“What kind of girl dresses like a man? This is preposterous!”
Kristen Stewart – Internet
Such expressions are nothing new to us. As time progresses, human belief systems have become a lot more progressive, however, this does not mean that all outdated sentiments have gone out of existence. Do we ever ask ourselves: When will we finally stop judging the physical appearance of a person based on their gender? One’s physique might actually be considered good-looking, nonetheless, it can still become “horrendous” or “sickening” to certain people because that person is dressing in a way that is inappropriate to their gender?
At the end of 2020, Harry Styles caused an uproar among the online community when he appeared on the covers of Vogue Magazine wearing a light blue layered lace skirt and a Gucci coat. Immediately, he was met with fierce criticism regarding the way in which he dressed in those magazine covers. Candace Owens - An American author, commentator, and political activist - called it "an outright attack" on society. She also tweeted that: “There is no society that can survive without strong men.” and finished her thoughts with a declaration: “Bring back manly men”.
So what exactly are “manly men”? Do they have to wear jeans, shirts and a tie to be considered “manly men”? Wearing leather shoes, watches, and belts to be manly?
It appears as if in the consciousness of most people, the only purpose of dressing up or makeup is to express their beauty in accordance with their gender to the eyes of others. Girls wear lipstick and glamorous gowns to manifest the gentleness of a lady. Boys, on the other hand, put on hair gel and wear elegant vests to display the looks of a gentleman. Those are the standards approved by society. Bettering your looks for reasons such as those above are not wrong at all and are practiced by many. However, making them the criterion for judging physical appearance is an unacceptable thing.
Harry Styles – Internet
Just to be clear, the way in which one dresses HAS NEVER BEEN the correct criteria to determine anyone’s gender, let alone using it as a deciding factor in gender identification. When a man is seen wearing a dress and makeup, he’ll immediately be designated as “queer”, “effeminate” or “revealing his true gender identity”. Similarly, if a girl is seen with short hair, sporting Tomboy clothing, it will automatically be assumed that she is a “lesbian”, has “issues” or an “attention seeker”. Everyone keeps deluding themselves into thinking that they possess the right to abuse and offend others whilst lacking any understanding of their targets. It seems as if they intentionally forgot or are not aware that: Everyone has the right to dress in whichever way they desire, because of their hobbies, improving their looks, or simply because of comfort ability! Let’s think about this for a moment, who isn’t unhappy after arduously trying to refine their physical appearance only to be met with toxic and ruthless criticism? It is very unfortunate that we still assign genders to articles of clothing; we live in the 21st Century yet possess sentiments that are “ancient”.
Cara Delevingne – Internet
The imposition of prejudice and dogmas on how other people dress has never resulted in anything good. Perhaps Candace Owens has never heard of “manly men” who wear dresses such as King Henry VIII of England, the musician Iggy Pop, the legend David Bowie or the front man of Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, and of course, Harry Styles. They are all very successful figures who have left their mark on history, they’ve accomplished things not many men who do not wear dresses can even imagine doing.
The reality is, we all possess the ability to perceive beauty and carry with us the desire to celebrate that beauty. However, it appears that in the consciousness of the masses, the popularly accepted standard of beauty has too heavily ingrained itself and prevents “out of the norm” beauty from being recognized. It is evident that people can actually recognize the beauty of people who stray away from the norm. But once they factor in that person’s gender, it suddenly becomes their main focus. “Irregularities” are rejected when they threaten the status quo of “gendered beauty standards”, which most of the community abides by. They do not allow themselves to have an opinion that conflicts with that of the majority. If a situation like this persists, freedom and creativity in fashion will be utterly and illogically suppressed and opposed.
Acknowledging all of this, are we willing to change? Perhaps it is our minds that need to be changed? Even if you dislike the way another person dresses, you have no right to change It! Their style, their choice, we can only change ourselves, or just ignore the issue altogether. We need to accept that the world is a diverse place, with people of all shapes and forms. We should accept them and bring more positivity into this society - That is the finest solution.
During an interview on Vogue’s December Issue, Harry Styles said that: “anytime you’re putting barriers up in your own life, you’re just limiting yourself.” It is your life, so do whatever it is that you desire to your heart’s content!
Link: The Glow Project
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