Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Slams Criticism Over Harry Styles's Vogue Cover Gown, Says It Looks "Bomb"

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is praising Harry Styles for breaking down the barriers of gender norms in fashion with his history-making Vogue cover. In the magazine's latest issue, the "Watermelon Sugar" singer wore a lace Gucci gown underneath a navy blazer — an outfit that has drawn criticism from right-wing political commentators, including Candace Owens and Ben Shapario, who called the star's ensemble an attack on "manly men."

AOC, for her part, is rebuking those claims, defending Styles's decision to wear a dress. When Ocasio-Cortez was asked what she thought about the editorial spread during an Instagram Q&A on Saturday, she described the photoshoot as "bomb" and revealed Harry gave her major "James Dean vibes."

She went on to explain why others might not agree with her perspective. "Some people are mad at it because some folks are very sensitive to examining and exploring gender roles in society. Perhaps for some people it provokes some anger or insecurity around masculinity/femininity/etc. If it does, then maybe that's part of the point. Sit with that reflection and think about it, examine it, explore it, engage with it, and grow with it."

"What's the point of creating things if they don't make people think? Or feel or reflect? Especially as an artist or creative?" she continued, adding: "Or feel or reflect? Especially as an artist or creative? Who wants to see the same things all the time? And never explore their assumptions?"

Her final thoughts on the matter? "It looks bomb," she concluded.

In his Vogue interview, Styles explained his view of fashion, telling the magazine: "Clothes are there to have fun with and experiment with and play with. What's really exciting is that all of these lines are just kind of crumbling away. When you take away 'There's clothes for men and there's clothes for women,' once you remove any barriers, obviously you open up the arena in which you can play."

He continued, "I'll go in shops sometimes, and I just find myself looking at the women's clothes thinking they're amazing. It's like anything — anytime you're putting barriers up in your own life, you're just limiting yourself. There's so much joy to be had in playing with clothes."