WHAT IS A WOLF CUT HAIRSTYLE AND IS IT RIGHT FOR YOU?
Photo: Instagram | @billieeilish
In recent months a phrase has been bubbling up beneath the cyber surface, to such an extent that it is now impossible to ignore. Wolf cut hairstyles, layered cuts, tik tok 360 degree view of DIY wolf cut/shag, 2021's summer haircut the wolf cut. When I first overheard someone saying it, my mind immediately flashed to Trevor Sorbies 1980 'wolfman' punk, spiky, frosted tips, globe shaped haircut.
'Wow' I thought, 'fairplay, I wouldn't have thought it would be that wearable today, but everything is a bit wild at the moment. Good for them.' Turns out, Sorbies wolfman has not made a comeback after all, the 2021 update is less punk, more kawaii, but no less subversively youthful.
A quick search renders many images of what I deem to be shag cuts. There was something off about them that it took me a while to figure out. How can two haircuts that encompass exactly the same technical skills be so very different?
The definitive, yet uncanny, difference between a shag and a wolf cut hairstyle
We've established they are constructed of the same processes. Layers, layers everywhere, disconnection, texture, so much texture you wouldn't believe. If both are wild then what's the difference?
What separates them is the meaning attributed to them. A shag is about nostalgia, it's born out of 1970's flower power, love, world peace. It threw off the slicked, and perfectly rollered confines of what men and women had to be, and gave them a new option. Something in between. Something of a free spirit.
Men, women and others were able to go to the salon and all get the same shaggy cut. The resurgence of the style in recent years was a nod to this era. The politicizing of the climate issues, gender identity, and civil rights movements in the past few years have been uncannily reminiscent of the seventies spirit. Along with it we've seen the hair to match. So if a shag is the nostalgic aesthetic for the past, then what is a wolf cut?
What is a wolf cut hairstyle?
I think that it's a nostalgia for the future. For one we are still building. The wolf cut hairstyle is the Gen Z moment. It's gender neutral, it's eco conscious, it's all about movement, speed, technology, a vibrant vision in CMYK, glitchy and animated. It's kind of futuristic, It's fun, and fantasmic. Most importantly it is hopeful. Which is exactly what the future should be.
The shag is soft, wavy, flowing. The wolf cut is bulky, with harder lines that aren't supposed to blend or join up. It's rebellious and focused on moving forward.
The new futurism; 2K-Kawaii
Fashion, and hairstyling are at their best when imagination and creativity are allowed to break out into the real world. The eighties took that notion and ran with it. Punk style filtered though from the streets into music, to the runway and into cinema.
Youth culture is all about taking your creativity and making it wearable. Inspiration is found in unlikely places. In keeping with the true vibe of this look and its associations, all the visual references are fiction. Gen Z's style draws so much from cyberspace, animations, moving instantaneous images and a global social network that allows for the sharing of cultural material.
Streaming has made previously hard to come by content easily and widely accessible. That has in turn had an impact on what inspires new haircut and colour trends. You see it with the wave of hype around K-pop migrating over into fashion in London now. Shoreditch is all neon mullets and e-scooters zooming about.
Photo: Pinterest | Camilla
Cult classics like these are the base of the modern wolf cut hairstyle;
Dragon ball Z's Goku, Arguably the most iconic hair do of all anime time. Shrouded in theories and myths about the nature of his hair's powers and symbolism, the shape is synonymous with all that the look stands for. In tutorial videos you can see people styling their spikes away from the face and outwards. 70's curls and waves have been replaced by 2KY kicks and flicks.
Yu-gi-oh's Yugi Mutuo. Tailblazer in creative colour. Gold, red and black in block panels emphasising the spikes. The sharp contrast of gothic colours is what you can see a lot of with the DIY colours on tik tok. We're talking crimson effervescent poppy reds, azalea punching pinks, emerald greens, vibrant cobalt, charcoal black. Colours that are fast and bright and emphasise the texture and movement of the shape are what it's all about.
Fullmetal alchemist's Edward Elric. Statement disconnected fringe. Hair in the face is the first thing you see in any variation of the style. Be it real or imagined. It is the most notable feature. Letting your hair fall haphazardly into your eyes is a timeless suggestion of youthful rebellion. Whereas the shags fringe is carved out of a softly textured arch, the wolf's tell tale fringe falls in two blocky pieces. The face is where the predominant weight of the cut is kept. Falling heavy over the face, where the shag falls softly away from the face.
The three character's design illustrates the core features of the wolf cut hairstyle clearly. A dramatic difference in length, strong shapes, contrasting colours, and an angsty fringe.
How do you tell if a wolf cut is right for you?
Wolf cuts IRL are textured, androgynous, and have a distinct way of making you look like you're from the techy future or fresh out of an anime series. There's no disputing it's certainly a vibe. But is it your vibe?
If you want texture but favour the softer look, I'd lean more towards a shag. There would be nothing more crushing than walking into a salon with an idea that you'll get the perfect Patti Smith shag and walking out looking like Goku. As we said before, the two cuts both incorporate layers, disconnection and are heavily textured, so knowing what you want, and communicating with specificity is key.
For some people a fringe in itself, in whatever form is the thing that throws them. If you've never had a fringe, and only want one now, ask yourself if it will feel like you? Or will it annoy you falling in your face all the time? These are the questions you need to ask yourself before you know if it's for you.
If you're growing out a buzz cut and are 8 months into the long hair journey, chances are you have a wolf cut already and didn't even know how current you are. Miley Cyrus is as close a visual cue as you can get with that one. She's gone short, undercut, mullet, and now resides firmly in the wolf category. If she's given us one thing, it's plenty of pics for the mood board.
There is however one golden rule, if it's 2am and you've been watching tik toks for 45 minutes solid of those 360 hair rotations, then that is never the time to go for it. Go to sleep. A new haircut is never the right choice in the wee hours. We've all been there, delirious with a vision of who the new us could be, and set upon realising it instantly. Sleep on it. Future you will thank manic, sleep deprived you later on.
I want one, how do I do this?
Ok so you've woken up, you've had your full 8 hours, you've got a pinterest board at the ready with images that look almost the same, but each have a very, very slight variation on the theme of this cut you want. You know what you like from each, and what you don't.
Though it is a largely DIY vibe, speaking from personal experience, it is always a better idea to go see a stylist. So ask your stylist for a wolfcut, if they don't know what it is I'd advise you to do some research and find someone who is as informed, and crucially, is as excited about it as you are. Think about vibrant panels of colour, think about if you want to style it into oblivion, or go where your hair's natural texture wants to take you.
Styling wise, with the shorter looks Aveda's control paste is my all time favourite. It's not sticky like wax, and not crunchy like some mousse's can be. It's got a soft but pliable hold. Perfect for taming flyaways and keeping flicks in the right place. I've found it works well on all hair types. Like with pretty much all products, a little goes a long way. To keep on top of the shape all you need to do is get the fringe trimmed when it needs to be.
Finally, have fun with it! Welcome to the future.
Get a wolf cut hairstyle at Butchers Salon
Ready to embrace this cut? We’re certainly ready to unleash its full potential on your hair. If you’re wanting a stylist that is well informed about this style, then look no further than our incredible stylists at Butchers Salon. You can find all of our locations below.