Last week, Harry Styles made history as the first solo male cover star of US Vogue.
The former One Direction member turned very successful solo artist was looking typically Harry - slicked back hair, hands covered in rings, a tuxedo jacket and a custom-made, lace-trimmed Gucci ballgown.
To fans, or anyone who remembers his 2019 Met Gala ensemble, this was hardly surprising. Styles has played around with clothing and accessories traditionally worn by women for years now. He regularly paints his nails, carries purses and has spoken multiple times about how he enjoys exploring fashion without inhibition.
In an accompanying interview, Styles told Vogue there was "so much joy to be had in playing with clothes".
"When you take away 'There's clothes for men and there's clothes for women,' once you remove any barriers, obviously you open up the arena in which you can play," he said.
"I'll go in shops sometimes, and I just find myself looking at the women's clothes thinking they're amazing. It's like anything – anytime you're putting barriers up in your own life, you're just limiting yourself."
Mostly, it was met with adoration and praise from Styles' fans, other celebrities and even one of his former bandmates (more on that later).
But before long, a series of American conservative commentators emerged with their views. And that's when it all kicked off.
Okay, who has criticised the cover and why?
On November 15, American conservative author Candace Owens tweeted "bring back manly men".
"There is no society that can survive without strong men. The East knows this. In the west, the steady feminisation of our men at the same time that Marxism is being taught to our children is not a coincidence. It is an outright attack."
Another conservative media pundit, Ben Shapiro, agreed with her.
"Anyone who pretends that it is not a referendum on masculinity for men to don floofy dresses is treating you as a full-on idiot," he wrote.
Scottish men in kilts, Samoan men in lavalava, the American founding fathers in their stockings. Then there was Iggy Pop and David Bowie in dresses. The Rock in a tutu. John Cena in a dress. Heck, someone even pointed out the fact Donald Trump spends US$70,000 a year on hairstyling.
Multiple responses pointed out; if their notion of masculinity is threatened by the clothing choices of others, then is it as strong as they're claiming?
Watch: Behind the scenes of Harry Styles' Vogue photoshoot. Post continues below video.
A number of celebrities also responded.
Lord Of The Rings' Elijah Wood told Owens she had "missed the definition of what a man is".
"Masculinity alone does not make a man," he wrote. "In fact, it's got nothing to do with it."
Scrubs actor Zach Braff said "be whatever the f*** you want to be".
The dress - and the conversation surrounding it - is indicative of many discussions about gender identity and conformity these days.
Styles is breaking down barriers and being himself. In December 2019, he told Guardian Weekend he didn't 'sprinkle nuggets of sexual ambiguity to try to be more interesting'.
"I want things to look a certain way. Not because it makes me look gay, or it makes me look straight, or it makes me look bisexual, but because I think it looks cool," he said.
But the conversation has washed over the voices of the Queer community, who largely founded gender fluidity, embraced non-conforming fashion and were more often than not shunned for it.
Styles is a white, cis-man. He's also pretty widely loved, or at the very least not-hated. He is palatable.
The risk factor for Vogue running this cover was very low.
What would be the reaction if it had featured a trans woman of colour?
Alok Vaid-Menon, a gender non-conforming performance artist and author of Beyond the Gender Binary explained their mixed feelings with an Instagram post that has received more than 280,000 likes.
"Am I happy to see Harry be celebrated for openly flouting gendered fashion norms? Yes. Do trans femmes of colour receive praise for doing the same thing every day? No," they wrote.
"Do I think this is a sign of progress of society’s evolution away from binary gender? Yes. Do I think that white men should be upheld as the face of gender neutral fashion? No."
They said we can acknowledge Styles' cover for the moment it is, while also acknowledging it could only happen "because of the resistance of trans femmes of colour".
"I want a world where everyone - regardless of their gender - can wear whatever they want. He is exercising that and giving permission for other people to do the same and that makes me so happy!! I can both celebrate that and be cautious about the politics of representation."
They called for more opportunities for non-binary and Queer folks because breaking down barriers is worth praising - but only if they're being broken for everyone.
Feature image: Getty.
Top Comments
Harry looks pretty damn cute in lace, I think. I've never had a problem with men in frills and lace and skirts and makeup, though. Being a Bowie fan since a child and loving hair metal, I've always found it quite attractive.