend suitable for college guys and young professionals alike. Spike the hair using a texturizing product to create lift and ask your barber to crop the length at the back for a low-maintenance, balanced appearance.
Fresh Mullet Flow
This fresh mullet flow is a fashionable, high-volume hairstyle that combines a low temp fade and brushed back, longer top for a clean, handsome finish. The sides are center or side parted and swept backward with a texturizing sea salt spray and blow dryer for maximum hold. Maintain a medium length through the bulk and work light layers into the hair for dimension and flow that complements the swept-back aesthetic.
Charming Mullet with Low Drop Fade
Getting a mullet with a low drop fade creates a smooth transition between a textured top and edgy, short sides. The low drop fade creates a neat, sleek look that contrasts against the textured length for a fun-loving style with structure. Men with natural waves can fashion the front sections to the side to create a makeshift fringe and spike the back section for a high-volume finish.
Thick Mullet with Taper
A thick mullet with a taper keeps the essence of a traditional mullet with its long, unkempt look. The hair graduates subtly around the sides to create an extremely low-key transition between sections. Start the taper at the ear and blend it into a long top and connected beard for a masculine style that showcases your inner cool guy. Define natural curls around the nape to lightly texturize your style and add visual interest to the choppy layers.
Windswept Mullet
The windswept mullet showcases volume and movement with natural texture, expert layering and light styling for a cool, relaxed look that symbolizes confidence. The hair is kept long at the back to create the typical mullet shape, while the front and top are tousled for effortless body. Styling powder is an excellent choice for locking in texture and volume on finer hair, while sea salt spray and curl crème are ideal for textured locks.
Country Mullet
The country mullet is a more traditional take on the modern variation but has been updated with an understated taper on the sides. This style was incredibly popular during the 1980s and 1990s, featuring a shaggy shape and full locks that cascaded down the back of the head. The voluminous top lends the cut a relaxed and rugged feel, but you can add light structure to the style by subtly fading the sides with a shorter guard. Ask for light layers to flatter natural curls and let the back hang loose. Scrunch your hair with sea salt spray for beautiful, natural texture.
Brushed Back Mullet
A brushed-back mullet is a timeless, longer hairstyle for men who want to embrace some retro charm. The layers add movement and dimension through the length, giving the front sections a stylish, swept-back feel. Keep the sides long and scissor-cut, or taper them for a sleek style that looks more contemporary. Achieve this clean look with a high-quality brush and direct the hair backward with a medium-hold styling product. Your brush strokes will create separated strands and highlight the natural volume of longer locks.
Sleek Wet-Look Mullet
A wet-look mullet is a contemporary, sleek style that gives the hair an eye-catching, glossy finish. The top can be slicked over the forehead or pushed back for a modern, face-framing finish. Get the iconic wet look with a high-shine pomade or wax, enhancing the fringe and transforming your style. The finished look offers a grungy structure while keeping longer locks tamed and clear of the eyes. A lightweight gel raked through damp hair is an excellent alternative for a less crunchy style that holds all day.
