THE IMPORTANT CASE FOR 70S GLAM (FOR MEN!)

I look back on some of the most memorable moments in recent months for men’s fashion: Harry Styles in his perfectly tailored, pastel flared pantsuits, Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury in the Golden Globe winning “Bohemian Rhapsody” and the quick release of the trailer for a biopic starring a young Elton John. In my best Carrie Bradshaw voice, I couldn’t help but wonder: are we taking lessons from the past and bringing androgyny into the future?

All of the men I just mentioned have experienced serious past and present fame, and the admiration for these public figures and their unique aesthetics seems to only be growing, reiterating a new kind of public acknowledgment of the timeless style of 1970s and 80s rock. The common thread? Embracing androgyny.

Harry Styles is no stranger to fame. Fully growing up in the spotlight due to early One Direction fame, there still seems to be a significant difference between the perception of “1D Harry” and the new-and-improved solo Harry Styles. During the early promotional stages of his first solo album, he walked out onto the Today Show stage in a pink suit that genuinely knocked the wind out of me. The statement pieces go beyond just aesthetics. The ease in which Harry can sport a flared pant, pastel colors, ruffles, or anything else all reiterates his comfort with his own masculinity. As toxic, hyper-masculinity becomes more widely recognized as problematic, embracing the feminine is the new masculine.

Roger Taylor is known as an iconic player in the 1970s and 80s glam rocker canon due to him being the drummer for iconic band Queen. In response of the recent release of the film Bohemian Rhapsody, I have seen and heard countless women talk about how attractive they thought Ben Hardy was in his depiction of an androgynous Roger Taylor, especially in the iconic drag scenes within the music video for “I want to break free".” Now, maybe some of these women just have a thing for long hair or eyelashes, but there seems to be something deeper occurring. The essence of the entire look, both in and outside of the music video, project a level of carelessness and confidence that is alluring. If you spend five minutes on Ben Hardy’s Twitter, you’ll see countless girls pleading for him to just grow his hair out already.

The one, the only, Mr. Mercury may be the defining figure in this entire movement. Rami Malek had large shoes (or, platform boots) to fill in depicting the epitome of the blend between masculine and feminine— the amalgam that is 1970s glam. In the film Bohemian Rhapsody, Freddie (Rami) and his love interest Mary (actress Lucy Boynton) are seen staring in the mirror at Mercury in women’s clothing; something they both believe shouldn’t matter at all. The larger message of rejecting conformity and finding personal style provides Freddie Mercury with ultimate icon status.

This photo was sent to me by a friend after she found out I was writing this article. Pictured is Ross Lynch, a man every girl under 20 has grown up watching on the Disney Channel. A few weeks ago, this photo was posted, and Generation Z internet proceeded to lose their minds. Why, you still ask? It’s new, it’s unexpected, it’s glam, and it admits a level of confidence that is infectious. It was the ultimate transition from Disney Channel star to a man leaning into the glam rocker persona— acknowledging the nuances in which you can express your own comfort with your masculinity.