The Face of Gender Neutral Fashion: Harry Styles Beating toxic masculinity one dress at a time!
In 1994, Harry Styles was born in Worcestershire, England. At the age of 16, Harry auditioned for the X-Factor in Britain. Although Harry originally auditioned as a solo artist, he was put in a group with four other boys. From there, the internationally famous boy band “One Direction” was created. The band created 5 albums and performed for millions of fans all over the world. After the band was disbanded, Harry started his career as a solo artist. He released two albums and went on his “Love On Tour” in 2021 and 2022. Harry is not only known as a talented singer, but also for his gender-neutral fashion.
In December 2020, Harry Styles became the first solo male celebrity to be featured on the front cover of Vogue magazine. In the past, male artists have been featured on the front cover of Vogue but were featured with their female partners. On the cover of the December 2020 issue, Harry is posing in a custom-made, lace-trimmed Gucci ballgown with a tuxedo jacket to compliment the gown. In the interview, he was explaining how he found beauty in both women's and men’s clothing when he went shopping. He also talked about his love for fashion and how it helps him to tap into his creative outlet. One of the first gender-neutral outfits that he rocked was his black Gucci outfit with pearl earrings and his signature boots. During his Love On Tour, Harry played with bold staple pieces that were also not restricted by traditional gender norms. Harry may not be the first male celebrity to play with gender-neutral fashion, but he certainly is one of the most popular gender-neutral fashion icons.
“I’ve never really thought too much about what it means – it just becomes this extended part of creating something.” - Harry Styles in the Vogue 2020 issue
Harry has been a trailblazer in leading the conversation that normalizes nonbinary fashion. In fact, many other male artists such as Shawn Mendes and Ross Lynch have followed in Harry’s footsteps. Men are now wearing nail polish, combining women’s and men’s pieces in their outfits, and are unapologetically wearing what they want to. Fashion designers have taken notice of how generation Z has been shifting more towards a gender-neutral wardrobe. So, what does this mean? It means we have a new generation of people who are doing away with gender norms in every aspect and fully living authentically themselves. People are not limited to living under what is expected as women and what is expected as men. People can just simply exist without limiting themselves. And thanks to Harry Styles, people who see him are inspired by his boldness and find themselves celebrating gender-neutral fashion!
Written by: Ashley Alvarado, Photography: Kylie Dunlap, Design: Annette Guerra-Armendariz, Social Media: Sara Hartung