Brad Pitt’s Skirt Moment, Is The World Ready For Gender Fluid Attire!

I can’t imagine a skirt on any other man other than Brad Pitt. The superstar wore a knee-length skirt to the Berlin premiere of his latest film Bullet Train recently, and the world can’t stop talking about it. A few interesting things have been said about it, and here we discuss some.

So, first things first, when asked about why he chose to wear the attire, Pitt gave a succinct response to the reporter, saying, “The breeze.” An individual dresses sometimes based on a theme, and some may dress as per the whether conditions. Pitt chose the latter as a severe heat wave swept across Europe during his Bullet Train press tour. He chose what he felt comfortable in.

The star made quite the fashion statement in the brown ensemble which featured a half-buttoned shirt, a grouping of statement necklaces and motorcycle boots, which exposed his surprising collection of leg tattoos.

Ask Indian men, especially in the southern and eastern part of the country who during the whole summer months prefer a lungi (mostly double folded which looks like a skirt) or a dhoti. Garments which keep the airflow going. So, there’s nothing wrong when Pitt chose to wear something that kept him cool?

Among the many points of discussion, it was said that the last taboo of masculinity has been broken down, at least on the outside. Because like women, men too face a lot of social pressure to look a certain way, there are quite a few things in terms of colour and cut and type of clothes that men are discouraged to wear. We don’t hear them often but when something like this comes up the debate picks up.

What he wore was termed a skirt-suit. It’s not the first time that men wore something similar. In ancient Greece, men wore skirts, in Scotland, men wear kilts even today. Also, it was not the first time that Pitt made headlines for wearing a woman’s attire (yes according to gender stereotype), in 1999 for the cover of Rolling Stone he wore mini sequins and glittery dresses and paired them with shiny silver shoes.

On this promotion tour, Pitt has been sporting an array of eye-catching ensembles all week, including a slouchy coordinated green linen set and a monochromatic orange look. All of which come under his comment on his dressing - “If I have a style, it’s no style.” But let me tell you all he chooses to wear are fashion statements from him for sure.

Pitt in his choice of attire doesn’t look ‘feminised’ or the perception that it appears as if masculinity is losing its power in a certain way as some claim, in fact, it is very much a reflection of his masculinity. I would go on to say that he’s so comfortable and confident in his masculinity that what he wears doesn’t dent it. In the same way, when women wear trousers and denim they don’t lose their femininity.

Whatever anyone may say, we have our own disrupter! So, who do you think from Bollywood would rock a skirt like Pitt, I think Ranveer Singh would don’t you agree? Ranveer has already shocked everyone when he wore a pleated skirt with a bandhgala while promoting his film, Bajirao Mastani. Another time Ranveer wore a skirt at an award show. Also, his recent nude photo shoot says so much about him being comfortable in his skin.

Harry Styles and Ranveer Singh

Men wearing skirts is not a new trend and is commonplace in many cultures and is often featured on red carpets around the globe. Lil Nas X does it often, Billy Porter had his stunning tuxed gown moment, Oscar Isaac and Pete Davidson both wore skirts to the Met Gala, and who doesn’t know that Harry Styles loves a good skirt. The thing is Pitt has been trying to make male skirts a thing for at least 18 years. In 2004, while promoting Troy, he proclaimed that men would be “wearing skirts next summer”. “That's my prediction and proclamation.”

I hope his prediction comes true because fashion or attire should be gender neutral. When men will be comfortable wearing what Pitt chose to wear only then will talk of women wearing trousers (a man’s piece of clothing as society perceives) will be normalised (at least in a conservative society like India).

And I also hope Brad Pitt and Ranveer Singh go on to shatter more stereotypes!

The views expressed are the author's own.