Broccoli haircut

The Signature Look: What is a Broccoli Haircut?

Imagine short, neatly tapered sides, perhaps even faded, contrasting sharply with a crown of uneven, layered curls that sit high and often messy on top. This is the essence of the 'broccoli haircut' — a style that exploded into popularity among young people in the 2020s. It's often achieved with a perm, giving those natural waves an extra boost of definition.

A Name That Sticks

The name itself is wonderfully descriptive, isn't it? It comes from the haircut's uncanny resemblance to a floret of broccoli, with its dense, textured crown atop a narrower stem. But it goes by many other playful—and sometimes less flattering—monikers too. You might hear it called a 'Zoomer perm,' a nod to its Gen Z popularity, or in the UK, the rather infamous 'meet me at McDonald's haircut'.

More Than Just Broccoli

Beyond broccoli, the style has accumulated a host of other nicknames that capture its quirky visual appeal. 'Bird's nest hair,' 'bussin haircut,' or even 'alpaca hair' have all been used to describe the distinctive curly top. It's essentially a modern, often permed, variation of the classic bowl cut, but with a lot more volume and texture.

A Blast from the Past: 1980s Origins

While it feels distinctly current, the broccoli haircut isn't entirely new. Its stylistic ancestors can be traced back to the early 1980s, particularly among fans of the new wave music scene. Think iconic bands like Soft Cell, Talking Heads, and A Flock of Seagulls, whose members often sported voluminous, often permed, looks.

This precursor was often a grown-out, unstyled version of the era's popular quiff, frequently permed or styled with plenty of hairspray to achieve maximum volume and 'big hair.' Across the globe, similar permed styles like the 'punch perm' gained traction among subcultures in Japan and pop singers in South Korea, showing a global appetite for textured, voluminous looks.

The 2010s Revival

The permed undercuts of the 80s and 90s saw a quiet revival in the early to mid-2010s. This resurgence drew inspiration from the New Romantic movement of the 1980s, bringing back elements of styles like mullets and shags, but with a modern twist. It was a gradual re-introduction of textured, slightly rebellious hair.

By 2018, the style had become noticeably popular in the UK, reportedly popularized by figures like rapper Little T, earning it the distinctive 'Meet me at McDonald's haircut' moniker. It even made headlines when a school in Great Yarmouth banned pupils from sporting the controversial style, highlighting its growing presence and the reaction it provoked.

The TikTok Takeover: 2020s Explosion

The stage was set, but the true explosion of the broccoli haircut came during the COVID-19 lockdowns of the early 2020s. With barbershops closed, many young Gen Z men found themselves experimenting with their hair at home, leading to a surge in DIY styling and a willingness to try something new.

In 2020, then 15-year-old TikToker Dillon Latham posted a video of himself getting a perm to achieve this specific look. The clip went viral, instantly sparking a trend among teenage and tween boys who eagerly adopted the style, sharing their own transformations across the platform.

From Trend to Meme

By 2021, the broccoli haircut was cemented as a major trend, further amplified by prominent TikTokers like Noah Beck, Bryce Hall, and Harry Jowsey. But its widespread visibility also made it a target. That same year, it morphed into an internet meme and a subject of considerable online scorn.

A 4chan thread famously coined the term 'Zoomer perm,' capturing the generational association and the mixed reactions the style generated. It became a shorthand, a visual cue instantly recognizable and often debated across social media.

Peak Popularity and Pop Culture Footprint

The style reached its zenith by 2022, becoming almost ubiquitous among its target demographic. Its cultural impact was undeniable, even making its way into mainstream media conversations. In 2024, a photograph of actor David Corenswet on the set of the new Superman film showed him with what many online described as a 'broccoli haircut'.

The image quickly went viral, igniting further mockery and discussion across social media. Fashion publications like GQ and Marie Claire weighed in, with GQ suggesting the style had reached its peak, and Marie Claire declaring it the 'TikTok tween boy hallmark' – a defining look of a generation, for better or worse.