Behold The "Shullet": A Modern Take On The Mullet (Seriously) - Byrdie

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Search Search Close search Behold the "Shullet": 40 Modern Takes on the Mullet (Seriously) By Elinor Block Elinor Block Elinor Block is an associate editor for Who What Wear UK with over 9 years of experience in media. She currently lives in London, England. Byrdie's Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 11, 2025 08:02PM Reviewed by Nigella Miller Reviewed by Nigella Miller Nigella Miller is an NYC-based natural hair and grooming expert with over 13 years of experience. About Byrdie's Beauty & Wellness Board Hairstylist Fact checked by Anna Harris Fact checked by Anna Harris Anna Harris is an experienced fact-checker and researcher and a beauty writer and editor.  LEARN ABOUT BYRDIE'S EDITORIAL GUIDELINES Close

Trends come and go, and so too does the ever-divisive mullet haircut. Its most recent resurgence, however, brought about an evolution with lasting power. Softer angles and graduated layers offer a more approachable entryway to the notoriously rebellious coif. Typically referred to as a wolf cut or a "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 straight and curly hair.

With so many "cool girl" celebs repping the look—Miley Cyrus, Doja Cat, and Billie Eilish, to name a few—the cut has taken on a refreshing rebrand. Still not convinced? We consulted stylists Chris Jones and Rena Calhoun to dish on the trending 'do and how to style it.

Keep scrolling to see 40 of our favorite shullet styles.

Meet the Experts

• Chris Jones is a stylist and co-founder of Salon Bugatti. He is also a Virtue ambassador.
• Rena Calhoun is a Virtue ambassador and celebrity hairstylist represented by A-Frame Agency.

01 of 40

Iconic Shullet

What would a shullet inspiration list be without a shoutout to the OG? We can all thank the late, great Tina Turner for gracing us with a powerful signature 'do that matched her equally powerful presence and voice. For a diva-worthy take on this style, embrace everything your hair's got, from texture to height to personality.

02 of 40

Defined Shullet

English singer-songwriter Leigh-Anne Pinnock's lime-green suit and lived-in texture is attention-grabbing, to say the least. "This is a great option if you like the idea of a mullet but want to keep some length in your hair," comments Calhoun. The best part? Any hair type and texture can pull off this cut, she adds.

All it takes is priming with a texture spray throughout. "Follow by applying just a bit of a sticky/tacky (but lightweight) pomade on just the ends to create piecey-ness and definition," instructs Calhoun.

03 of 40

Glam Rock Shullet

Rowan Blanchard's shullet has got it all: volume, texture, even glam rock. "Her natural texture works perfectly for this effortless wash-and-go look," comments Jones.

Byrdie Tip

If you have stick-straight hair, Calhoun suggests getting a wave perm to add body.

04 of 40

Fluffy Copper Shullet

Sadie Sink's shaggy copper mullet has a certain retro-suave style. The actress's hairstylist, Tommy Buckett, gave the look extreme volume and body by adding tons of layers.

05 of 40

Mixie Shullet

Equal parts mullet and pixie, the mixie encapsulates all the rebellious flair of the hairstyle in a manageable, abbreviated length. Gabrielle Union's curl-forward iteration frames her features beautifully, with graduated lengths highlighting her eyes, cheekbones, and sharp jawline.

06 of 40

Faux-Hawk Shullet

Hair chameleon Kristen Stewart pulls off a shullet without a hitch. For this cut, leave hair longer in the center and cut sides a bit shorter. The effect is a subtle faux-hawk of sorts. The blonde on top and darker shade underneath add depth and the illusion of thicker strands.

07 of 40

Coiled Shullet

Speaking of curls, these springy strands are oh-so lush. With loads of multi-length angles, the shullet cut is ideal for shedding weight and amplifying bounce.

08 of 40

Finger Wave Shullet

Lizzo is known for her head-turning hair looks—and this finger wave mullet is no exception. The singer's go-to hairstylist, Shelby Swain, created this look using Dove products like the Flexible Hold Hairspray and Finishing Gel.

09 of 40

Pink Shullet

Pink is punk—especially when flooding each tendril of Madonna's wet-look shullet. Plus, we can't help but believe these particular layers would air-dry beautifully.

10 of 40

Braided Shullet

A braided shullet is nothing short of a hairstyle power move. We love how the beaded ends emphasize the angles and varied lengths.

