Modern mullet

Read this out: “Taper or burst fade around the ears; textured top 2–3 in; leave 2–4 in at the nape, blended not shelved.” That's 2–3 in (5–7.5 cm) on top with a tapered neckline, recut every 4–6 weeks. Your own barber card adjusts it for your part side and texture.

The modern mullet and the men's wolf cut share medium length and medium to high density, which is why they get mixed up. The modern mullet is cut as “Leave 2–4 in at the nape, blended, not shelved”; the men's wolf cut as “Point-cut or razor the layers; cut with the natural wave; keep the back blended, not shelved”. On texture, the modern mullet takes 2A–3C hair, plus 1B with adjustments; the men's wolf cut takes 2A–3B hair, plus 1C with adjustments. Beyond the trim the modern mullet needs a dress code that allows a statement cut, the men's wolf cut needs volume at the crown and a dress code that allows a statement cut. Our engine scores both against your own texture, density and hairline, so the free check tells you which of the two ranks higher for you. Full spec: men's wolf cut.

Yes: our catalog lists the modern mullet as a men's cut, so it comes up when your check is set to men's cuts, and not in the women's list. That is where gender stops counting: the shape is decided by your hair and your proportions. The spec wants 2A–3C hair at medium to high density, and it still works with a hairline a little higher at the temples. The free check measures your texture, density and hairline, then ranks the modern mullet against every other men's cut.

It's best on 2A–3C hair and possible on 1B with adjustments. On 4B–4C hair the shape doesn't hold, so our analysis rules it out.

Not as a first pick: the catalog allows medium to high density, because the shape relies on bulk that thin hair doesn't have. Nothing else in its spec marks it down for fine strands or low density. Density is measured in the free check, and our thinning hair guide lists the cuts our engine favours for thin hair.

A trim every 4–6 weeks: 9–13 cuts a year, about $270–$390 at $30 a cut, plus 3–5 minutes of styling a day.

4B–4C hair (coily): the shape depends on a texture it can't hold, so we rule it out. Low-density hair: the cut relies on bulk that thin hair doesn't have. A hairline past Norwood 2: at stage 3 it's shown with a caveat; beyond that we hide it. Barbers also flag: A short, thick neck; conservative workplaces; trend-dependent (Janif 2014: rarer looks rate higher).

On proportions alone, our engine places it in the top 3 for oval faces. Proportions are the smallest part of a real score; texture, density and hairline count for more, which is why the free check looks at your hair first.

“Mullet fade” is one of the names people use for it. Ask for it by the spec above rather than the name, since names vary between barbers.