It’s been in the works for longer than we could have imagined. Icons of the past, be it Bowie, Elton, or Prince, have lit the fuse that has taken longer to burn down to its core than we thought. The lace, frills, sequins, and fringe that seemed to be locked in the women’s wardrobe indefinitely had begun to trickle slowly but surely through its corresponding threshold. Prince demanded the attention of his audience for over half his lifetime in head-to-toe laces of all colors, 4 inch heels, and tons of spandex. If we wanted to get truly, painfully technical, we could reflect on the togas of the Greeks and Romans, or perhaps the kilts of the Scottish. Material and silhouette have crossed vast boundaries of gender throughout the ages, even switching back and forth between each other. Maybe we shouldn’t credit Prince with revolutionizing men in heels after all when we know Louis XIV was doing the same thing in the fifteenth century.

The court of public opinion though is much more complex than the course of history. Although  men have worn dresses and high heels across timelines throughout history, what is accepted is much more complicated. Yes, men had been wearing gown-like garments long before pants, yet it has been disregarded. And while we had descended into an age of almost a century where pants strictly defined all that male fashion could be, icons such as these began to break these social barriers once more—however, it was widely inappropriate.

Now, the curtain has been drawn on a new personality pushing gender neutrality in his own fashion choices. It might be now that the switch of public acceptance will be flipped once again. Harry Styles surely did not forget those who came before him, and might just be the face that finally brings modern acceptance of men in blouses and dresses to the surface of fashion itself. And literally on the surface as well: Styles appeared on the cover of Vogue in the December of 2020 clad in a Gucci gown, and furthermore in a full spread of various skirts and blouses. While David Bowie helped prepare the stage along with many other postmodern femmé icons, the era did not allow for their united standing ovation. Today, the audience is not only clapping, but screaming out in awe. We may have never thought we would see Gen-Z youth cheering wildly as Styles owns his stage in sparkling button-downs and high waisted trousers. 

Women have been accepted in pants for quite some time now; it’s a wonder men are only now being returned the favor. This concept of masculinity represented in clothing is being explored and redefined. Although, what’s cathartic is the understanding that clothes are just that: clothes. Simply another outlet to create is unveiled in its full potential. Fashion is just another format, another blank canvas. The fabric does not seem to care who is wearing it, or how it is worn. Styles seems to think so too; for Vogue he commented, “It’s like anything—anytime you’re putting barriers up in your own life, you’re just limiting yourself. There’s so much joy to be had in playing with clothes. I’ve never really thought too much about what it means—it just becomes this extended part of creating something.”

Much joy to be had, indeed. This idea of creating without boundary has in turn keyed open the lock of present male fashion standards. It is not only permitted, but praised. Men who have championed the femmé genre of past decades are now able to take their seats  comfortably. Never in a million years would they have expected to see  dress-clad Harry Styles on the cover of the world’s foremost fashion publication within their lifetime. In 2021, we see other celebrities like Pete Davidson and Troye Sivan rock the MET carpet in gowns and skirts. 

Is this for the sake of a statement? It doesn’t have to be. It could be just for the sake of creating something without a block in the way. It’s just art, after all. As we do with visual art, we cover all the mediums and styles we can. It’s an exciting time for fashion; Harry Styles (and many others) are here to prove this “fine line” in fashion stereotypes is vanishing.

Written by: Aubrey Matson, Photography: Esha Uddaraju, Design: Dana Dang, Social Media: Mackenzie Davis, Videography: Haley Cox