11 of 40

Chocolate Brown Shullet

Kristen Stewart debuted her choppy chocolate brown shullet at Chanel's SS22 runway show. Her hairstylist, Adir Abergel, added layers and dimension to her neck-grazing haircut by adding micro fringe bangs.

12 of 40

Spiked Shullet

For a Y2K-inspired look, channel Scarlett Johansson's mullet circa 2003. This spikey masterpiece complete with frosty tips serves a whole lot of volume and is deserving of a comeback.

13 of 40

Short and Curly Shullet

Got curls? Jamaican songstress Shenseea's cut is the perfect example of what a mullet can look like for those with curl type 3A and up. Air dry or use a diffuser before using a curl-defining, frizz-reducing product like Fenty Beauty's The Homecurl Curl-Defining Cream.

14 of 40

Punk Shullet

Kesha's hair evolution has seen many cuts, colors, and styles, but we count this look as one of her mane's most memorable moments. "In a world saturated with bobs and balayage, the modern mullet is a rebellious way to go against the grain. It’s the faded jeans and band T-shirt of hairstyles," says Jones.

15 of 40

Neon Shullet

It comes as no surprise that Billie Eilish is yet another recording artist to make our list of top modern mullet looks. When it comes to sourcing head-turning hair inspo, we find that musicians almost never disappoint.

16 of 40

Shaved Shullet

Rihanna's interpretation of a modern mullet involves playing with texture. While she wears most of her mane thick and wavy, she undercuts with a shaved side to highlight contrasts. It's "an effortless look that works best on slightly textured hair. Because it's so layered, the haircut does all the work and is virtually wash-and-go," says Jones.

17 of 40

Voluminous Shullet

This soft glam iteration is all about the volume. To achieve lightweight, bouncy curls, Calhoun adds, "I always prep my clients with Virtue Moisture Defining Whip. Once you’ve applied product, you can air-dry but a diffuser works wonders on curls if you want that extra pump of volume."

18 of 40

Soft Shullet

British and Indonesian model Charlotte Carey can't decide between wearing her hair straight or curly—so she does both. Her face-framing bangs lead into cascading curls for a result that is casual and cool.

19 of 40

Short and Wavy Shullet

We're looking to Kristin Stewart for more mullet styling advice, as once again, she's made the statement cut look incredibly cool. Piecey bangs add a bit of edge, while the "wet look"-styled ends add a touch of softness.

20 of 40

Sophisticated Shullet

Sharon Stone's shullet is chic and low-maintenance (was there ever a better combo?) Not to mention, "this length is great for finer textures and hair that can lack natural volume," notes Calhoun. To achieve this look, she instructs prepping hair with a volumizing primer "focusing on the top and front sections. Round brush with over direction to create as much volume as needed. To finish, apply a lightweight pomade on your hands and fingers and run it through gently, away from the face."

21 of 40

Shullet With Bangs

With a full, thick fringe, this style would have easily held its own as a bowl cut, but we love how Zendaya opted to leave some length to create a modern mullet instead. It's a great cut for those with thick tresses and the honey-blonde color is too good to ignore.

22 of 40

Curly Shullet

Working with your mane's natural texture, rather than against it, is the new hair mantra that seems to be gaining traction. "I think that having texture in hair is so flattering because it creates softness around the face," says Calhoun. To achieve this low-maintenance look, which works best on those with naturally wavy or even curly strands, "apply a bit of Virtue 6-in-1 Leave-In Cream to tame and create a lightweight, shiny finish."

23 of 40

Wet-Look Shullet

Barbie Ferreira is no stranger to pushing the envelope when it comes to interesting hairstyles. She's played with costume wigs, green hair, and, now, the shullet. A bold graphic eye takes this trendy look to the next level.

24 of 40

Shattered Shullet

Never has a shullet looked so chic than on Úrsula Corberó. "Because the haircut is square it works great on oval and heart-shaped faces. The textured top and longer back will elongate the face, something a narrow or longer face shape might not find as flattering," comments Jones.

25 of 40

Rounded Shullet

Miley Cyrus has been seen wearing a shullet on more than one occasion, in fact, we're hoping it becomes her new signature look. Calhoun loves how she incorporates a fringe since "[it] makes a mullet look super modern. I think that a fringe is very flattering and can be softening on most people, especially when cut to the correct length for their face shape."

26 of 40

Wavy Shullet

Halsey has had a lot of hair-worthy moments—even her natural hair gave us pause—and this shullet is no exception. "Love this modern but wearable version. It's edgy but not overly layered and cropped," says Jones. A hair oil and styling cream combo like Bumble and bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil and Kristin Ess Weightless Shine Air Dry Crème respectively, "would not only give the texture some support but also a ton of shine," he adds.

