Manly Men
Why men wearing dresses shouldn’t be a headline
Written by Grace Reber, Fashion Staff Writer
Attempting to pinpoint exactly what a “man’s style” should look like shouldn’t be in the hands of anyone but the man itself. When it comes to mainstream men’s fashion, it’s been made clear that when men go against the grain, breaking gender stereotypes, they’ll often face backlash and be bombarded by critics.
Recently, world-renowned singer and heartthrob, Harry Styles, made history by being the first solo male to make the cover of Vogue Magazine. On the cover, Styles is seen sporting a baby blue, multi-tiered lace gown, paired with a black blazer and his iconic gold Gucci rings. The floor length dress features a tulle panel and lace trim, both fabrics commonly associated with femininity. The remaining spread goes on to showcase the popstar in a dozen different fashion ensembles including a dark green kilted skirt with a large gold chain, bright yellow trousers filled with patches, embroidery and paint, and a long, black blazer and skirt duo, topped with a black Victorian style crinoline paired with bright pink and white bunched fabric. While many showed massive waves of support, it didn’t take long for criticism to arise. The most prominent critic was right-wing political commentator, Candace Owens. Her tweets and Instagram Live commentary exemplified her disapproval of Style’s Vogue attire. Owens made it clear that she does not believe men have any business wearing dresses.
Within her criticism, Owens played out all the reasons why our society needs “manly men,” but what about a man wearing a dress takes away his “manliness”? Men all over the world, not just Styles, are wearing what the West would call “feminine style.” From Scottish kilts, thwabs in the Middle East, and kimonos/yukatas in Japan, men are regularly wearing what someone like Candace Owens would write off as feminine attire. This over-generalization of what men should be wearing is not only disrespectful to the men of western culture who explore different sects of fashion, but also to the men across the globe whose traditional garments are skirts and dresses.
Styles is not the first starlet to make headlines for his feminine apparel. Many men in pop culture history that have embraced all sides of the fashion world, crossing gender lines without care. Creators and performers including Prince, Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Kurt Cobain, Billy Porter, and Lil Nas X have proven time and time again that masculinity isn’t defined by the clothes they wear. Clothing is merely a way to express creativity as well as expressing oneself. To limit genders to a specific type of clothing is solely based on what society has deemed “appropriate” for that gender. These barriers come at a disservice to the designers making huge breaks in the fashion industry, introducing non-gendered items and genderfluid style.
Additionally, another current celebrity to go against the mainstream definition of men’s fashion is actor and artist, Jaden Smith. For the past few years, Smith has challenged gender norms on all fronts other than just his style. In an interview with GQ Magazine, Smith explains exactly why he’s never shied away from incorporating traditionally “feminine” style into his clothing. He states, “I don’t see man clothes and woman clothes, I just see scared people and comfortable people.” Although Smith’s gender neutral style hasn’t been featured nearly as much as Styles, Louis Vuitton’s Spring 2016 Campaign featured Smith embracing the non-gendered fashion he had been rocking for years. In the campaign, Smith wore a white, fringe-bottom knit sweater, a black skirt split in half by a panel of beading and embroidery on the right side, and a black leather jacket. As a result, the campaign opened the doors for future Louis Vuitton gender neutral items, proving that it would not be the last time the company would challenge gender stereotypes.
Since Jaden Smith’s feature in Louis Vuitton’s Spring 2016 Campaign, the company’s creative director, Nicolas Ghesquière, decided that their Spring/Summer 2019 would be all about breaking gender stereotypes. Ghesquière used androgyny to push the idea that no matter what gender someone identifies with, they can wear whatever fits their style. This movement continued in Louis Vuitton’s Fall/Winter 2020 Collection, which featured its male models wearing ruffled suits, and fluorescent pink ensembles with matching bags. Along with Louis Vuitton, other major names in fashion such as Rick Owens and Calvin Klein have continued to break gender norms and incorporate gender fluid fashion into their runway shows.
Yes, the world needs manly men, but the world also needs men of all kinds; men that are confident in their sexuality and masculinity, and aren’t afraid to break stereotypes. The world doesn’t need just one kind of man who fits in with a political narrative. Fashion is so much more than just pieces of clothing. It makes a statement about the person wearing it. As seen in Harry Styles’s Vogue spread as well as the countless other men who are pushing fashion boundaries, nothing a man wears, even a gown, can take away his masculinity.
Sources:
Cydney Henderson, “Harry Styles makes history in ball gown as first solo man to grace Vogue cover, ever.” USA Today. 2020.
Hamish Bowles, “Playtime with Harry Styles.” Vogue. 2020
Variety, “Candace Owens gets backlash from Harry Styles fans over ‘bring back manly men’ tweet.” NBS News. 2020.
Sardar Elias, “The Thobe: Saudi Culture at a Glance.” Buffalo Digitation. 2016.
Marc Jacobs, “Jaden Smith: Fresh Prince of the Future.” GQ. 2016.
Steff Yotka, “Jaden Smith and a Video Game Character Star in Louis Vuitton’s Latest Campaign.” Vogue. 2016.
Suzy Menkes, “#SuzyPFW: Louis Vuitton Plays With Gender.” Vogue UK. 2018.
Odessa Paloma Parker, “How The Recent Menswear Shows Challenged The Notion of Gender Neutral Dressing.” Fashion Magazine. 2020.
N Elyssa Goodman, “THE GENDERFLUID RUNWAY.” CR Fashionbook. 2019.