Role model alert! Going into his Vogue shoot, Harry Styles knew that wearing a dress might ruffle some feathers — but he also knew it would help his legion of fans feel more confident in expressing themselves.
“Harry’s very pleased with how it all came out,” a source exclusively reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly. “He’s extremely proud of that Vogue shoot and has vowed to be himself and keep sharing his outlook on life for as long as he can.”
The Grammy nominee, 26, made headlines in November when he became the first solo male to appear on the cover of Vogue. For the photo shoot, he wore a Gucci ball gown, which conservator author Candace Owens criticized soon after the fashion bible unveiled its historic cover.
“There is no society that can survive without strong men,” Owens, 31, tweeted at the time, adding, “Bring back manly men.”
Styles fired back by quoting the political commentator in an Instagram post earlier this month. He also addressed her remarks during an interview with Variety, saying, “To not wear [something] because it’s females’ clothing, you shut out a whole world of great clothes. And I think what’s exciting about right now is you can wear what you like. It doesn’t have to be X or Y. Those lines are becoming more and more blurred.”
Looking back, the former One Direction member has no regrets about the Vogue shoot.
“He believes in himself. He’s following his gut and [is] very confident in making certain choices — even if they may raise eyebrows from time to time,” the source tells Us. “He wasn’t so much nervous about opening up about gender fluidity but definitely spent time preparing his comments because he knew he was speaking for a lot of people who might not get to voice those choices — either because they don’t have his platform or they’re too shy or sometimes scared.”
For more on Styles, watch the video above and pick up the new issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now!
Listen to Get Tressed With Us to get the latest beauty and style news!