Blog #19: Men in Dresses
By: Zoe Yllanes
Today, men wearing dresses has become more common, especially in the music industry. On April 10th, 2021, Kid Cudi performed his song “Sad People'' in an Off-White floral dress on the show Saturday Night Live. Of course, Cudi got an intensive amount of backlash, but he also received love and support, especially from the LGBTQ+ community.
Before Kid Cudi’s performance and dress criticism, Harry Styles had dealt with the same type of denunciation for wearing a dress. Styles posed for the famous magazine, Vogue, in their December 2020 issue, wearing a Gucci dress and jacket to go along with it.
After the issue came out, Styles received hateful criticism with comments such as “Bring back manly men” from Candace Owens, who was very outspoken about Style’s outfit choice. Although we do not see men in dresses everyday, the trend of men wearing dresses is definitely starting to become a common trend.
My question to you all is: How do you feel about men wearing dresses? Do you think we as a society will get to a point where we will think nothing of men wearing dresses or dressing feminine?
Wow, Zoe. This is a tough question. I have no doubt that YES--we will get to a point where people are so desensitized to virtually everything that we will not bat an eye at a man wearing a dress. Not sure if this time is coming soon, though. Give it a few generations.
ReplyDeleteAs for my thoughts on this--I'm torn. I truly could care less what people wear, and I will defend your right to wear ANYTHING as long as you are not hurting people, children, animals, etc. However, I also feel that some celebrities use provocative dress for reasons that aren't so beneficial to society. While a message about LGBTQ+ acceptance is super positive, simply wearing a dress to get a reaction reads as thirsty and unnecessarily provocative. So it's a case-by-case call for me.
In the year 2021, the aesthetic is still very jarring for most people. That's simply the way we have been raised and based on images we see in society, media, etc. So if my husband came home wearing a prairie dress like HS above, I wouldn't be feeling it :)
Still, it's just clothing. Who cares? Let people live... :)
I honestly think it's funny this is a debate in todays world. Dresses where originally worm by men many years ago along with heels. History is just sort of repeating itself. The people who speak out and say "Bring back manly men" are in my opinion, very immature and have a weak sense of what being masculine really means. Sadly this isn't a new issue, artists such as Queen and Prince have been experimenting with "feminine" and "masculine" clothes for awhile and where met with similarly outdated opinions.
ReplyDeleteMy only problem with this debate coming in to public eye recently, is that the wrong people are getting credit for being ground breaking. Like I mention a lot of other artists have done this in the past, before Harry styles. It seems he is getting a lot of the credit for being daring enough to wear a dress. Although I do appreciate he is also going against gender norms. I may be biased but I've been a fan of K-pop for awhile and have heard so many people bash boy groups for "dressing to feminine" or not being "manly enough", so it's sort of bitter sweet to see so many people be so accepting just because a popular western artist is joining the "trend" Although I'm still happy society is becoming more open about challenging gender roles, and I'm glad young people can have good role models.
-Sara Smolock
- Also, I agree with everything Sara mentioned above me, I just don't want to re-state the same thing!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I think we've reached "that point" and the people who are mad about men wearing dresses are stuck in the past. Within just the last 20 years society has already progressed so much. For example, movies and tv shows that aired back in the early 2000s had tons of jokes and off putting racial, homophobic or misogynistic side comments that raise red flags to any normal person who'd re-watch them nowadays. I think the internet, millennials and Gen Z played a large role in how progressive the world is today! Although on the topic of men "not being manly" I think the people preaching this message carry a lot of internalized misogyny or are just plain insecure. I know it sounds harsh, but personally I believe men who aren't afraid to dress feminine come across as more manly to me. I think its due in part to the fact that they are often more confident in themselves and don't care what other think. On the other hand I get that its not everyone's preference, although people who go out of there way to be hateful or mock/bully other people saying their not manly for wearing things considered more feminine are the ones who are truly weak.
Your topic reminded me of the psychologist Carl Jung's philosophy. He believes that men have an anima, which is an unconscious feminine side and that women have an animus, an unconscious masculine side. (which I think is really interesting!)
- Emily Smolock
DeleteI think people should expresses themselves however they want to, and it shouldn't matter what anyone's opinion is. I also don't think we'll never get to a place where society will think nothing of men wearing dresses because people will always have their opinion and will find a way to criticize anyone for anything. If Harry Styles wants to wear a dress and express himself then let him, who is anyone to tell him how to express himself?. I think it's our role to try educate and be more understanding of people expressing themselves.
ReplyDeleteMen wearing dresses and skirts, which have long been considered women's clothes in the eyes of society, are becoming increasingly fashionable nowadays on the streets, runways, and even the red carpet. However, it is not universally accepted. Some believe it is inappropriate for a male to wear a skirt or dress because it defies gender stereotypes. Men should be permitted to alter gender norms and express themselves via clothing, much as women did when pants became fashionable in the mid-twentieth century. Why, if women were able to effectively rewrite gender standards back then, why can't males do the same today? They certainly can, and they do. Guys in skirts and dresses have been increasingly popular in recent years, with men from all walks of life wearing them which is inclusive to popular celebrities.
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