The Best Mod Haircut Ideas (With Styling Tips) (2025)

Co-authored byBailey Bujnosek, BA

Last Updated: November 18, 2024Fact Checked

What is a mod haircut?

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   The mod haircut has textured layers, mid-length bangs, and wispy sides. This iconic style includes a volumized top with short or mid-length choppy bangs, long side strands, sideburns, and a cropped back. In the '90s, Oasis bandmates Noel and Liam Gallagher popularized the look, and it came back into style in 2024—the duo announced their reunion this summer, no doubt increasing interest in the mod look, and barbers on TikTok proclaimed it a hot style for men.^[1]

   • In 2024, celebrities like Jacob Elordi and Paul Mescal rocked the style on the red carpet, and Adam Driver and Cillian Murphy have also sported this look.

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   The look 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.^[2]

   • 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 lengths all around. The classic mod haircut has textured layers and variation in volume.^[3]
   • The original mod cut evolved to be shaggier in the '70s and '80s (think ‘70s Rod Stewart hair, or David Bowie’s mod mullet), before falling out of style until the ‘90s.

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   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.

   • In the modern mod cut, bangs are given texture via a mix of shorter and longer layers.
   • Use Jacob Elordi’s mullet-lite take on the modern mod haircut at the 2023 Priscilla premiere for a good reference.

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   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.

   • The messy mod might work best on those who have straight hair like the Gallaghers, as that texture will have the most dramatic effect in shorter layers.

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   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. Push your bangs to the side for a swoop look.

   • The wings cut gets its name for its shorter side pieces, which flip up like wings at the ears.^[4]
   • Shorter takes on the wings cut may be indistinguishable from a wavy modern mod.^[5]

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   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 feathered rather than cropped.^[6]

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   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.^[7]

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   Mullet mod haircut Channel your inner Rod Stewart with a feathered mullet-mod cut hybrid. Intended for those with straight hair, this look keeps length everywhere except the bangs, which are mid-length and choppy. A spiky layered top and a long mullet back add two points of visual interest on this bolder version of the ‘60s mod.

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   Mod wolf haircut The wolf cut dominated social media in 2022, and the grunge look is still going strong today. Combine the sharp, mussed look with the length and flipped-up ends of the wings-cut mod for an eye-catching fusion.

   • Instead of the choppy, flat edges of other mods, this look keeps a sense of softness—it’s like a classic wolf cut, shaped into a mod silhouette.

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   The mod haircut flatters all face shapes. Because it’s customizable in terms of length, layers, and shagginess, stylists can shape the mod haircut 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.^[8]

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   The mod haircut works for all hair textures. 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 textured look and not go full ‘70s David Bowie.^[9]

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   Avoid the mod haircut if your hair is thinning in the front. 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, consider a different style.

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   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!

   • Look for an image that matches your hair color and texture, 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.”

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   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, discuss what length of bangs would look best for your face shape and hair texture. Make sure the barber or stylist understands exactly what you want.^[10]

   • You can ask for a longer back than the typical mod for a mullet-lite look.

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   Wash your hair and then add styling paste and blow-dry it. Clean hair is the base for any style. Shampoo and condition as usual, 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 create movement in the final look.

   • Turn your blow-dryer to a downward airflow when drying for maximum movement.^[11]

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   Apply more styling paste or a texturizing spray and style with your hands. The modern mod haircut is messy and channels a rockstar sensibility, so apply a little more paste or texturizing spray (like a sea salt spray) to help you rough it up. Use your hands or a comb to push back top pieces and arrange the side locks where you’d like (over or behind the ears)—understanding they may re-settle throughout the day.^[12]

   See Also

   Trendy Perm Hair Treatment Styles to Try for a Fresh New Look

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   Get a trim every 6 weeks. Shorter cuts require more frequent maintenance because it’s easy to tell when they’re growing out. For a cut like the mod, go in for a trim every six weeks to maintain the tapered back, your sideburn shape, the length of the bangs, and the texture of the top layers.^[13]

   • If you have a longer mod haircut, you may be able to wait 12 weeks in between cuts, depending on how fast your hair grows.

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   Protect your hair from heat if you blow-dry often. Use heat protectant spray to protect your hair from damage—apply it to your damp or dry hair before you blow dry or flat iron. To prevent frizz, apply an argan oil throughout your hair once a week.^[14]

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