St. Louisans celebrate and embrace mullet culture

There are few hairstyles more divisive than the mullet.

Mullets have historically been scoffed at by the mainstream yet have thrived in its fringes. The hairdo — known by some as "the Missouri Compromise" — has been associated with professional or aspiring hockey stars, 1980s pro wrestlers and hair metal rockers. Pop culture personalities such as the Tiger King, Joe Exotic, or the 2001 film “Joe Dirt” are examples, or perhaps caricatures, of the archetype of folks drawn to the “business in the front, party in the back” vibe.

Recently the mullet — and its sister hairstyle, the shag — are back in demand in barbershops and hair salons alike. The look has crossed over into different cultures and has birthed variations like the Edgar, most popular among Latino men, or the Dallas shag, a style seen on Black men in the South.

Barber Sir Carrawell has cut hair since 2009, but in the past six years he’s gotten more requests for mullets. “[Mullets are] a way to not conform to the views of society,” he said on St. Louis on the Air. “It’s a haircut that’s not traditional. It’s a disrupter.”

Though the general shape of the mullet is the same — short on top, even shorter on the sides and long in the back — hairstylist and self-proclaimed “mullet maniac” Onawa Brown said they love mullets so much that they’ve started persuading clients to try the look.

“I think it looks great on everyone,” they said. “[A mullet] gives you volume, shape and an effortless design without really having to try too hard, whatever your hair type is. To see [the clients’] face light up when they see themselves after — that’s the best part.”

A bright pink hair dryer sits atop of a tan chair. — Ella Teresa has her mullet dried and curled on Dec. 7 at Chop Shop East in Forest Park Southeast. Teresa said mullets have already made their comeback. "They’re here, and they’re riding the wave. But also with the age of the internet, with fashion, there’s no real trends anymore," Teresa said. "Every trend is happening at once. So I doubt the mullet with disappear.”

LEFT: Ella Teresa has her mullet dried and curled on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, at Chop Shop East in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood of St. Louis. “[A mullet] is what I was asking for but didn’t realize what I was asking for my entire childhood,” Teresa said. “So when I figured it out, it was the greatest thing.” RIGHT: Tylr Cailyn’s mullet features a pair of long braids coming out from underneath, photographed on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, at their home in the Maplewood neighborhood of St. Louis. “As somebody who works a lot with alternative cuts, I thought for sure this trend would be over by now,” said Cailyn, who studied as a hairstylist and is now studying tattooing. “And so far, it’s just not slowing down. I think we’ll get more angular with it, as opposed to the softer style.” — LEFT: Ella Teresa has her mullet dried and curled on Dec. 7 at Chop Shop East in Forest Park Southeast. “[A mullet] is what I was asking for, but didn’t realize what I was asking for, my entire childhood,” Teresa said. “So when I figured it out, it was the greatest thing.” RIGHT: Tylr Cailyn’s mullet features a pair of long braids coming out from underneath, photographed on Dec. 11 at their home in Maplewood. “As somebody who works a lot with alternative cuts, I thought for sure this trend would be over by now,” said Cailyn, who studied as a hairstylist and is now studying tattooing. “And so far, it’s just not slowing down. I think we’ll get more angular with it, as opposed to the softer style.”

Marcy Wiegert is photographed on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, at Locke Hair in the Webster Groves neighborhood of St. Louis. “I didn’t realize that a hairstyle could make me feel the most like myself,” Wiegert said. “Even though I’m a hairstylist. I hadn’t discovered that yet, for myself.” — Marcy Wiegert on Dec. 31 at Locke Hair in Webster Groves. “I didn’t realize that a hairstyle could make me feel the most like myself,” Wiegert said. “Even though I’m a hairstylist. I hadn’t discovered that yet, for myself.”

LEFT: Jack Reid, photographed on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2023, at his home in the Dogtown neighborhood of St. Louis, got his first mullet on accident. “I wanted a haircut that was all the same length, and ended up with a mullet. But I stuck with it. And then at my next appointment, I asked for a mullet, and make it even more mullet-y,” he said. To him, mullets are “a movement that I hopped on, just like the mustache.” RIGHT: Tylr Cailyn’s hair products, see inside a bathroom cabinet on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, at their home in the Maplewood neighborhood of St. Louis. Cailyn said that, with their hair, they tend to look to Japan to see what hair styles and fashion trends may soon be crossing over into the U.S. — LEFT: Jack Reid, photographed on Dec. 14 at his home in Dogtown, got his first mullet on accident. “I wanted a haircut that was all the same length and ended up with a mullet — but I stuck with it, " he said. "Then at my next appointment, I asked for a mullet and make it even more mullet-y." He explained mullets are “a movement that I hopped on, just like the mustache.” RIGHT: Tylr Cailyn’s hair products in a bathroom cabinet on Dec. 11 at their home in Maplewood. Cailyn said that, with their hair, they tend to look to Japan to see what hairstyles and fashion trends may soon be crossing over into the U.S.

Emma Tiemann shows off her mullet’s “business in the front” on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023, at her home in the Boulevard Heights neighborhood of St. Louis. “I feel like they’re having a moment,” Tiemann said of mullets. “I also feel like they never left, but they’re at the top of a wave right now.” — Emma Tiemann shows off her mullet’s “business in the front” on Dec. 14 at her home in Boulevard Heights. “I feel like they’re having a moment,” Tiemann said, of mullets. “I also feel like they never left, but they’re at the top of a wave right now.”

