If you’ve circled the Internet at any point during the past five years, chances are you’ve seen something about Harry Styles’s fashion sense.
During his days in One Direction, he was known for his looks made up of black skinny jeans, t-shirts, and Chelsea boots (pictured above). As he delved into his solo career he began to experiment much more heavily with fashion. On his first solo tour he took the stage every night in a different Gucci suit; each one more extravagant and colorful than the next.
Harry has quite literally taken the fashion world by storm. In 2018 he became the face of the new men’s tailoring campaign for Gucci. He also became the youngest co-chair of the Met Gala in 2019. And on a smaller level, all over the Internet, I’ve seen people of all genders taking inspiration from his wide-legged flowy pants, turquoise and pink painted nails, pearl necklaces, initial rings, and glittery jumpsuits. He has bloomed into someone unafraid to wear whatever the heck he wants– and I think it’s a beautiful thing.
His Vogue feature was iconic for a couple of reasons. One being he is the first solo male on the cover of American Vogue. The other was that he was dressed in a custom, periwinkle, lace-trimmed Gucci dress and a black blazer. When I first saw the photo, my jaw hit the floor. He’s made many bold clothing choices over his career, but seeing him rocking a gigantic ruffled gown on the cover of the top-selling fashion magazine of all time was nothing short of a historic moment, at least for me.
Styles explained during the shoot, “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.” He is a firm believer that traditional gender roles are simply just barriers that may hold people back and limit their fashion, or even life choices.
Some people shared their differing opinions on the cover, most notably Candace Owens. She took to Twitter saying, “There is no society that can survive without strong men. The East knows this. In the west, the steady feminization of our children at the same time that Marxism is being taught to our children is not a coincidence. It is an outright attack. Bring back manly men.”
Fans and other celebrities such as Olivia Wilde, Jameela Jamil, and Elijah Wood, quickly came to Style’s defense, saying that it is his decision to express himself however he decides. It fostered a discussion that quickly started trending of what it actually means to be “masculine” or “feminine.”
Even throughout lots of backlash over the years, Harry has never been one to let it get him down. He continues to break barriers and knock out stereotypes. It’s truly inspiring to see someone be so unapologetically themselves in today’s world.