The baby mullet is fading into the past as loose, unruly curls take over men’s grooming.

The baby mullet once seemed to be a must-have for every guy who knew his way around fashion. But over roughly the past six months, men around the world have gradually started favoring a different hairstyle: curly hair, sometimes with loose curls falling over the forehead.
Jacob Elordi and Paul Mescal have both joined the “curly guy” club, while Timothée Chalamet has let his curls slowly creep down toward the back of his neck. The hairstyle strikes quite a charming balance: a little 1980s, a little rebellious indie artist, and just rough and unruly enough.

In fact, this is hardly a new invention. In the early 20th century, the style was known as the kiss curl: a lock of hair carefully curled and shaped to sit right on the forehead, once used to adorn the looks of everyone from silent-film stars to rebellious rockers. Even Superman’s signature curl is essentially a variation of this hairstyle.
Today, the curls look much more natural. They are left looser, more relaxed, less polished, and appear as though they have not been arranged too carefully—even though they can take no small amount of thought and time from the men wearing them. Sometimes there is only one curl; sometimes two or three twist together. What they have in common is that they never seem willing to stay neatly in place.

Pay just a little attention and you will notice how surprisingly popular this hairstyle has become over the past few years. Fabien Frankel of House of the Dragon has worn a curl like this for months. Pedro Pascal also appears with one in Behemoth!. Paul Anthony Kelly, despite appearing with an extremely bald-looking wig, also wears a version of it in the new season of American Horror Story.

After Spain’s World Cup victory, Ferran Torres celebrated with a lock of hair falling directly over his forehead, proving that you do not necessarily need curly hair to wear the style. Belmont Cameli of Off Campus has a similar curl. And more recently, Charles Melton appeared at a SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations event with a rebellious curl sitting prominently right in the middle of his forehead.

It makes quite a bit of sense. Over the past few years, men’s grooming has gradually moved away from razor-sharp fades and slick-backs polished down to every last strand. Hair now looks more interesting when it has a little movement and a little life. And the rebellious curl does exactly that.
It softens the contours of the face, breaks up an overall look that feels too neat, and gives the hair a little more movement. Most importantly, it makes you look as though you have not tried too hard—even though, in reality, these guys may have spent an entire hour in front of the mirror.

The trick is this: the hairstyle only really works when the rest of the hair has a certain liveliness to it as well. If everything is combed and styled too neatly, one lone strand falling onto the forehead can easily look out of place. Instead, let the overall look feel a little... unfinished.
If the hair at the front is long enough and has some natural wave or curl, let one or two strands fall forward, then use a small amount of curl styling cream or a lightweight styling product to shape them without making the hair stiff. The less “artificial” it feels, the better.

The baby mullet had its time. The rogue little curl, meanwhile, is finding exactly the right balance: polished enough, just the right amount of fussiness, while keeping a little intentional messiness to make the overall look more interesting.
Fine baby hairs are deliberately left to fall naturally, creating a freer feel and making the overall look slightly messy, as though it has not been styled too carefully.

To create these perfect curls, evenly apply a sufficient amount of Oribe Curl Control Silkening Creme together with Bumble and Bumble Thickening Full Form Soft Hair Mousse, then blow-dry to set the shape. Finally, finish the hairstyle with Kevin Murphy Free.Hold and spray wax to give the hair shine and natural texture.

The Baby Mullet Is Out. Loose Curls Are Taking Over

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The Baby Mullet Is Out. Loose Curls Are Taking Over