The Evolution of the Mullet: From David Bowie to Patrick Swayze, Connor Storrie and More

From punk to punchline and popular again, the mullet has lived many lives.

The shaggy-and-shaved style first erupted on the beauty scene in the late 1970s and early ’80s, with music legends David Bowie, Paul McCartney and Joan Jett modeling the look with a microphone in hand. Bowie, specifically, was revered for his fiery red, feathered mullet (a look that would become synonymous with his studio album, “Ziggy Stardust”), while McCartney was regarded for his soft brunette approach.

By the late-’80s, Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, Mario Lopez and Brad Pitt had taken the aesthetic hostage. Here, the mullet was no longer an accessory to rock ‘n’ roll but a style in demand among the hottest bachelors in Hollywood. Of course, the “business in the front, party in the back” look was also being touted by country music stars like Billy Ray Cyrus (with his elongated wavy tail), Marty Stuart, and even, Dolly Parton at the time.

Parton and Jett were among the first female adopters of the mullet. Miley Cyrus, Rihanna and Scarlett Johansson would later take the style for a test drive in the early 2000s and 2010s long after Wayne Gretzky, David Beckham and every other hockey player and U.K. footballer started sporting their own rugged version.

Now, the mullet is on the rise once again. But unlike the traditional form, stars such as Jacob Elordi, Austin Butler and “Heated Rivalry” breakout Connor Storrie are boasting the modern “mini mullet” with a mop of curls, while Harry Styles and Glen Powell don a straight style.

Here, WWD chronicles the evolution of the mullet, from Bowie to Butler.