Party in the Back: Hot Hair Summer
Image Courtesy: Instagram
Much to our parents’ dismay, mullets are back and socially acceptable again. This summer, we’re taking the scissors into our own hands — or maybe the hands of a favorite hair stylist — and we are hacking away our quarantine locks to unleash our inner rockstar. I’m here to break down a few of the vocab words you might have heard and help you fall in love with your next haircut inspo!
Image Courtesy: Vogue
THE SHAG HAIRCUT
To start, we need to look back to when artists and everyday folks threw caution to the wind and rocked crazy volume, funky layers, and piece-y texture all in one haircut. The shag haircut can be as dramatic or subtle as you want. One of our favorite style inspirations is Stevie Nicks, whose iconic shag hair gave her an effortlessly confident glow on and off the stage.
The shag haircut is a little like a softer, more feminine cousin to the mullet. Here, front pieces are short and the sides are layered and feathered, while the rest of the hair is kept longer.
We’re obviously in love with the fact that Billie Eilish graced us with her own platinum blonde shag haircut earlier this summer. Billie checks all of the boxes: bangs, major layering action, and longer length with lots of volume. She gave us the soft-girl-meets-edgy look that makes us all envious.
(Be right back . . . showing this to my stylist because I’m obsessed!)
Image Courtesy: Instagram
THE WOLF CUT
If you want to take things a little further than the shag haircut — first of all, you have our full support. Secondly, the “wolf” cut might be up your alley. The style is a cross between the shag and the mullet, and it truly brings out your wild side. The wolf cut became popular through social media this spring, but celebrities have been embracing their edgy side for a while now. Debby Ryan’s drastic ‘do back in November 2020 gave us all some major hair envy. She keeps it a little more tame with her natural hair color, but those layers? She is not playing around. My other favorite belongs to Cierra Nie, who is everything I wish my Instagram was. Her shorter take on a wolf cut proves that you don’t need long hair to knock this look out of the park.
THE MULLET
For all my cow-wrangling wannabes, you’ve come to the right place; it’s time to talk about the 21st century’s version of the mullet. You may think that mullets should always be paired with plaid, denim, and a lasso, but they’re more versatile than you think. Some of my favorite mullets right now are sported by singer-songwriter Troye Sivan, whose soft-boy look paired with a natural mullet is simply enviable, and TikToker Damen Mumm, who makes a mullet look cooler than I ever thought possible. For guys, girls, or anyone with the confidence to pull off a mullet, this style pairs perfectly with a feminine slip dress or button down shirt and a fun bag to look especially eye-catching this summer. Feeling extra? Throw on those cowboy boots and really lean into the Western vibe to harness your inner outlaw.
If you’re bold enough to go for a full mullet, wolf cut, or the classic shag, jump on it now, because this is the time to live out your dad’s 80’s hair inspo for yourself. We’re living through the mullet renaissance and could not be happier for it. Have some fun with those scissors and live wild with those choppy layers and a fresh cut.
TL;DR: Business in the front, party in the back.
Strike Out,
Writer: Maddie Schlehuber
Editor: Kimani Krienke
Notre Dame
