Mark Bryan, a robotics engineer who has been married for 11 years and has a daughter, is an American living in Germany. Identifying as straight, Bryan chooses to dress unconventionally, often wearing a skirt and heels to work or out and about. He challenges the notion that fashion should be gendered, believing that men’s fashion choices, particularly for office wear, are too limited.

Bryan points out that men’s pants typically come in only a few colors—mostly black, gray, dark blue, and the occasional pinstripe—and have limited cuts. He advocates for men to have the same fashion freedoms as women, including the ability to wear skirts and dresses. He appreciates the variety of styles, patterns, and colors available in skirts, which contrasts sharply with the restricted options in men’s clothing.

Bryan enjoys blending traditional gender fashion by pairing masculine items on his top half, such as blazers and ties, with traditionally feminine items on his bottom half, like pencil skirts and four-inch heels.

Wearing high heels is second nature to Bryan. He first learned how to walk in them when his college girlfriend asked him to wear high heels while dancing so they could be at the same height. They kept this up for over a year.

Bryan doesn’t let stereotypes or societal assumptions dictate his style. He confidently challenges expectations and dresses in a way that brings him joy. Read on to learn more about Bryan’s unique fashion choices.

Bryan has a distinct sense of style. He shared with Bored Panda, “To me, clothes have no gender. I prefer skirts to dresses because dresses don’t allow me to mix genders. I like a ‘masculine’ look above the waist and a non-gendered look below the waist. It’s all about clothes having no gender.”

He added, “I’m old enough to remember when girls weren’t allowed to wear pants to school. Now, pants are considered non-gendered. So why can’t skirts and heels be non-gendered too? Besides, men wore heels before women did. Maybe not today’s stiletto-style heels, but historically, men did wear heels before women.”

Bryan is correct about the historical significance of high heels. Their origin dates back to at least the 10th century, although historians and archaeologists cannot pinpoint the exact time of their invention. Initially, high heels were not a fashion statement. The earliest recorded use of high heels was practical: the Persian cavalry wore boots with heels, known as kalash or galesh, to help keep their feet secure in their stirrups. This is also why cowboy boots have small heels.

Owning a horse symbolized wealth, so only affluent men could afford to wear these high-heeled boots. Gradually, their use spread across Europe, and high heels became a fashion symbol for wealthy noblemen and traders. In fact, after the Great Schism of the Christian Church in the 11th century, even the pope wore high heels.

Fashion trends began to shift several hundred years later. During the 18th century, Europe saw cultural debates about the distinctions between male and female attire. This period marked the emergence of the belief that fashion was effeminate and frivolous, something that “real men” should not concern themselves with. As a result of these changing perceptions, men largely abandoned high heels, viewing them as impractical and mere accessories.

Bryan is a prime example of how high-heels are gradually being accepted as a form of footwear for men. Although he advocates for men wearing high-heeled shoes, he acknowledges that many people might do a double-take when they see him. He likens his fashion choices to those of someone who dyes their hair bright colors. He explained:

“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 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.”

Bryan doesn’t struggle to find skirts and heels that fit him. He wears a size 8 in skirts, and with smaller feet for a man, his shoe size in heels is 8.5. If you know a man considering trying out heels and skirts, Bryan suggests starting with a lower heel until they feel more comfortable walking in high heels.

What do you think of Mark Bryan’s style choices? Do you know any men who would try walking in high heels? Let us know, and be sure to share this with your friends and family.