Meet Mark Bryan, a robotics engineer with a flair for fashion who’s turning heads and flipping norms on their axis. Married for 11 years and a devoted father, Bryan shatters stereotypes by wearing what many consider unconventional attire. Living in Germany but hailing from the USA, Bryan unabashedly dons skirts and heels, asserting that fashion should be free from gender constraints.
Why, you ask? Well, Bryan finds men’s fashion, especially office wear, dreadfully monotonous – limited to blacks, grays, dark blues, and the occasional pinstripe. Where’s the zest in that? Skirts, on the other hand, offer a kaleidoscope of styles, patterns, and colors — a cornucopia of fashion possibilities!
Embracing a fashion style that merges traditionally masculine and feminine elements, Bryan pairs blazers and ties with pencil skirts and four-inch heels. It’s his way of showcasing that clothes have no gender. Plus, he learned to walk in heels back in college when his girlfriend needed a dance partner who could match her eye level. A year of practice, and he’s been strutting confidently ever since!
Bryan’s unapologetic approach ignores societal stereotypes. He challenges norms while dressing in ways that make him happy. Here’s what he has to say about it:
“To me, clothes have no gender. I prefer skirts to dresses. Dresses don’t allow me to mix the genders. I prefer a ‘masculine’ look above the waist and a non-gendered look below the waist. It’s all about clothes having no gender.”
Bryan remembers a time when it was taboo for girls to wear pants to school. Now pants are unisex. So why not skirts and heels? And historically, men have worn heels before – high heels date back to the 10th century Persian cavalry who sported kalash or galesh boots to secure their feet in stirrups. Later, high heels became a luxury symbol for European nobility, even worn by popes!
By the 18th century, absurd cultural concerns dictated that fashion was a frivolous concern unworthy of “real men,” leading to a gender divide in clothing that Bryan is now subverting.
Despite championing high heels for men, Bryan acknowledges that his style choices may draw double-takes. But he equates the reaction to seeing someone with bright green hair — it’s unusual at first but then it’s just another aspect of that person.
“Take a person with bright green hair. Green hair is not normal. You look up and see this person, your mind tells you it’s a person with green hair, you think to yourself, that’s odd or interesting, then you go back to do what you were doing and don’t give it another thought. I believe this is the same when people see me in a skirt and heels.”
Finding skirts and heels that fit isn’t a struggle for Bryan. With a size 8 skirt and size 8.5 feet, he has plenty of options. His advice for men attempting to venture into heels is to start low before working your way up for comfort.
So, what do you think of Mark Bryan’s sartorial choices? Do you know a man who’d try high heels? Share this with friends and family and let’s get the conversation started!
