By Taylor Pipes   Published Jul 06, 2002 at 5:18 AM

The mullet, that short-on-top, long-in-the-back haircut favored by hockey players, Billy Ray Cyrus types and certain folk in and around Milwaukee is slowly making the big cut uptown as guys in New York and Manhattan begin to take to the tail.

But the streets of Summerfest are still more crowded than Wall Street with that oh so chic men's hair fashion, and this year guys and girls are buying the mullet T-shirt to show their loyalty to the 'do.

We all know Summerfest for its great music, beer, food but this year mullet wear also is buzzing onto the list.

A stop at Brew City Beer Gear in the Williamsburg Market shopping area at Summerfest is a must, especially if you are looking for the currently popular Milwaukee mullet shirt.

George Keppler is co-owner of the store with others located at The Shops of Grand Avenue and Mayfair Mall.

The store features classic Milwaukee paraphernalia that is centered around Milwaukee's history with beer, festivals and sports teams, especially the Brewers.

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Keppler has been in business since 1986, and this year he and his brother and father (the other co-owners) are celebrating five years at Summerfest. Along with the Big Gig, the Kepplers have sold their Milwaukee wares at Bastille Days, Maritime Days and the State Fair (where he will be again this year).

Among the other shirts featured at the Big Gig stand will be the taverns of Milwaukee shirt, Ya Der Hey shirts, shirts spoofing the Milwaukee accent, the aforementioned mullet shirt, and a newly popular shirt featuring the name of Bong Recreation Area, a park located outside of Burlington. Keppler is quite surprised at the response and popularity of this shirt. Also featured at Summerfest is the OnMilwaukee.com 100 Things Not to Do in Milwaukee shirt, a favorite in our office, of course.

Keppler is assured one thing, his audience at Summerfest is huge. He says, "It has become a great tradition, people come and visit us and it's fun to see the regulars. People from Chicago come up every year and have fun with our Milwaukee shirts."

Only in Milwaukee are we proud of our heritage to beer, silly accents and mullets. A trip to Brew City Beer Gear will provide the perfect gear to wear on your next visit to the Big Gig, just be sure if you do sport a mullet to trim it so others can read the back of your shirt.

Shirts also available at www.brewcityonline.com.