The Modern-Day Mullet Is Staging a Comeback (Yes, You Read That Right)

There's no delicate way to address this, so we're just going to come out with it: the mullet haircut is staging a comeback, and no, we're not kidding. Oh, wait, don't go! We have good news, and it's that this is not the same throwback look you might remember from the '80s (because that one firmly belongs in the "Tiger King" documentary and "Achy Breaky Heart" music video). Translation: Mississippi Mudslide haircut, 'tis not.

No, the latest rendition of the faithfully divisive "business in the front, party in the back" style is much cooler and way more low-key. (Although you could always pull an Iris Law and stick to the original.) Instead, celebrity hairstylist and cofounder of Nine Zero One salon Riawna Capri has dubbed it "the chillet" — a chill mullet. "It's a more modified and more fashion-forward version of the mullet," she says, adding that you needn't commit to the full chop to reap its benefits. "The definition of a mullet is short at the front and sides, and long in the back. Obviously [the] hair in the back isn't longer than the hair in the front, but it has the illusion or silhouette of a mullet, as opposed to an exact copy."

Consider asking your hairstylist for more of a shag hybrid or curtain bangs to soften the look, and be prepared to bring in plenty of inspiration photos of styles you like — like the ones you've seen on Kristen Stewart, Cardi B, and Miley Cyrus ahead — plus one of her dad Billy Ray Cyrus . . . you know, to show off what you don't.

If nothing else, just remember: "This haircut is for someone who is confident, who steps outside the box, and whose style is on the edgier side," Capri says. "Ultimately, when you're wearing a unique hairstyle or piece of clothing, if you have the confidence to rock it and be different, everyone else will love it, too."