Shags and mullet-inspired hair have been having a moment lately. Billie Eilish and Miley Cyrus popularized the wolf haircut—a combination of a shag, bob, and mullet. Then there’s the shullet, which as the name suggests is a mash-up of the classic ’70s shag and the ’80s mullet.
Now, there’s a new mullet-esque style that’s been trending all over social media, and it’s absolutely out of this world. It has elements of the hime haircut—aka the anime cut—that took over the internet last year. That popular style originated in Japan and consists of straight, cheek-length side-locks and frontal fringe while the rest of the hair is worn straight and long.
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This latest trend is called jellyfish hair, and it’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen.
A Popular Counterculture Style
Most hairstyle trend comes from social media these days, and that is definitely the case with jellyfish hair. Described as a little bit mullet and a little bit hime, this new style is making its mark in the beauty world after becoming a popular countercultural style in places like Tokyo, London, and Taiwan.
So, what exactly is jellyfish hair? It’s exactly as it sounds—a multi-layered, blunt hairstyle that looks like the sea creature it’s named after. The top layers are cut into a 360-degree bob, and you achieve the jellyfish silhouette by leaving the under layer at the nape of the neck extremely long.
The under layer can be worn stick straight, but some people do add some curls. Oftentimes, the jellyfish hairstyle is worn with the under layer dyed a completely different color than the bob for a striking color contrast.
This social media trend made its way into the celebrity world when Nicole Kidman rocked the look on the August 2022 cover of Perfect Magazine. However, her under layer was left much thicker than the images we’ve seen on Instagram and seems more reminiscient of traditional hime cuts.
This trend is obviously not for everyone, but we love the bold colors and edgy style of the women who choose to rock it. Plus, unlike other trendy hairstyles that can be insanely difficult to grow out and can create those extremely awkward hair stages, the jellyfish hairstyle allows you to just cut off the bottom layer when you are tired of the look for an easy transition into a classic bob.
Hair is a creative outlet, and we can’t wait to see what edgy style makes waves next.