It’s been years since mega-popular boy band One Direction disbanded, but Grammy-nominated musical artist and actor Harry Styles remains in the limelight.

With his first album, self-titled “Harry Styles,” and his second album, “Fine Line,” Styles has proved himself as a solo artist. Along with establishing his musical career, Styles has also developed himself personally, and in line with his last name, this includes his fashion style.

The “Fine Line” era brought bell-bottoms, high-waisted suits, Beatle boots, suspenders, rhinestones, floral patterns and nail polish. Styles featured the aesthetic on the album art, in photoshoots and as a uniform of sorts for the album’s tour.

The look, which is sometimes tamed down to sweater vests and button ups, turned “Fine Line” from just an album to an image. Many musical artists pair the vibes of an album with their appearance or a tour’s theme. But for Styles, the fashion aspect of his artistry has become its own entity.

His two albums have such distinct aesthetics, and while the “Harry Styles” vibe is immaculate in its own right, the “Fine Line” style reveals how much Styles has grown as an artist and a person. It particularly highlights his creativity and openness to try anything. It shows his growing comfort with himself.

In 2019, Styles was a co-host for the Met Gala’s Costume Exhibition, “Camp: Notes on Fashion.” The theme featured avant-garde fashion, though Styles kept to an all-black ensemble. However, his look included some traditionally feminine elements, such as nail polish, earrings and lace. It was entirely fitting for the Met Gala.

More recently, Styles was the first man to appear solo on the cover of Vogue magazine.

In the interview associated with the photoshoot, Styles said, “Clothes are there to have fun with and experiment with and play with.”

And play he did.

Gucci’s Alessandro Michele designed a light blue and gray dress with a lace-layered skirt. The dress was paired with a double-breasted tuxedo jacket, combining men’s and women’s clothing into one piece. Styles wore multiple outfits for the photoshoot, but this is the one that appeared on the cover.

Fans flocked to the photoshoot, heralding Styles for his willingness to try anything.

However, controversy sparked after author Candace Owens retweeted Vogue’s post, saying, “There is no society that can survive without strong men. The East knows this. In the west, the steady feminization of our men at the same time that Marxism is being taught to our children is not a coincidence … Bring back manly man.”

Just as fans praised the photo’s original release, they swiftly came to Styles’ defense. On top of that, various celebrities, like Zach Braff, Elijah Wood and Olivia Wilde, joined the fray, dismissing criticism of Styles.

The pop singer was quiet immediately following Owens’ backlash, but a couple weeks later, Styles posted a photo on Instagram with the caption: “Bring back manly men.” It was a direct callout to Owens.

It’s important to note that Styles wore the dress for a photoshoot—more specifically, a fashion photoshoot. Vogue is not a magazine highlighting the everyday wear of average people. Its photoshoots are forms of art. As a fashion magazine, it can be above and beyond, It may not be the most avant-garde, but the magazine certainly pushes the boundaries of fashion.

As it should.

No rules exist within fashion. Along with the art of photography, the textiles in their construction, the ensemble of pieces and the presentation are art forms.

Despite this, it seems Owens’ tweet was aimed toward any man who wears clothing considered typically feminine, meaning she wasn’t just talking about a fashion photoshoot.

Of course, clothing and a person’s presentation say a lot about them, mostly in nonverbal ways. The rhetoric and history of fashion is its own thing entirely. What is important is recognizing that clothing expectations change over time. “Manly” clothes in one era can differ greatly from the next.

Look at the 18th century. Traditional men’s clothing included wigs and stockings–two things that, today, are mostly associated with women’s clothing. Men’s suits even had lace detailing or frilly cuffs.

Fashion has changed in the past two to three centuries. That much is obvious. Though, it reveals how arbitrary clothing can be.

Any preconceived clothing “rules” are simply based in historical or societal expectations. Inherently, clothes have no leaning.

In his interview, Styles talked about his inspirations for music and fashion, referencing Prince, David Bowie, Elvis, Freddie Mercury and Elton John, and how they were showmen. These musical artists broke barriers for music and for fashion.

They expressed themselves how they wanted to and in ways that they felt comfortable doing. Styles is no different.

Styles said, “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.”

Styles’ “Fine Line” is about love, vulnerability, kindness and finding oneself. It’s open and welcoming for people still discovering themselves. His own self-discovery— and comfort with it— is inspiring for fans, especially the fans that are so young.

In his song “Treat People With Kindness,” Styles sings, “Feeling good in my skin / I just keep on dancing.”

He’s showing that he’s finding himself and reassuring that fans can discover themselves, too. And from there, they can be satisfied with who they are.

All in all, it’s more manly to be comfortable with who you are, and to be yourself unapologetically. Styles is just one more musical artist in line with many proving this point.

Maddie Peters can be reached at pete9542@stthomas.edu.