The doors fly open. Sophomore Trey Terrill struts down the hallway, flaunting his mullet to his classmates. Heads turn, and while some may sneer, everyone turns to look.
First popularized by the Beastie Boys, the mullet trend has come back after 30 years, with a great number of people sporting the hairstyle. Terrill is one of many who are getting a mullet with a group. He got his with his cousin Ryan Rauh and his friend, sophomore Camden Ward.
“I think it looks good, it suits me, I really could care less what other people think,” Terrill said.
Some had the mullet before the fad took off again, many getting it for different reasons, like fitting in with a group or standing out.
“In elementary school, I just grew it out and I just liked the look and I kept growing it and growing it until eventually it became a mullet,” sophomore Tyler Covelli said.
Reactions to mullets are widely spread. Some see the hairstyle as unappealing, while others just see it as a hairstyle that fits certain people.
“I got good comments in many ways, like ‘it looks good on you.’ My mom doesn’t really like it and she wants me to cut it, but I feel good about it,” sophomore Grant Smith said.
The mullet is a good hairstyle for those who prefer low-maintenance hairstyles, as the weight in the back keeps it all down, so it only takes a little combing in the front to be ready for the day.
“I just let the back go and then put some gel on the top and scoop it,” Smith said.
Mullets have long been considered more of a “redneck” hairstyle, which wearers want to change. They have turned into another common style, like the fade or perm.
“[Everyone] kind of puts a stereotypical kind of thing on mullets and makes it seem like ‘Oh, if you have one, then you’re drinking a lot of alcohol or doing a lot of crazy party stuff.’ But it’s really just a trend or something that you do with your buddies,” senior Blake Grose said. “The media puts a [negative] twist on it.”
Although many have stuck to the mullet, some made the choice to cut it, be it due to others opinions, how heavy the hairstyle is or just because they felt it did not fit them any more.
“My mom didn’t really like it. It was starting to get too long. Once they start getting too long, it starts getting nasty and I just didn’t want that to happen,” Grose said.
The mullet is also very adaptable as wearers are able to style it into a perm, a ponytail and even a man-bun.
Mullets have seemed to hit the younger generations of music artists, mostly being country singers such as Morgan Wallen and Blake Shelton, but also some pop and rock artists like Miley Cyrus. These artists, being popular among students, have inspired them to get a mullet.
“You can definitely see it with some of the big celebrities, especially in country music,” Smith said. “They kind of keep it to the country side [of music].”
With the style being low-maintenance and popular amongst celebrities, the mullet has come back and will not be disappearing anytime soon.