Byrdie Tip

Since this is a versatile style, consider air-drying hair for a natural finish, notes Jones. However, he points out that this will work best if you have some natural texture or wave.

27 of 40

Pompadour Shullet

Portia de Rossi's subdued style is an elegant shullet spinoff worth noting. "I actually love this haircut. This works great for clients with finer hair. The short top blown up and away from the face is so in right now," says Jones.

28 of 40

Wispy Shullet

Here, Scarlett Johansson has the more extreme version of the shullet, with fringe bangs, short wispy sides, and a long back. Instead of graduated layers, ask your stylist for a more pronounced length difference between the front and the back.

29 of 40

Effortless Shullet

These face-framing graduated layers give the ultimate cool-girl vibes. The slightly crinkled pattern beautifully emphasizes the layers and fringe bangs for that coveted live-in look.

30 of 40

Long Shullet

Doja Cat topped off her sexy look at the 2021 Grammy Awards with this chic dark shullet. Her hairstyle features more dramatic layers between the front and the back, and gives a new twist to the mullet by switching the longer fringe bangs with the shorter bangs.

31 of 40

Mermaid Shullet

Grungy 'dos rarely coincide with more ethereal realms—unless Julia Fox has something to say about it. Paired with ultra-long lengths and mermaid-wave texture, this particular shullet is about as romantic as it gets.

32 of 40

Transitional-Length Shullet

Demi Lovato's short mullet haircut is perfect for showing off their features. This haircut was also a great transition look as they were growing out their short pixie cut. Lovato keeps the bangs super short and has more gradual layers, going from shorter in the front to longer in the back.

33 of 40

Micro Shullet

Speaking of transitional length, Zoe Kravitz's micro shullet emphasizes the very beginnings of growth. If this isn't proof that going from a pixie to a shullet requires zero downtime, we don't know what is.

34 of 40

Baby Shullet

With a little extra length, the shattered angles of a shullet truly take form. We love the addition of wispy, elongated sideburns to frame the face.

35 of 40

Swooped Shullet

Don't you dare call this a bowl cut! (Okay, okay, we see it, too.) Zendaya's ultra-glossy cut harkens back to the '60s, when shullet-like angles redefined the traditional bob.

36 of 40

Razor-Sharp Shullet Bob

It just doesn't get any sharper than this more modern take on the sweeping shullet-bob above. The silhouette of this shullet is so sleek it would be a shame to style it any other way than pin-straight.

37 of 40

Feathered Shullet

This ethereal shullet is giving major 70's glam. From sharp and edgy to soft and sweet, this styling beautifully illustrates how versatile the cut can be.

38 of 40

Soft-Launch Shullet

Not ready to commit to the full-fledged shullet? That's okay, you can test the waters by opting for a fringed shag with deep angles surrounding the face. Choose curtain bangs over a brow-grazing length for an even more subtle approach.

39 of 40

Jellyfish Shullet

As divisive as they are disjointed, jellyfish cuts offer the most dramatic take on the shullet style. Modeled after the traditional Japanese Hime or "princess" haircut, interpretations of this 'do can range from extreme to more subtle cues. Lady Gaga's iteration presents us with something in-between—a cut we're culling the soft jellyfish.

40 of 40

Choppy Shullet

Sophie Thatcher's Joan-Jet-era shullet is equal parts edgy and romantic. Choppy layers are feathered at the ends, providing texture while also softening edges. To keep bangs in check, Calhoun advises prepping with a volumizing primer. For a quick refresher, she recommends a dry shampoo to soak up any oil that may come off your forehead.

FAQ

• Will a shullet haircut work with curly hair?

  Yes, a shullet hairstyle will look great on those with curly hair. Thanks to the layers, your hair will have lots of volume in the front and a nice wave in the back. Keep in mind that the shorter the hair cut is, the curlier your hair will be.

• What is the best face shape for a shullet?

  Oval or square face shapes look fabulous with the shullet haircut. If you have a round face, you can still pull off the shullet—just make sure to not have too much volume on the sides. If you have a heart-shaped face, opt for a longer shullet to help balance out your features.

• Can I pull off a shullet if I have thin hair?

  Yes, thin hair works well with the shullet. Ask for a medium-length or shorter mullet over a longer haircut, and focus on creating volume up top.

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