Harry Styles made waves recently after his Dec. 2020 cover shoot for Vogue dropped. The pop star was photographed wearing a Gucci dress for the fashion magazine, and while many people championed his gender-fluid wardrobe, others were quick to criticize the singer's choice of outfit. Styles has remained quiet for weeks, but now, it seems he's done staying mum. On Dec. 2, Styles subtly clapped back at his Vogue critics with a cheeky Instagram post. Read on for the star's response, and for celebrities who are known for their comebacks, find out why Chrissy Teigen Says She Won't "Clap Back" on Social Media Anymore.
One of Styles' biggest critics was Candace Owens, a conservative author and commentator. In a series of tweets on Nov. 14 after the Vogue photos were released, Owens said that Styles' outfit was part of "the steady feminization of our men."
"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. It is an outright attack," Owens tweeted in response to Vogue's reveal of Styles' cover. "Bring back manly men," she concluded.
Now, two weeks later, Styles has posted a photo of himself on Instagram wearing a powder-blue suit with a ruffled shirt, as he eats a banana. He seemed to throw Owens' words back at her, captioning the image: "Bring back manly men."
Though Styles didn't directly reference the criticism in his post, many of his followers saw the photo as a clear clap back. One user commented "checkmate," while another said, "Imagine having Harry Styles [call] you out on his social media for your ignorance."
In his Vogue interview, Styles opened up about his love for fashion, which stemmed from his childhood. "As a kid, I definitely liked fancy dress," he said. "I was really young, and I wore tights for [a school play]. I remember it was crazy to me that I was wearing a pair of tights. And that was maybe where it all kicked off."
The singer also credited stylist Harry Lambert for his updated style. "He just has fun with clothing, and that’s kind of where I’ve got it from. He doesn’t take it too seriously, which means I don’t take it too seriously," Styles said about Lambert.
"Now I’ll put on something that feels really flamboyant, and I don’t feel crazy wearing it," the pop star explained. "I think if you get something that you feel amazing in, it’s like a superhero outfit. Clothes are there to have fun with and experiment with and play with. What’s really exciting is that all of these lines are just kind of crumbling away. When you take away 'There’s clothes for men and there’s clothes for women,' once you remove any barriers, obviously you open up the arena in which you can play."
Of course, for as much criticism as Styles has received, he has also earned a lot of praise from fellow celebrities. For stars who have defended Styles, read on, and for more recent celebrity news, check out Elliot Page's Wife Shows Support After the Actor Comes Out as Transgender.
Read the original article on Best Life.
1 | Elijah Wood
ShutterstockActor Elijah Woodresponded directly to Owens' tweet. "I think you've missed the definition of what a man is," the Lord of the Rings actor replied. "Masculinity alone does not make a man." And for more recent celeb social media news, check out "Stranger Things" Star Shares Heartbreaking Video, Deletes Social Media.
2 | Zach Braff
Zach Braffshared the photo of Styles' cover on his own Twitter account with words of encouragement. "Our whole lives boys and men are told we need to be manly," Braff explained. "Life is short. Be whatever the f*** you want to be." And for more Twitter news, find out why Chrissy Teigen Is Prepared to Be Mom-Shamed For Her Latest Tweets.
3 | Jameela Jamil
ShutterstockJameela Jamiloffered quite the rebuttal to critics who said Styles wasn't "manly" for wearing a dress. The Good Place actor tweeted: "Harry Styles in plenty manly, because manly is whatever you want it to be." She also tweeted a photo of Nicholas Houltdressed in period costume for the film The Favourite, explaining that "wigs, makeup, tights, [and] frills" used to be considered "very manly" at one time in history. And for more up-to-date celebrity news delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
4 | Olivia Wilde
ShutterstockLike Elijah Wood, actor Olivia Wilderesponded directly to Owens' tweet. She only had two words for the critic: "You're pathetic." And for more ideas about gender expression and sexuality that we should leave behind, check out 11 Stereotypes People Should Stop Believing About the LGBTQ Community.
