The 80s: Mullet Mania!
You know you rocked one back in the day, don't lie.
Business Up Front, Party in the Back!
That's how the classic 1980's and early 90's hairstyle, The Mullet has been described.
The popular hairdo consisted of short, cropped and some would say conservatively-coiffed locks around the forehead and over the ears, and a flowing cascade of locks that started behind the ears and continued on as long as the wearer wanted. That’s where the party really started.
Of course, one could confidently display their individuality by perhaps adding to the ‘do by rocking tightly permed tresses at said party, adding both flavour and fun in an instance.
You see, the Mullet was a universal cut. It transcended age, race, social class and more. The tribalism that is often the basis of separation from others was almost non-existing during a time when men and women, old and young got on the mullet bandwagon in true ‘80s fashion. Curly hair, straight hair, wavy hair, frizzy hair - this style was worn by people with all textures of hair, indiscriminately. The mullet was not only a hairstyle, but an equal opportunity, unisex option for any and all who wanted to be part of the “in” crowd.
The Mullet was a universal cut that transcended age, race, social class and more. The tribalism that is often the basis of separation from others was almost non-existing during a time when men and women, young and old got on the mullet bandwagon in true ‘80s fashion. The mullet was not only a hairstyle, but an equal opportunity, unisex option for any and all who wanted to be part of the “in” crowd.
LISTEN: Remember the Mullet?
Celebrities were not immune to the lure of the bi-level hairstyle. Early popular Mullets include David Bowie and Paul McCartney in the 70's, and in the style's heyday of the 80's and early 90's one can't help but envision Billy Ray Cyrus and Michael Bolton sporting their famously-styled locks, with the latter displaying the “party in the back” part of the ‘do on steroids. Of course there were variations on the overall mullet theme, with individuality showcased differently depending on the star. Perhaps fans could emulate Michael Jackson’s Jheri Curled and seriously slicked-back mullet if they wanted to feel um, bad. Or maybe they wanted to go the way of Rod Stewart, whose 80s-era mullet was both spiky and expressive, with the party still going on in the back.
The possibilities were endless.
The hairstyle did eventually go out of style (thankfully) but on some occasions, one is often surprised to see the 'do crop up in the most unexpected of places. In recent years, there is seen to be what seems to be a resurrection (God forbid) of the 80s hairstyle.
Yikes.
Let’s hope that the cyclical nature of fashion and hairstyles skips a cycle to save us all from an upswing in business up front/party in the back coiffures.
Early Mullet Trendsetters?
Celebrity Mullets of the 80s
Who wore it best?
Fun Facts About Mullets
Mullets have been found as far back as antiquity. From Wikipedia:
Historian Suetonius writes that the Roman emperor Tiberius "wore his hair rather long at the back, so much so as even to cover the nape of his neck", and that this was a tradition of his family, the Claudians. One bust of Tiberius's great-nephew Caligula has short locks across the forehead and longer hair behind.
The term “mullet-head” dates back as early as the 1850s. The term, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, means “dim-witted,” or “foolish.”
Certain tribes in Borneo, including the Dayak, Kayan and Kenyah have been seen sporting mullet hairstyles.
At age 25, Knoxville Tennesee resident started to grow her mullet and never looked back. In August, 2023 at the age of 58, Tami Manis was awarded a Guinness World Record for a 172.72 cm-long (68.00 in) mullet after not having cut her hair in 33 years.
There is a film made in 2001 called American Mullet which is all about the hairstyle and the people who wear it.
Watch Tom Jones rock an early mullet on the Ed Sullivan show in 1965!
An interesting view of the mullet via The Decoder Ring podcast
FROM THE VAULT: Whatever Happened to Plastic Furniture Covers?
Long before this site, I had a little blog where I posted for 11 years. It was the genesis of Living in the Past on Substack. For many years, I lived in the past over at Multiple Mayhem Mamma. From a Parenting lens, I looked at the "then and now." Enjoy!
Uh, I think you could call my current haircut a mullet. But I tire of the hair on the neck and will likely get it cut rather sooner than later. It does try to solve the problem of bushy hair at the sides of your head. My barber mentioned a comeback for the mullet. Sigh.