Tami Manis now boasts the longest female mullet globally, officially embracing “business at the front and a party in the back.” Her mullet measures a staggering 5 feet 8 inches, which is nearly 173 centimeters, and has been certified as the world’s longest female mullet by Guinness World Records.
According to Guinness World Records, Tami Manis, who is 58 years old, last cut the back of her hair on February 9, 1990.
In a video posted by Guinness World Records on Thursday, Manis humorously shared her experience, saying, “A lot of people just notice it when I turn around, so most of the time it’s like they don’t realize how long my hair is until they look at the backside.”
Manis recalled the origins of her mullet, saying, “It was the eighties and everybody had a rat tail.” She explained that her inspiration to grow a mullet stemmed from watching Til Tuesday’s music video “Voices Carry,” where a girl had a rat tail, and she really wanted one.
Despite initially cutting off her mullet in November 1989, Manis immediately regretted it and decided to grow it out again the following year. Since then, she has never looked back.
Manis, who hails from Knoxville, Tennessee, typically keeps her mullet braided. When riding her motorbike, she simply “tucks the tail” into her pocket. A friend braids Manis’ hair once a week, and the mullet remains in that state until she washes it again and dries it with paper towels “because otherwise it would stay wet most of the time,” she explained.
While mullets are commonly associated with the 1980s, they have a history dating back centuries. Even the Greek poet Homer, writing in the “The Iliad” in the 8th century BC, references spearmen with “forelocks cropped, hair grown long at the backs.”
For Manis, her unique mullet has allowed people to recognize her, even from more than 20 years ago, and it has been a constant conversation starter among her friends and family.
Last year, she achieved the second position in the “Femullet” division of the 2022 US Mullet Championships and won the accompanying $300 prize. This experience encouraged her to apply for the Guinness World Record.
After a lengthy process, including filming her hair to showcase its remarkable length, Manis received a package on her front porch notifying her of the official record. She expressed her amazement, saying, “When I opened it, I thought, ‘this is amazing.’”