Harry Styles’ mother has shared how proud she is of her son for wearing a dress on the cover of US Vogue, following criticism from people who accused him of attacking masculinity.
Earlier this week, the former One Direction star was targeted by conservative commentators in the US for wearing a blue lace Gucci ballgown as he became the first man to appear solo on the cover of the fashion magazine.
On Tuesday, Styles’ mother, Anne Twist, made an appearance on ITV’s Lorraine show, during which she admitted she may have played a part in the singer’s decision to wear a dress and took the opportunity to defend him against the trolls.
“I think maybe I had something to do with it,” Twist said.
“I was always a big fan of doing fancy dress with them when they were smaller, which [Harry’s sister] Gemma always hated but Harry always embraced.”
She continued: “But who doesn’t love playing dress-up?”
Twist’s comments come after US political commentator Candace Owens kickstarted a debate about masculinity on Twitter by accusing Styles of endangering “manly men” for deciding to pose in a dress for the photoshoot.
“There is no society that can survive without strong men. The East knows this. In the west, the steady feminisation of our men at the same time that Marxism is being taught to our children is not a coincidence,” she wrote on Twitter. “It is an outright attack. Bring back manly men.”
Fellow Republican supporter Ben Shapiro also commented: “Pretending that men dressing like women does not feminise men is ridiculous, particularly coming from the same people who are celebrating Styles BECAUSE he is feminising masculinity.
“The Left knows this, of course. The POINT of Styles doing this photo shoot is to feminise masculinity. Otherwise why would it be headline-worthy for Styles to don a dress?”
Following the backlash, a number of celebrities spoke out in support of Styles, including Lord of the Rings actor Elijah Wood, who wrote on Twitter: “I think you've missed the definition of what a man is. masculinity alone does not make a man. In fact it’s got nothing to do with it”.
Olivia Wilde – who is currently directing Styles in upcoming movie Don’t Worry Darling – also joined the debate, calling Owens’ comments “pathetic”.
“I hope that this brand of confidence as a male that Harry has – truly devoid of any traces of toxic masculinity – is indicative of his generation and therefore the future of the world,” she wrote.
In the accompanying interview for US Vogue, Styles said there is “no such thing” as being overdressed.
“I'll put on something that feels really flamboyant, and I don't feel crazy wearing it,” he said.
“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.”
You can read more from Styles’ interview with US Vogue here.
