Ever since leaving One Direction, Harry Styles has become more and more fashion-forward. Since he’s lucky enough to be blessed with a great bone structure and tons of swagger, he can pull off looks that would have your average man arrested by the fashion police — or at least teased mercilessly by his friends.
But still: a mullet AND a mustache? It takes a very bold man to pull off the ultimate throwback look. Sure, Styles’s party in the back is a little more subtle than some of the 1980s classics of the genre, but it’s still very much there. And since this guy has a team around him who would give him the heads-up if he was just in need of a little trim, it’s got to be a conscious choice.
Styles, 30, unveiled his new look to perform with Stevie Nicks in London on Saturday July 13, and on Sunday posed with friends including James Corden at the England vs Spain Euros soccer final, but not all of his notoriously passionate fans are impressed, with one writing on X “I’m so upset that Harry Styles has a little mullet now. Please don’t talk to me for the rest of the day” and another saying, “It was crazy for Harry Styles to come out and perform like that… but are we ready to talk about how bad this hair era is?”
Harry on stage with Stevie Nicks at BST Hyde Park – 12 July (via @martareismatias) pic.twitter.com/QpjXc2prBc
— HSD ☀️ (@hsdaily) July 12, 2024
But where might Styles have taken inspiration for such a controversial look? Let’s mull-et over …
Billy Ray Cyrus
Cyrus had one of the most famous mullets in music but it mostly came with a clean-shaven face. However, when he appeared in Mulholland Drive, a mustache starred too. Styles is a cultured guy, so there’s every chance he’s a fan of the movie. Is he a fan of Cyrus’s distinctive look too?
Kanye West
Like Styles, West is known for his striking sense of style and often divisive fashion choices. So much has happened in West’s world since 2009 that we had blocked out the brief period when he rocked a mullet and mustache, but was a young Styles making notes?
Hulk Hogan
As a little boy of the early 1990s, there’s every possibility that Styles looked up to Hulk Hogan, perhaps even having posters on his wall of the wrestling legend in all his mullet and mustache glory. If this is his new style icon, just imagine the outfits to come.
Paul McCartney
Ah-ha, now we’re talking. Styles has always looked up to Macca and even interviewed him for Another Man in 2016. The published interview was largely about what it’s like to go solo when you’re part of a successful band, but could it be that, off the record, Styles asked Macca for advice on when to launch his own mullet-mustache era?
David Beckham
Over the years, Beckham has experimented with pretty much every hairstyle going, from the mohawk to the man bun. So, of course, there was a stop-off at the dangerous intersection of Mullet Drive and Mustache Avenue back in 2005. With the early ‘00s revival in full swing, we wouldn’t be surprised if some vintage Becks featured on Styles’ mood board.
David Spade
At 59, Spade was in his youthful prime during the mullet’s golden era and boy did he embrace it. As a comedian, it’s hard to tell which of his looks were serious fashion choices and which were for comic effect (OK, the one pictured was definitely a wig…) — but we don’t think Styles discriminates.
Charlie Sheen
It’s fair to say that the mullet and mustache combo isn’t the only controversial decision of Sheen’s life, but it’s definitely one of the most visually compelling. Does Styles ship the Brat Pack of the 1980s? Since many of his fashion moments nod to the era, we wouldn’t rule it out.
