Walking the streets of Buenos Aires you’ll encounter many a crazy barnet. Businessmen and waiters look pretty suave up front, then shock you with their ragged behind. Flick through Argentine TV channels and you’ll see a whole range of people sporting the mullet.
The mullet consists of short, sometimes shaven hair on top, and appears to be a standard crew-cut from a frontal angle. When a person with this haircut turns around, however, long, flowing locks are unleashed. A true tale of two halves if ever there were one.
Historically speaking, this wacky cut started to surface in Europe and the US in the late 1960s, appearing on the heads of rock-stars and footballers alike. It then began to really boom in the following decade and the word mullet in reference to a hairstyle first entered dictionaries in 1972. We then got bored and it kind of fell out of fashion in the 90s. But not in Argentina.
This fascinated me. So I went on the hunt for some mulleteers to find out the truth about what I believed was a hairstyle lost in a bygone era.
The confusion
Annie Ory, an active member of the Facebook group ‘Ex-Pats in Argentina against Mullets’, is rather perplexed by the popularity of the haircut. “Before coming to Buenos Aires I read that people here were super-dressed and that everyone was beautiful, made up and with great hair,” she reveals.
“In the US the mullet is considered trailer trash. You can’t get a job with one, not even as a waiter. It’s very strange to see them professionally. A suit and a mullet together is bizarre.
“I haven’t quite figured out what a mullet means for an Argentine but I’d love to find out.”
Straight from the mullet’s mouth
So I set about it. Accompanied by a mulletographer, I roamed the streets of the Microcentro with the objective of discovering the truth behind the haircut. I spotted the odd candidate prime for an interview here and there but they wouldn’t speak to me.
Proud of their hair, they remarkably shirked at the chance to publicise themselves and their mullet. I was truly demoralised. I didn’t know what to do next. So I went to a party.
After a few beers and fernets I realised I was surrounded by some mulleteers. Slightly inebriated they became more open towards me.
“I’ve had the mullet since I was a teenager. I like hair that stands out, that’s aggressive, rebellious. I wanted to look different from others,” explains Carlos Fernández, a 22-year-old student from Boedo.
“Contrary to popular opinion it’s not too difficult to maintain and girls love to touch it. For that reason alone I want to keep it, at least in the short term.”
There was one wigwam-wearer a bit older than the rest. I had to talk to him. Eduardo Castillo is a 32-year-old bus driver from Ramos Mejia. I learnt a lot from him.
“I’ve had the hair for three years and got it because the other guys at work had it. To be honest I don’t care about the history of it, what people think or why it’s popular. It’s often difficult to maintain and when I have bad hair days, people laugh at me in the street. I’ll have it until I’m sick of it I think.”
The academic
It was fair enough talking to the guys on the ground, but I wanted to get some expert opinions and didn’t imagine the University of Buenos Aires having a mulletologist, so I hit the streets again to talk to some hairdressers.
Horacio Figueroa Molinari, stylist from StudioHair50, explains how porteños decide on their haircuts. “Old people follow whatever the hairdresser tells them. But guys between 25 and 40 often follow media figures from TV and cinema and youths often follow ‘urban tribe’ trends, which may account for the popularity of the cut.”
Pablo Sosta, a hairdresser with Undermode, believes that the mullet is a difficult look to pull off. “To carry a mullet you need a strong personality and presence. It’s for a special type of person who doesn’t want to follow popular trends. I think it’s a question of not being with fashion.”
Molinari suggests where the origins of the mullet lie. “It is more popular than in any moment and is on its way back. It’s known as cool in bus driver circles because they all seem to use it. The style is also linked to popular music like cumbia, especially in villas, this is why it is maybe appears popular amongst the working class. They sometimes combine it with a rat tail or a rasta type reverse.”
Toiling the streets and going to parties in Buenos Aires was finally worth it. I’ve started to understand why people do strange things to their hair. If you want to join the mullet-brigade, don’t be afraid.
“It’s very easy to cut,” says Sosta.
If you want a mullet cut head down to Undermode at Eleodoro Lobos 601 in Caballito near to Parque Centenario. Visit undermode_peluqueria@hotmail.com for more details. Horacio Figueroa Molinari is a stylist that offers hair treatment and courses in hairdressing. Visit http://pelostudio.spaces.live.com for more information.