An ode to the BIPOC, queer, dress wearing men before Harry Styles
- Jack Friedman (he/him/his)
- Nov 21, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 17, 2020
Harry Styles’ Vogue cover is a big deal. The first man to be solo on the cover of Vogue is important. The fact that Styles’ wore a dress, among other more feminine-coded clothing, is a victory for men’s fashion. Frankly, the fact there was backlash makes it an even more powerful statement and has allowed for more men to speak out and express their own masculinity in different ways. As someone who has struggled with my own masculinity for a long time, seeing men being comfortable in their own feminine fashion means a lot to me and gives me the courage to be more bold with my own clothing choices.
However, Harry Styles is not the first famous male identifying person to wear “feminine clothing”. He’s not the first to put on a dress in the face of great hatred. Unfortunately, like in so many other situations, the person to get credit for making a statement is white cis gendered, and has only publicly been in heterosexual relationships.
Here is a little history lesson in BIPOC, queer, and under appreciated creators that paved the way for this big moment in gender fluid clothing.
Prince, Singer-Songwriter (1958-2016)
This is Prince. Most people know who Prince is, an amazing singer-songwriter who was known to push the boundaries of fashion. Prince wore feminine clothing. Prince was an icon who was unapologetically himself. Though society uses the he/him pronouns for Prince, some believed Prince was non-binary. Prince was also Black. He was wearing dresses, fishnets, and more “women’s” clothing on stage before Harry Styles was alive.
Billy Porter, Actor and Singer (1969-Present)
This is Billy Porter. Notice something about this look? Aside from the fact that it's gorgeous. It's also a dress!! Sure, Billy Porter isn’t as famous as Harry Styles or even as Prince. But Billy Porter too has been wearing dresses for a long time. Oh and Billy Porter is also Black and queer.
Miss J Alexander, Model, Reality TV Star, Fashion Icon (1958-Present)
This is Miss J Alexander. If people recognize him, it's from memes or viral videos that are used as TikTok sounds. But this fashion icon is so much more. As a modeling consultant on America’s Next Top Model. As an icon of style, always showing up incredibly well-dressed. As a man who often wears a full face of makeup, dresses, and more, Miss Alexander is a guide and a Black queer leader in wearing whatever the hell he wants.
Dennis Rodman, NBA Center (1961-Present)
This is Dennis Rodman. In the 1990s no one could deny Dennis’s “masculinity” in the stereotypical sense. Rodman played for the NBA champion Chicago Bulls, known for his defense and rebounding, willing to fight just about anyone and put his body on the line to win. Dennis also wore outfits like this, changed his hair very frequently and unapologetically expressed himself through fashion. At the time, people just laughed at him. “Oh that’s Dennis being Dennis. Yeah he’s a weird dude he wears crop tops and skirts before NBA games.” No. What Dennis is guilty of is being ahead of his time, a pioneer for expressing himself through fashion as a man, no matter what.
The list could go on and on. These people deserve their names to be known, recognized, and heard.
Keiynan Lonsdale, Ru Paul, Jaden Smith, A$AP Rocky, Ashton Sanders, Lil Nas X, Frank Ocean, Ricky Thompson, Young Thug, Yves Tumor, Rick James and countless others.
So here’s the thing. I don’t mean to take away from the big moment that has occurred in the male fashion industry. Harry Styles is a fashion icon for many men, myself included. However, it is incredibly important to recognize those who came before him. As we appreciate Harry Style’s beautiful cover shoot, we must also recognize the many queer, BIPOC, figures who came before him and never received the recognition they deserved.
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