Harry Styles made Vogue history on Nov. 13, rocking a skirt as the first solo man to appear on the cover in the magazine’s 127-year run.
“You can never be overdressed. There’s no such thing,” Styles shared in the article. “The people that I looked up to in music — Prince and David Bowie and Elvis and Freddie Mercury and Elton John — they’re such showmen. As a kid it was completely mind-blowing. Now I’ll put on something that feels really flamboyant, and I don’t feel crazy wearing it. I think if you get something that you feel amazing in, it’s like a superhero outfit. Clothes are there to have fun with and experiment with and play with. What’s really exciting is that all of these lines are just kind of crumbling away. 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.”
In response to the stunning photos, conservative commentator Candace Owens shared her opinion via Twitter, demanding society to “bring back manly men” and calling Styles’ outfits “steady feminization of our men.”
Celebrities (and Harry’s mom!) quickly flooded social media with words of support for Styles, praising him for defying toxic masculinity and teaching his fans that gender is simply a social construct.
See below.
One of the “manliest” (barf) men I know said, “if Harry Styles in a dress scares you, it’s more about you than about him”…❤️👏 my kind of “man”. 🥰 https://t.co/ogn75mnSQE
— Sara Bareilles (@SaraBareilles) November 18, 2020
You’re pathetic.
— olivia wilde (@oliviawilde) November 16, 2020
wow logan paul actually said something right for oncehttps://t.co/IN7jAhuODp
— mimi MISSES HARRY (@fearlessbucky) November 17, 2020
i think you’ve missed the definition of what a man is. masculinity alone does not make a man
— Elijah Wood (@elijahwood) November 16, 2020
Our whole lives boys and men are told we need to be manly. Life is short. Be whatever the fuck you want to be. pic.twitter.com/oY6ji3tpaI
— Zach Braff (@zachbraff) November 16, 2020
here’s a link about the history of men wearing skirts daily dating back thousands of years, through if you feel emasculated by harry styles in a skirt, facts are unlikely to change your mind: https://t.co/i2lm12M7VZ
— LUNA SHADOWS (@lunaxshadows) November 17, 2020
Also… this was at one time considered very manly. Wigs, make up, tights, frills… maybe this is the comeback of the “manly man.” pic.twitter.com/8dvSRGYj4w
— Jameela Jamil 🌈 (@jameelajamil) November 16, 2020
Candy Owens doesn’t know what she in for going up against the Harry Styles stans.
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) November 16, 2020
I mean…. come on! So Gorgeous! @Harry_Styles #harrystylesvogue pic.twitter.com/BMI5Ot9NPc
— Bobby Berk (@bobbyberk) November 18, 2020
Being comfortable in your own skin as a man is manly. However that is expressed. Props to Harry Styles for doing him. There are plenty of men who are so insecure w/ themselves already so spare me “the world only needs more agro/aggressive men” crap
— Harry Shum Jr (@HarryShumJr) November 18, 2020
AOC + Harry Styles>>>>>>>>Candace Owens any day 💃🏽 pic.twitter.com/miWZ1m2u86
— Carly 💅🏼 (she/her) (@carlymbutton) November 22, 2020