LEFT: Ella Teresa’s freshly dried and curled mullet is photographed on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, at Chop Shop East in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood of St. Louis. RIGHT: The disconnect between the front and back of Ella Teresa’s mullet, photographed during a haircut on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, at Chop Shop East in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood of St. Louis. — LEFT: Ella Teresa’s freshly dried and curled mullet is photographed on Dec. 7 at Chop Shop in Forest Park Southeast. RIGHT: The disconnect between the front and back of Teresa’s mullet.

Hairstylist Onawa Brown’s feet is surrounded by fallen hair during a mullet-trimming appointment on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, at Chop Shop East in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood of St. Louis. — Hairstylist Onawa Brown’s feet are surrounded by fallen hair during a mullet-trimming appointment on Dec. 7 at Chop Shop East.

Emma Tiemann is photographed on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023, in the bathroom of her home in the Boulevard Heights neighborhood of St. Louis. “I do think it came from being a little punk kid, and like I said, moving from a mohawk to finding a slightly less aggressive haircut,” said of her mullet. — Emma Tiemann poses on Dec. 14 in the bathroom of her home in Boulevard Heights. “I do think it came from being a little punk kid, and like I said, moving from a mohawk to finding a slightly less aggressive haircut,” Tiemann said of her mullet.

Hairstylist Onawa Brown trims Dylan Pierson’s mullet on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, at Chop Shop East in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood of St. Louis. Brown noted that, as the mullet has increased in popularity, there’s been an increase in the kinds of mullets people are growing. They noted that Pierson’s mullet takes inspiration from the 80’s, but has a modern fade up the sides. — Hairstylist Onawa Brown trims Dylan Pierson’s mullet on Dec. 6 at Chop Shop. Brown noted that, as the mullet has increased in popularity, there’s been an increase in the kinds of mullets people are requesting. They noted that Pierson’s mullet takes inspiration from the 1980s but has a modern fade up the sides.

Tylr Cailyn s photographed on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, at their home in the Maplewood neighborhood of St. Louis. “The world can be cruel, and it’s the little things that bring me joy,” said of their mullet. “And my mom hated it, so I have to have it. She like it now, in case you’re wondering.” — Tylr Cailyn is photographed on Dec. 11 at their home in Maplewood. “The world can be cruel, and it’s the little things that bring me joy,” Cailyn said of their mullet. “And my mom hated it, so I have to have it. She likes it now, in case you’re wondering.”

LEFT: Ella Teresa shows off her mullet’s disconnected front and back on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, at Chop Shop East in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood of St. Louis. RIGHT: Ellis Basil takes much of their fashion inspiration from country, including his mullet, photographed on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, at his home in the Benton Park neighborhood of St. Louis. Baril says he has had a mullet, on and off, since the summer of 2022. “It’s the ‘y’all’ of haircuts,” Baril said. “I see lots of people doing it but they’re coming at it from different perspectives.” — LEFT: Ella Teresa shows off her mullet’s disconnected front and back on Dec. 7 at Chop Shop. RIGHT: Ellis Basil, who takes much of his fashion inspiration from country, including his mullet, on Dec. 22 at his home in Benton Park. Basil has had a mullet, on and off, since summer 2022. “It’s the ‘y’all’ of haircuts,” Basil said. “I see lots of people doing it but they’re coming at it from different perspectives.”

LEFT: Aaron Latal kept his hair long until he was ready for a change and decided to shorten it to a mullet. Soon after, at a real estate convention he attended, he saw someone offering headshots and decided to get professional photographs and business cards, rocking his new cut. RIGHT: Aaron Latal is photographed in his home on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, at his home in the Tower Grove South neighborhood of St. Louis. “I think I got a fun personality,” Latal said. “Tryin’ to have a lot of fun while I can, so I got a fun haircut.” — LEFT: Aaron Latal, photographed on Dec. 11, kept his hair long until he was ready for a change and decided to shorten it to a mullet. Soon after, at a real estate convention, he saw someone offering headshots and decided to get professional photographs and business cards, rocking his new cut. RIGHT: Aaron Latal at his home in Tower Grove South. “I think I got a fun personality,” he said. “Trying to have a lot of fun while I can, so I got a fun haircut.”

Tony Donaby, 4, is photographed on Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, at his family’s home in Caseyville, Ill. “It was his dad’s idea. But it seems to fit his personality pretty good. ,” said Donaby’s mother, Alicia Weber. “He’s got lots of energy, he’s wild and I feel like it’s a hairstyle that fits that type of personality.” — Tony Donaby, 4, is photographed on Dec. 18 at his family’s home in Caseyville. “It was his dad’s idea. But it seems to fit his personality pretty good," said Alicia Weber, Tony’s mother. “He’s got lots of energy, he’s wild, and I feel like it’s a hairstyle that fits that type of personality.”

For more on mullets, including Sir Carrawell’s experience cutting St. Louis music legend Chuck Berry’s take on the mullet, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcast, Spotify or Google Podcast, or by clicking the play button below.

Mullets are so back. Take these St. Louisans' word for it

“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. Send questions and comments about this story to talk@stlpr.org.