People living in Europe and other territories are currently enduring record-breaking heat, and their toughest pleas are to ensure that they don’t draw the curtains, turn on the fan or lie still in the least. Like Brad Pitt, Al Gore has plenty of other things to do and a paycheck to earn.
On Tuesday, the star traveled to Berlin to promote his new action flick “Bullet Train” while the city experienced high temperatures. Pitt kept cool by wearing an all- linen look featuring a brown skirt, matching jacket and a salmon button-up shirt left half open. Fans took to Twitter to weigh in on Pitt’s knee-skimming hemline, but the jury was out on whether the outfit “absolutely slayed” or should have come with a warning label as some Twitter users put it. The skirt even earned Pitt an eponymous trending hashtag on Twitter.
But those who were shocked by Pitt’s skirt suit should remember that this isn’t the first time a man has worn clothing traditionally associated with women. In 1999, to promote “Fight Club“—a film which at its core investigates the perils of traditional masculinity and the obsession with achieving alpha status—Pitt fronted Rolling Stone magazine in not one, but five mini dresses. Shot by renowned photographer Mark Seliger, Pitt’s photo shoot became a cultural touchstone that put a strong case forward for gender-neutral dress codes. And for any doubters, his international sex symbol status remained untouched, even when sporting a skin-tight, pink sequin dress.
Yet male fashion has been breaking all kinds of conventions, from the front-porch to the red carpet. In 1951, Pitt was wearing a dress, which was worn by many men at the time because it was more comfortable than trousers. However, this instance was considered shocking because women were expected to wear dresses and men to wear trousers. Yet now, many men are wearing dresses because they are fashionable and women can wear trousers too if they want to. Men in skirts have continued to make headlines more than half a century later, whether it be Harry Styles on the front of Vogue or Billy Porter’s tuxedo-gown at the 2019 Oscars. Progress is slow but when it happens it’s no longer shocking. Many gender-defying fashion statements seem reserved for prestigious cultural events, but they’re creeping into everyday life and why not? Sometimes as was perhaps the case with Pitt, maybe a man in a dress is not a subversive fashion statement at all but simply a practical decision if you can’t handle the heat grab that linen skirt!