It’s no secret that the most polarizing haircut of all time—the mullet—is back in a big way this year.
Yes, business in the front and party in the back has been trending since the early 1970s, when David Bowie and Joan Jett proved that the mullet is both stylish and universally cool… though not always easy to pull off. It’s gone in and out of fashion ever since, and now Hollywood’s heartthrobs are leading the charge with a new shape altogether: Meet the 401k Mullet.
This cut is a little (or, a lot) more grown-up than that Joe Dirt version. The back is neat but still a little swishy and overall a much shaggier, more textured shape. The front—which may or may not include fringe—hits just at the top-mid section of the forehead. It’s …
It’s no secret that the most polarizing haircut of all time—the mullet—is back in a big way this year.
Yes, business in the front and party in the back has been trending since the early 1970s, when David Bowie and Joan Jett proved that the mullet is both stylish and universally cool… though not always easy to pull off. It’s gone in and out of fashion ever since, and now Hollywood’s heartthrobs are leading the charge with a new shape altogether: Meet the 401k Mullet.
This cut is a little (or, a lot) more grown-up than that Joe Dirt version. The back is neat but still a little swishy and overall a much shaggier, more textured shape. The front—which may or may not include fringe—hits just at the top-mid section of the forehead. It’s still business in the front and party in the back, but the party these guys are taking you to is martinis at that sexy red vinyl members-only club, not beer in the backyard.
Photo: Johnny Dufort
Stars like Paul Mescal, Joe Keery, and Austin Butler have all joined in with the new hybrid cut, with some stars, like Harry Styles, have even styled the fringe in a spikier faux-hawk way, too.
Photo: Getty Images
The 401k mullet is a natural and smart evolution of the persisting cut that’s both polarizing and somehow always in fashion. Taken by the fad, I was inspired to try the look out for myself: After all, what better time is there to begin a new beauty journey than the start of 2026? New year, new me.
After a quick consultation with stylist Bobby Michael—the co-founder of Maverick House salon in New York—he got to chopping up my new ’do. The 401k mullet—which could also be called a mini mullet—may be a recent development, but Michael says he has already been getting plenty of asks for the cut beyond me.
“The mini mullet is not only sweeping Hollywood, but the streets of New York as well,” says Tochterman. “We are in the age of nostalgia, so it makes sense that the mullet is having a comeback: It’s giving a modern take on 1970s to 1980s rockstar.”
Photo: Getty Images
To get the look yourself, Tochterman suggests keeping the back and sides of the style tapered, while playing with a shaggier front and top. “The lengths in this haircut sit a bit softer than that of their predecessors,” says Michael. “The sides have a bit of texture, the back is not as disconnected in length, and the top has a bit more flow. This has been the natural evolution of the soft boy haircut.”
Once shaped, I also discovered the mini mullet, is extremely easy to style at home: All you need is a quick blow-dry and some pomade with hold. Tochterman recommends “general hand styling, by scrunching and bringing out the natural wave in the hair.” “My favorite product for this hairstyle would be Elastic Styling Pomade from R+co Bleu. This look requires a refined shine in the product—say goodbye to matte hair!”
Photo: Getty Images
Do I feel like I am Harry Styles or Austin Butler whenever I walk into a room with my new cut? Perhaps not. But I do feel extremely cool.
The 401k mullet has already earned me several new compliments from my co-workers. (“Very Joe Keery,” said my colleague Hannah this week.) I also recently got hit on by a barista who said he liked myt hair, so I do not want to say the haircut is related, but it is not not related. So you heard it here, folks: Try the 401k mullet, because it can yield huge results!