Post Malone was on the cover of Billboard magazine recently wearing a real statement piece for a rapper – a dress.
The article itself centered on the musician’s pseudo-break with music and how he spent the pandemic in his “mountain hideaway,” not even mentioning the dress he wore in several of the photos at the beyond the credit of her stylist, Catherine Hahn. And it’s actually quite amazing. It’s just a guy in a dress.
As usual, comments on the photos reposted on various social media accounts jumped between people who applauded him for breaking gender norms and people who complained that we needed to ‘bring back the manly men’. , as if the clothes were what defined it.
But the casual inclusion of an outfit usually considered feminine, without the artist or publication making much of it, could signal exciting progress. Gay men wearing women’s clothing in the public eye is a bold statement, a reminder that outliers will not be silenced by a heteronormative cisgender society. Straight men (or presumed straight men) doing the same are often hailed as an equally bold break from the norm.
But Post Malone just wearing a dress to wear a dress without a ton of fanfare behind it kind of brings us back to normal.
Of course, this isn’t the first time the “Rockstar” singer has donned a dress for a special occasion. In 2020, he paid homage to Kurt Cobain’s iconic look at a fundraiser, and later posted a photo in a different dress on Instagram just to say he looked cute.
Seeing someone explore fashion as a way to feel comfortable with yourself, regardless of the stereotypes or stigma attached to specific styles, is always inspiring. But the more people like Post Malone choose to keep doing it, going against the grain without it seeming huge, the more specific looks will become less daringly inspiring and more… normal. And that’s not a bad thing.