We have been socialized to wear appropriate gendered clothing in order to keep up with appearances, and anyone deviating from those expectations are typically regarded as unusual or weird.
But Mark Bryan, an American robotics engineer who lives in Germany, does not care what people think.
He refuses to live up to any stereotypes when it comes to his daily wardrobe choices.
According to Bored Panda, Bryan wears a skirt and heels to go to work, to go into town, and even for staying at home.
He exudes confidence and looks absolutely fabulous. Just observe these captivating photos that are featured on his Instagram page, where he has over 149.2K followers.
If Mark cared about labels, he would be "straight."
He has been happily married for 11 years and has a daughter. She and his wife are supportive of his personal style choices.
"My wife often makes suggestions on what I should wear. My daughter wishes she could borrow my shoes at times."
Bryan talked about the intention behind his attire that society perceives as fashion for women.
"I dress like this because I can. Just to be different. I have always admired the women that wore tight skirts and heels. Not sexually, but the power they presented."
"I don't dress to be sexual, but to dress like any professional woman would. 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."
And we're all about it.
When asked what inspired him to wear heels and skirts, he responded:
"All the fashion options. With men's pants, you have just a few color options: black, gray, navy, and brown, and no pants with prints. With skirts, you can add reds, green, brighter blues, floral prints, animal prints, etc."
"Same with shoes, but then you also have many more styles and heel types. Plus you can wear open-toed shoes when the weather is nice."
His natural gait while wearing heels is especially noticeable in this video clip.
So how different does it feel for Bryan to strut in heels and a skirt?
"I feel no different as to me, it's just clothes. Naturally, on a cold or windy day, it physically feels different. When wearing heels, I feel taller, but also empowered for some reason."
"In all, maybe having the inner strength to have the confidence to wear non-conforming clothing has also given me the confidence and strength to handle my pressures at work."
Finding the right size does not seem to be an issue for this part-time football coach.
"I am 6' tall and weigh around 165 lbs. I also have medium to small feet. I wear a size 8.5 US and 41 in Europe. I have a 29" waist so I wear a size 8 skirt in the US or a 38 in Europe. I also work out 2-3 times a week. So finding clothes my size is no problem."
"I buy most of my heels online so that I can try them at home. This way I can have some shoe time and try going up and down the stairs. Feel how much they slip, the stability when testing stilettos."
"I'll also wear them while sitting for half an hour or so. If they hurt right out of the box, then back in the box they go. So having a good comfortable shoe is important, but so is the style."
So what are his favorite kind of heels?
"My favorite is a 5-inch stiletto. I just love the way they make me look and the feeling they give. My least favorite thing is walking on uneven surfaces like a cobblestone walkway or a sidewalk with pavers that have gaps big enough to swallow a stiletto heel."
He described his typical style and also revealed what he does not prefer to wear.
"I wear almost exclusively pencil skirts and stiletto heels. I don't wear dresses as that is not my style, which is presenting as the man above the waist, with non-gendered clothing below the waist."
"I prefer my skirts at the knee plus or minus an inch or two. My average heel height for a week is around 4 inches."
When out in public, Bryan said that women typically around the age of 30 – 40 compliment him, whereas men usually ask him questions about his look rather than dole out compliments.
"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."
For the gentlemen who are curious about trying out feminine fashion but are too afraid to ask, he offered the following advice:
"If you are asking about heels, then I would say to start with a low heel and work your way up as your confidence gets higher. You cannot be afraid."
"Some people are like animals, they attack the weak. Show confidence and show the world you are not afraid and nobody will bother you. The only fear you have is fear itself."
"Skirts? Just do it. Maybe not with high heels, but skirts are much more acceptable on a man than a man wearing heels."
Bryan said he got into wearing skirts and heels when an old girlfriend from college asked him to dance with her while wearing heels. He has not looked back since.
"We did this for more than a year. I got very good at walking and moving in heels. Throughout the years, I have worn heels off and on, but not with skirts."
"I just started wearing heels with skirts in the last 5 years. It was suggested that I would look a lot better in a skirt and heels than pants and heels."
After looking through the brilliant pictures on his Instagram page, there is no denying the look suits him well.
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