The Fascinating History of the Female Mullet

(Image credit: Design by Betsy Farrell)

published 13 October 2016

If any look catches a bad rap, it's the mullet. And not for nothing...there really have been some just-plain-wrong iterations. But if these ladies prove anything, it's that the shorter-in-the-front, longer-in-the-back 'do can be cool AF. From Carol Brady's feathery tapered 'do in the '70s to Zendaya's Tweet-provoking Grammy 2016 mullet, familiarize yourself on the female evolution of the shaggy, layered style.

Jane Fonda

In Klute (1971).

Carol Brady

In The Brady Bunch (1972).

Cher

In 1982.

Liza Minnelli

In 1983.

Kristen Bell

In the '80s.

Joan Jett

In 1985.

Scarlett Johansson

In 2003.

Jacqueline Follet

In The Devil Wears Prada (2006).

Kristen Stewart

At The Twilight Saga: New Moon premiere (2009).

Rihanna

In 2013.

Rita Ora

In 2015.

Zendaya

At the 2016 Grammys.

Lady Gaga

At the 2016 Grammys.

Dolly Parton

In 2016.

Lauren Valenti is Vogue’s former senior beauty editor. Her work has also appeared on ELLE.com, MarieClaire.com, and in In Style. She graduated with a liberal arts degree from Eugene Lang College, The New School for Liberal Arts, with a concentration on Culture and Media Studies and a minor in Journalism.