Harry Styles’ Vogue Cover is as Iconic as It Gets

Back in 2010, when the X Factor teenage heartthrob blessed our screens with that all-important floppy brown hair, no one quite imagined that his go-to chinos and scarf combo would soon become a frilled Gucci dress and black tuxedo jacket look. Nor did we expect him to become the first male to appear solo on the cover of US Vogue, but boy are we glad he did. Harry Styles’ fashion evolution over the years has been one to follow, from his iconic pearl necklace (that he goes nowhere without) to his sheer blouse Met Gala moment. There was little doubt that his get-up for the cover of Vogue’s December issue would turn heads – and the 26-year-old did not disappoint.

Identifying as a cisgender male, some may find it hard to understand how pop-star Harry Styles has become the 21^st century poster boy for gender fluid and non-binary fashion. However, as Harry has proved, assigning yourself a gender doesn’t have to be a one-way ticket to a specific wardrobe. 2020 has been a year of many changes; some have definitely been unwelcomed – *cough, pandemic, cough * – but others have been long-overdue, including a step forward towards inclusive fashion. According to the singer-songwriter, his fashion decisions are a product of his personal style, regardless of whether they conform to certain stereotypes that our society have created: “I want things to look a certain way. Not because it makes me look gay, or it makes me look straight, or it makes me look bisexual, but because I think it looks cool.” And we can confirm: he definitely always looks cool.

Now, of course, there was bound to be some unwanted backlash, mainly from those threatened by nothing other than their own masculine insecurity. Just three days after the release of the cover, Ben Shapiro headed straight to Twitter to vent his distress over a human wearing an item of clothing: “Pretending that men dressing like women does not feminize men is ridiculous.” In fact, his fear of masculinity becoming ‘feminized’ is pretty terrifying in itself (*@benshapiro is blocked*). Harry’s Vogue cover is not only an exhibit of some of the finest fashion artistry, it’s the beautiful visual that we all needed to continue the social fight against oppressive gender debates.

If that’s not enough, some have criticized the magazine for not responding quickly enough to a movement that is already well underway. We have seen multiple attempts at a more inclusive society over the years, from the introduction of public gender-neutral toilets to an increasing number of brands marketing unisex clothing ranges. But some have critiqued the cover for being out-dated; “It’s not new or radical,” as Fenella Hitchcock states. The debate has arisen from the fact that cover star, Harry, is a white male – Hitchcock continues, “We have cis white men who are celebrated for doing the very things that queer people do in day-to-day life all the time.” Her critique of the magazine is definitely valid, so we can only hope that Vogue’s attempt to diversify the industry inspires a continuum of liberating acts; the more radical the better.

There’s no denying that this was a long overdue step forward, not only for the fashion industry, but for society at large. So, what can we learn from all of this? We all need to embrace our inner Harry Styles. He’s redefining masculinity for all the right reasons. One more time for the people in the back: Harry Styles is redefining masculinity for all the right reasons.

Like Harry Styles, Timothée Chalamet continues to lead lessons in modern street style.