In November 2020, I opened my phone to madness. I read the headline “Bring Back Manly Men”. Immediately I wondered what all of the controversy was about.  I continued to scroll to see Harry Styles wearing a custom Gucci dress on the cover of Vogue magazine. Instantly, I was overcome with a sense of pride. Despite the public's negative reaction, Styles wore a dress to combat “gender dressing” and continue the discussion of cross-dressing. Conservatives and others flooded the media with negative comments bashing Styles, calling him “gay” and “too feminine” which raised the question, Why is it so wrong that he wore a dress?  Society should not have the right to judge the fashion choices of others.

 The discussion of gender roles has been an issue for a long time. Gender norms have deep roots in our society. Parents set the standard for how one should dress which is passed down from generation to generation. In an article from  Solsko Polje, the author discusses gender roles.  He discusses the strength of “ stereotypical images of femininity” and how it holds back actual femininity. It sets a discipline for fashion,  “restricting clothing and other practices” to one specific gender. It enrages me that people aren’t allowed to express themselves however they want and have to worry about people's reactions. 

Fashion has always changed, from ripped skinny jeans to mom jeans there is always a new idea for clothes. Everyone doesn't agree with these changes. An article from University Wire written by Isabella Cavallo discusses the backlash of Harry Styles wearing a dress on the cover of Vogue, and conservatives such as Candace Owens don’t agree with his choice of clothing. Owens wrote to Twitter to “Bring back manly men” to insult Styles for being too “feminine”. Cavallo brings awareness to the backlash Styles has received for expressing himself. Styles was the first solo male to be on the cover of Vogue, yet this milestone has been overshadowed by hate and criticism. 

In a New York Times article discussing pop stars and how they “dismantled” their masculinity, the author discusses how the popular singer Bad Bunny has rejected the idea of “machismo”. The singer has also “embraced gender-fluid fashion and called out male aggression in his songs”. The author discusses how other male celebrities have combatted masculinity. These changes help future generations be more comfortable with themselves and open a new door to the end of “toxic masculinity”. 

Fashion has evolved due to people not being afraid to be themselves and wear what they want, celebrities such as Bad Bunny and Harry Styles are examples of people bringing light to these new ideas. People should accept these changes instead of defying them.