Celebrity1 min(s) read
Published 17:29 23 Nov 2020 GMT
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has defended Harry Styles on Instagram for wearing a dress on the cover of Vogue.
This was a historic moment in the magazine's history as Styles became the first non-woman to grace the magazine's cover, let alone challenge gender norms in this way.
While Styles' dress was slammed by conservatives including Ben Shapiro, who called "a referendum on masculinity for men to don floofy dresses", Ocasio-Cortez said that it looked "wonderful" during an Instagram Q&A.
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"The masculine and feminine elements are balanced beautifully," she shared. "The hair and jacket styling give me James Dean vibes too."
"Some people are mad at it [because] some folks are very sensitive to examining and exploring gender roles in society,” she continued in a caption. "Perhaps for some people it provokes some anger or insecurity around masculinity/femininity/etc. If it does, then maybe that’s part of the point. Sit with that reaction and think about it, examine it, explore it, engage it and grow with it."
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"What's the point of creating things if they don’t make people think?" the congresswoman wrote. "Or feel or reflect? Especially as an artist or creative? Who wants to see the same things all the time? And never explore their assumptions?
"Anyway, it looks bomb," she concluded.
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Ocasio-Cortez later acknowledged the "thorough and nuanced" pointd made by the gender-nonconforming writer and performance artist Alok Vaid-Menon, who pointed out on Instagram that a transgender woman of color might not be celebrated in the way that Styles, a white cisgender man, is.
As well as discussing Styles' Vogue fashion choices, Ocasio-Cortez's also used the Q&A session to share some of her own fashion tips.
She explained: "When I buy new clothes I make sure they are things I really enjoy, can be used often and that will last. When starting out, I personally built out a foundation of neutral and classic colors that could be easily mixed and matched. Then you can have a little fun," she said of a mint green suit.
"The textile industry (clothing, etc.) is a MASSIVE source of environmental waste, pollution, labor exploitation, etc.," the Green New Deal co-sponsor continued. "But that means it's also a HUGE area where we can make a positive difference.
"I try to avoid fast fashion as much as possible, buy secondhand/longer-lasting quality and just make sure that when I do purchase something, it's because I LOVE it, not just kinda like it."
