The enduring, genderless appeal of the Britpop haircut
image via @adairbearhair/instagram
words by lara daly
“It’s sexy. It’s androgynous. It’s emblematic of grunge and angst.”
This weekend, hundreds of thousands of Oasis fans across Victoria will descend on Marvel Stadium for a once-in-a-lifetime reunion show/spiritual gathering. I’ll be there, screaming ‘Supersonic’ with the crowd until my throat gives out.
I was at the same stadium last Saturday, where I witnessed a sea of Pitbull fans run around in bald caps like headless chickens. Among them stood a few clusters of rhinestoned ensembles, in a display of loyalty for Mariah Carey. So the question is: what will the crowd be wearing tonight?
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While I’m predicting lots of bucket hats, round sunglasses, Adidas merch and parkas worn zipped up to the very top, I’m also hoping to see Britpop haircuts everywhere.
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What exactly is a Britpop haircut?
Like the parka, the Britpop ’do (also known as a ‘modcut’) is a style classic. Popularised by both Gallagher brothers since the ’90s, the look has been a rockstar favourite for decades, with The Beetles being the blueprint.
Technically speaking, it’s a ‘short back and sides’ with a mop fringe, and side burns styled forward to hug the face. Mick Jagger, The Dare and Harry Styles are all proof of its enduring swag.
“I do think Harry Styles helped to revitalise the trend on his cover shoot for Another Man back in 2016,” says Adair MacDonald, hair stylist at Melbourne’s inner north salon, Lola Fortune. “I love its androgyny. I love that it’s sexy. I love that it brings attention to the face, almost like a little helmet.”
She tells me she’s had more clients coming in and requesting the style lately. “It’s a cool short cut that isn’t a pixie, shag or mullet – though I love those too, but we need variety!”
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“The inner north has a rich indie music scene, it makes sense that fashion and identity would also reflect the eras of music and culture that inspire this community,” she says. The beauty of the cut, as evidenced by countless #britpopcut inspo pics of Liam Gallagher, is that can be easily manipulated to suit your face.
“By customising the framing of the cut, you can bring attention to bone structure and contour certain facial features… I feel like it’s a style that helps to embrace something on your face. I also love that its emblematic of grunge and angst.”
The genderless appeal
Adair stresses that the Britpop cut can (and should) be embraced by all genders. “I wholeheartedly believe that hair can be genderless, and that’s clear in the clientele that aspire to a this type of cut.
“I think part of what makes it so locally loved, is its capacity to be endlessly customisable, playing with that balance of masculine and feminine. Sharp, strong lines at the perimeter are typical of a more masculine style, and softer, feathered or curved lines are typical of a feminine style.”
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If you’re considering making the chop, a scroll through Adair’s Instagram page will give you plenty of inspiration. And even if you want to keep your length, you can still embrace the Britpop look.
“Leaving length at the back is a sure way to feminise this cut,” she explains. “Rather than having short hair overall, simply taking inspiration from the shorter, contrasted face framing details of a brit pop cut – think fairy mullet, mod shag or french bob.”
Styling a Britpop haircut
If you want to try a mod cut with more femme emphasis, Adair recommends going for a curved, feathered baby bang, “and leave more density and length at the side burns, so they could be super swirly like Betty Boop.”
She says that another femme take on a short mod cut would be to embrace more curved, fluid, petal-like shapes around the face. “I would also suggest leaving some fluffy texture at the back hairline, or even having two long rat-tail plats hanging forward.”
As for styling a Britpop cut, Adair swears by a light clay paste. “It adds grit to the hair and makes it malleable, even if the hair naturally lacks texture. You can apply the clay to wet hair and dry it to shape or add it on dry hair to emphasise texture and create jagged edges.
@alyssainthecity Reply to @lapinshetaro this is harder than it looks lol🤳 i call it the mod britpop elvin baby mullet 🙃 #fyp #fypシ #shorthair #hair360 #haircut ♬ Spongebob Tomfoolery – Dante9k Remix – David Snell
“With these cuts, I comb everything towards the face. The top, forward from the crown and the sides, forward in front on the ears. As your hair dries, manipulate the hair to create bends around the face where it suits. At the back, if there is any length or feathery details on the neckline, I’ll try and pinch them into spikey little petals, or place that texture forward, as though its wrapping around the neck, peaking out under the ears.”
For more on Britpop hair styles, try this.
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