Ailsa, who describes the Australian mullet as a "way of life", agrees. "Australians love mullets because we consider ourselves to be larrikins," she says. A larrikin, similar to a ratbag, explains the BBC, means a cheeky rule-breaker in today's society, but in the 1800s meant urban, working-class youths.
This hairstyle, known to some as the 'Lion's Mane' but known to most as the Mullet, came into prominence in Australia in the 1970s and 1980s. The etymology of the word 'mullet' is said to come from the fish of the same name.
While many tend to embody the mullet as a hairstyle embedded in the Australian culture, the roots of the mullet name can be traced back to the song 'Mullet Head', released by US hip hop band the Beastie Boys in 1994, according to the Oxford Dictionary.
While not a local invention, there does seem to be something quintessentially Australian about the haircut: it's laid-back, practical and suggests the wearer doesn't take themselves too seriously. And in our history, there's perhaps one mullet that looms the largest.
The mullet is a hairstyle that we Aussies have claimed as our own. It's got history, it's Larkin, it's wild and these days it comes in endless variations. The hairstyle is more popular today than ever before and we believe that the mullet is truely the most "Australian" hairstyle of all time.
To reiterate, please don't shave your Aussie, especially all the way to their skin. The topcoat, which prevents grime, might grow back in a year or two, so it's an especially long wait! Want to learn more about dealing with the fur?
The mullet hairstyle has seen a global resurgence - but many in Australia claim it as a cultural icon. The BBC asks locals why it's such an enduring obsession.
The Mullet was also known as the 'lion's mane' and was popular in Australia in the 1970s and 1980s. The word 'mullet' is said to come from the fish of the same name.
Archaeological evidence confirms the existence of ur-mullets in the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Syria, and Asia Minor, writes Henderson. Hittite warriors from the 16th century BCE sported mulletlike cuts, as did the Assyrians and Egyptians.
Typically signifying fun and flamboyance, it said to the world, Hey, I party and I enjoy riding in open-top cars. Though the style was seen predominantly on white dudes – with notable exceptions like Little Richard – a slew of female figures did rock the mullet, Cher, Jane Fonda, and Joan Jett among them.
The modern version is totally wearable for everyone. The sides are longer and there's less of a graduation from short to long hair. The modern mullet relies more on styling to play it up. Slick back the sides and it's obvious, but mess it up and it looks just like long hair.
The popularity of sport in Australia can partly be attributed to a warm climate that encourages people to get outdoors and be active. Sport also enables well-loved national values like 'mateship', 'having a go' and 'egalitarianism' (the assumption that that all people are equal), to be played out.
One theory about the mullet comeback is that it is a product of the Covid pandemic, as a result of people who previously had short hair letting it grow out.
According to History.com, the mullet has been “sported by rebels and respected leaders alike”, and, thanks to its practical and adaptable shape, “warriors with the style were harder to grab during battle and could fight without the frustration of hair in their eyes”.
The hairstyle was first worn by French fashion guru Henri Mollet in the early seventies. The "Mollet" did not see much light apart from in the french underground dance scene, until it was ressurected by popular television personalities such as Pat Sharp, the word having been anglicised by this point to "Mullet".
The harsh environment in which convicts and new settlers found themselves meant that men and women closely relied on each other for all sorts of help. In Australia, a 'mate' is more than just a friend and is a term that implies a sense of shared experience, mutual respect and unconditional assistance.
Now dubbed the "shullet," the short-up-top, long-in-the-back style resembles more of a cross between a shag and a mullet that beautifully suits both poker-straight and curly hair. Frankly, we're here for it and with so many celebs repping the look, the cut has taken on a whole new level of cool.
haircut: You've had a bocka! Also, bocker.
Scott Salvadore, of Stillwater, N.Y., won the title of “America's Best Mullet” in the 2022 USA Mullet Championship on Saturday, according to the “Today” show. Salvadore beat out 600 other contestants thanks to his business-in-the-front, party-in-the-back hairdo that he dubbed “The Lord's Drapes.”
The 'Mullet Movement'
The study also saw Rod Stewart's blow-dried masterpiece named the best celebrity mullet of all time, narrowly edging out David Bowie's red shock of locks as Ziggy Stardust.
The gentleman haircut is a classic men's haircut that is typically shorter and styled with a side part or a comb-over. Inspired by vintage haircuts that epitomize the qualities of a gentleman, this haircut stays refined and stylish through time.