Putting an End to Gender Stereotypes

To his fans he's a fashion icon. To others, he is too "feminine." Find out why Harry has been receiving criticism and backlash due to his recent photoshoot with Vogue over a simple piece of clothing.

For years now, Harry Styles has been known to have such a unique and distinctive style. From sheep-patterned vests and chick sweaters to flashy cardigans and sparkly suits, this man dresses like a free spirit. His style is one of many reasons as to why his fans love and admire him so much. By dressing the way he wants to, Harry gives others like myself the confidence to wear what I want to wear and be who I want to be without being scared of what others may think. And that is the message that he wanted the world to get out of with his recent photoshoot with Vogue.

December 2020, Vogue released an article on Harry Styles. It wasn't what was written, but what was photographed that turned parts of the world upside down. Harry Styles in a dress. For something that shouldn't be a big deal caused plenty of controversy from the public. One individual in particular openly criticized him after wearing a lace-trimmed Gucci dress. Politically conservative commentator Candace Owens calls his Vogue cover an "outright attack" on "manly men."

Even with all of the criticism associated with this photoshoot, Harry has no regrets over his style choice. In his interview with Vogue, Harry Styles said that "I think if you get something that you feel amazing in, it's like a superhero outfit." He also stated that "Clothes are there to have fun with, and experiment with, and play with." In another interview with Variety, Harry says "To not wear (something) because it's females' clothing, you shut out a whole world of great clothes... And I think what's exciting about right now is you can wear what you like. It doesn't have to be X or Y. Those lines are becoming more and more blurred."

"I think if you get something that you feel amazing in, it's like a superhero outfit." -Harry Styles

In my opinion, clothes don't have a gender. They are just pieces of fabric all made out of the same material. But somewhere along the way society claimed different styles as male and female. The people who claim a man wearing a dress is not masculine are the same people who don't have a problem with a woman wearing a pantsuit. The idea itself is very hypocritical and makes no sense. If your main argument on the topic is that men aren't supposed to wear dresses, skirts, or any shirts with ruffles or frills because it never has been and never will be society's definition of "manly," then take a look back at history. In the past up until the mid 1800s, "manly" men in power wore wigs, makeup, tights, clothes with lace and ruffles along with shoes with heels. In fact, high heels were originally made for men so they could seem taller and come off as more intimidating and dominant. For decades, these shoes were found on the feet of soldiers, male aristocrats, and royals found in different parts of the world. With this piece of information, the whole idea of gender-specific dress codes is a preconceived notion formed by closed-minded individuals who are insecure with themselves, and they can't take the fact that there are people out there who are confident enough and comfortable in their own skin to wear whatever they please.

A manly man shouldn't be based solely off of physical appearances. It should be based off of who you are on the inside and about embracing who you are as a person. Both men and women should be able to wear what they want to wear without the judgement of others. It's funny how some people actually think they are entitled to an opinion on what others wear. If you don't like it, keep your negativity to yourself. Don't put others down because it's not your style. If everyone wore the same exact thing, the world would be a boring place. If a male wants to wear pants, skirts, dresses or shorts, it's none of your business. If a woman wants to wear pants, skirts, dresses or shorts, it's also none of your business. It's the 21st century. It's time to embrace individualism and equality.