The Mod Haircut Trend Explained
The mod haircut originated in England in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Men who were part of the Mod subculture adopted the look to signal their affiliation with the jazz- and rock-influenced movement. It was a sharp contrast to the conservative cuts of the early post-war years. The original cut featured a volumized top, short, choppy bangs, long side strands, sideburns, and a cropped back (so it wrapped around the head like a helmet). It evolved to be shaggier (think ‘70s Rod Stewart hair, or David Bowie’s mod mullet) in the following decades, before falling out of style until the ‘90s. While the Beatles wore a mop top in the ‘60s, the floppy ‘do isn’t the same as the mod cut. Mop tops are uniform, with long, even length all around. The classic mod haircut has textured layers and variation in volume.
The mod haircut became a trend in summer 2024. Celebrities like Jacob Elordi and Paul Mescal rocked the style on the red carpet, while barbers on TikTok proclaimed it a hot style for men. The haircut previously trended in the 1990s when it was popularized by Oasis bandmates Noel and Liam Gallagher—and the duo announced their reunion this summer, no doubt increasing interest in the mod look.
Mod Haircut Variations
Modern mod haircut The modern mod haircut is typically shorter and slightly less dramatic than the classic style. It has the tousled layers on top, but the back might not be as tapered, and the face-framing side pieces tend to fall just above the ear. Bangs (aka fringe) remain mid-length in most modern cuts, though they’re given texture via a mix of shorter and longer layers. Use Paul Mescal’s mullet-lite take on the modern mod haircut at the 2023 Priscilla premiere for a good reference.
Messy mod haircut News of the Gallagher brothers’ upcoming reunion tour has sparked a frenzy of fans emulating their messier rocker take on the mod. The look features a shorter bang and choppy (but not quite volumized) top layers for a punk-rock update to the OG haircut. It might work best on those who have straight hair like the Gallaghers, as that texture will have the most dramatic effect in shorter layers.
Wings haircut The wings haircut is also known as the mod haircut, but it’s evolved into something slightly different from the classic mod look. Popular in the 2010s in skater and emo culture, the wings cut is longer than the modern mod, with bangs often covering the forehead. It gets its name for its shorter side pieces flipping up like wings at the ears. Shorter takes on the wings cut may be indistinguishable from a wavy modern mod.
Shaggy mod haircut For those who want to keep their hair longer all-around while still having dynamic layers, the shaggy mod is for you. The look is especially well suited for men with curly hair. While layers are trimmed on top, the back and sides are simply feather rather than cropped.
Short mod haircut The historically inclined among us are taking the mod to a new level. The short mod popular in indie circles (and in Ancient Rome) features micro-bangs and ditches the face-framing pieces for a feathered close crop around the sides and back. A reference for this minimalist take on the mod is Adam Driver’s hair in the film Megalopolis.
Who can rock a mod haircut?
The mod haircut flatters all face shapes. Because it’s customizable in terms of length, layers, and shagginess, the mod haircut can be shaped to fit your face. It may be particularly flattering on oval and square face shapes—but if you have a round, heart, or diamond face shape, you can still go for a mod look and find a complimentary cut for you.
Those with thinning hair in front may want to avoid the mod haircut. Because it involves adding choppy layers to the top of your hair, it might draw unwanted attention to any thinning patches in that area. Unless you’re ditching the top layers for a more uniform mod look, you’ll want to consider a different style.
All hair textures can be cut into a mod haircut. The ideal texture, according to some sources, is slightly wavy hair, since it has natural soft edges and movement. If your hair is curlier, you’ll want a longer look, since curls shrink when they dry post-haircut. Super straight hair? Ask your stylist what they think—with the right styling products, you could still get a texture look and not go full ‘70s David Bowie.
How to Ask for a Mod Haircut at the Salon
Bring a reference photo. Before going to the salon, find a good reference image to show your barber or stylist so they know what you’re going for. After all, the mod haircut can mean different things to different people. It’s had 70 years to evolve. You can find hair reference photos on Pinterest by searching “mod haircut”—just be sure to find one that matches your hair, says hairstylist Frankie Sanderson. “A lot of times people will look at a picture and think to themselves, ‘I want that,’ because the model is attractive or the haircut looks attractive on the model,” he explains. “[But] they don't actually take into consideration that their hair texture doesn't look like that at all or their hair color isn't like that.”
Ask for a soft razored cut that’s slightly longer on top and has soft layers. Specify if you want face-framing pieces, and if you want to keep your sideburns or trim them. Also go over what length of bangs would look best on your forehead and hair texture. You can ask for a longer back than the typical mod to go for a mullet-lite look. Make sure the barber or stylist understands exactly what you want.
How to Style a Mod Haircut
Wash your hair as usual and towel-dry before blow-drying. Clean hair is the base for any style. Shampoo and condition according to your usual routine, making sure to scrub your scalp and thoroughly rinse out the products. Next, towel-dry your hair to absorb some of the moisture. Finally, apply styling paste and roughly blow-dry to get movement. Turn your blow-dryer to a downward airflow when drying for maximum movement.
Apply more styling paste or a texturizing spray and style. The modern mod haircut is messy to channel a rockstar sensibility, so a little more paste or texturizing spray will help you rough it up. You can use your hands or a comb to set pieces where you’d like—understanding they may re-settle throughout the day. Consider a simple styling paste like the Dove Men + Care Paste for Medium Hold. For a popular texturizing spray, you can choose Viking Revolution’s Sea Salt Spray for Men. Have straight or fine hair? You can still get texture by drying your hair out with a perm or bleaching it, says Sanderson. For a less extreme method, he recommends having your barber “[texturize] it with texturizing shears and different texturizing techniques, and using certain products to give [your hair] a separation and maybe some hairspray for hold.”
Maintaining a Mod Haircut
The mod haircut is low-maintenance, so you can continue your usual hair care routine. Wash your hair regularly and apply nourishing styling products as needed. Heat protectant spray will protect your hair from damage if you apply it before you blow dry or flat iron. You can also apply an argan oil throughout your hair once a week to prevent frizz. A well-rated heat protectant spray is the CHI 44 Iron Guard Thermal Protection Spray. As for argan oil, consider OGX’s Renewing + Argan Oil of Morocco Penetrating Oil.
Celebrities Who’ve Had a Mod Haircut
Many famous men have rocked the mod haircut in the 1990s and the 2020s. Musicians may be drawn to the mod cut because of its continued popularity among musicians and rockers across the decades. Actors who don the look show that its coolness transcends time, delivering as much attitude as it did in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Here’s a brief list of celebrities who’ve had the mod haircut: Liam and Noel Gallagher Jacob Elordi Paul Mescal Adam Driver Cillian Murphy
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