Why Harry Styles's Vogue Cover In A Dress Is Receiving So Much Love

16 November 2020, 16:36 | Updated: 18 August 2022, 15:51

Harry Styles' historical Vogue cover is being praised for challenging gender norms and helping bring neutral fashion to the mainstream as the singer donned a dress for the shoot.

Harry Styles's Vogue cover was always going to spark conversation, especially as the 'Adore You' singer made history as the first solo male to grace the cover of American Vogue - and even more so because he did it wearing a dress.

Harry Styles Loved Being In One Direction & Teases New Music

Yup, Vogue decided to snap the internet clean in half dropping their December cover with none other than Haz who absolutely slayed a floor length Gucci gown on the cover of their fashion mag.

He is the first solo male to make the cover in the publication's 127 years history.

Unsurprisingly, his cover sparked heated debate about fashion and gender norms, with some criticising a 'man wearing a woman's dress'.

Responses to those opinions have pointed out pretty much what Haz so thoughtfully said in his interview:

"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."

Others have said Harry shouldn't be receiving the sole praise for 'breaking boundaries' as plenty of people have been working to collapse these walls for years and gone not just without any praise, but experienced prejudice.

What is widely accepted, however, is that his undeniably enormous platform and influence was bound to attract serious attention when making such a statement and especially on the front of actual Vogue.

Alok Menon, a gender non-conforming writer and performance artist wrote a seriously eloquent post about their thoughts about Harry's cover.

Alok wrote: "Am I happy to see Harry be celebrated for openly flouting gendered fashion norms? Yes.

"Do trans femmes of colour receive praise for doing the same thing every day? No.

"I want a world where everyone - regardless of their gender - can wear whatever they want.

"He is exercising that and giving permission for other people to do the same and that makes me so happy!!

"I can both celebrate that and be cautious about the politics of representation."

The 'Golden' singer has since followed them on Instagram.

Fans of the singer know all too well Harry has been playing with and exploring fashion for years now and he chose an incredibly powerful moment to fully express himself.

Apart from the blindingly obvious point of him looking absolutely stunning, handsome and enviably fashionable (what is new there, nothing), the 'Cherry' star chose to deliver an important and defiant message about traditional ideas about gender and fashion.

King!

> Download Our App For All The Latest Harry Styles News