On the Occasion of Harry Styles Turning 30 🥝🍒🍉🍌🍓🍋🍇🕺✨

Breaking down the eras + nicknames of our beloved British Fruit Witch and favorite Aquarian.

Hi hi hi my friends.

‘Tis a celebratory time over here at WHNHQ. I mean, aside from all the things that are making me cranky—a few of which we’ll surely discuss at our regularly scheduled Friday time.

But today we are celebrating the birthday of one of my absolute favorites: Mr. Harry Edward Styles, born on February 1, 1994¹. That means he’s now 30—and while I don’t appreciate being made to feel old in this manner, it is a joyous occasion nonetheless.

This TikTok² really gives a nice teaser of what is to come. I’ve had it saved in a folder on my desktop for soooooo long, waiting for the perfect time to use it. Yes, that’s a thing I do.

We’ve arrived at last.

But let’s talk big picture a bit first.

Within any fandom, there is a shorthand. This happens in sports, music, movies, TV, gaming, any hobby from gardening to stamp collecting, and all the things in between.

For me, the sense of community is one of the best things about being a fan. The vernacular is a huge part of that. It is not only a simple way of communicating, but a signal to others of your kind—often indicative of what level of fandom one exists on. I loooooooooove the energy of fan flirtation—after you meet someone new, feel each other out, and get giddy realizing you have a shared passion.

(This is also a reason I love to wear merch. I’m not one to chat it up in an airport, unless our interaction stems from one of us wearing something from one of my myriad fandoms.)

That’s not to say that one fandom level is better than another. I don’t believe in that. But it can point to an amount of investment…of your brain, your time, your sanity. I can tell pretty quickly how bonkers I can go with you and what might make you go dead-eyed (or question how it is you know me and whether that should change).

JK I don’t really give a shit if people think I’m nuts. But I don’t want the other person to get uncomfy or bored. I’m long-winded enough, as is.

Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t call out the difference between how society generally treats predominantly female-based fandom behaviors vs. male ones. I rattle off my 10 favorite looks from Live On Tour compared to my 10 favorite looks from Love On Tour or the deep lore behind any Taylor song and certain types roll their eyes, while simultaneously believing that their buddy who knows every single lottery pick from the past 25 years of NBA drafts is a badass smartie.

Anyway, if you self-identify as a Harrie, I’m going to assume you’re a certain sort of knowledgeable—though never that you’re as deranged as I am. Until I learn otherwise. It’s always so awesome to find a kindred spirit out there in the world.

That’s many of YOU! My Coven of Psychos! And if you’re not a Harrie, but a deep fan of something or someone else…you get it.

I have been meaning to do a post like this for ages and it has been requested by many, both Harries and curious normies alike. I did an informal poll of some hardcore WHN readers with varying levels of knowledge of/interest in the British man. I offered two story ideas for this birthday celebration and this was the clear winner.

But not to fear (because I’m sure you were really terrified), that other one will be coming in the future as well.

A hint…

In honor of our favorite naughty (and nice) singer with little brother energy from Holmes Chapel, I’m going to do my version of an explainer (with LOTS of photos) about the many monikers and eras (oft follicularly-adjacent) of a man whose wealth is built upon a not-small amount of my hard-earned dollars.

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Previously on WHN: 122 Things I’ll Miss About Love On Tour

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Some eras may get more explanation than others and I’m not going to necessarily go deep on EVERYTHING that happened in them. There really are not hard and fast rules around the labels—outside of some core ones, especially early on in his career. I think this will all make sense as we merrily roll along.

I hope my fellow fangirls are amused and that those who care to know more about the Harries will learn a little something. (And maybe recognize some of the Easter eggs that always find their way into my writing.) Think of it like an anthropological endeavor. A study of fandom.

Will this be my magnum opus or evidence at my commitment hearing? It’s a…fine line.

Let’s get into it.

(And if this is very much not your thing, I really, really get that and you can peace out guilt-free.)

Pre-Fame Harry

This really isn’t an official one, era-wise. But I wanted a place to drop some adorable childhood photos. What a ham and a charmer this one has always been. You’ll see the aforementioned little brother energy weave its way through his entire life.

As a big sister to an extremely beloved-by-many little brother, I do relate to Gemma (Harry’s sister) in this way. Mine just isn’t known by the entire world. I often think about something she wrote years ago in a lovely essay for Another Man³. If you haven’t read the piece, I def recommend. It never fails to make me do a lil choke sob, big sister-style, especially the kicker (which also happens to be a nickname we have for my brother, Nick):

“I stayed nearby so that when the call came and he was out of the competition, I could go and commiserate, take him home to Cheshire and school, and back to his normal life. None of us wanted him to fail but we never dreamed things would go the way they did. That call never came. He has just kept on winning and winning – maybe not The X Factor, but there’s no denying he’s golden. My baby brother never came home again. He grew up, and all of our memories became his origin story.”

What a little squish. He remains so to this day in lots of ways and that’s one of the reasons many love him so.

With his mom, Anne, and sis, Gemma. They’re a very hideous-looking family, as you can see

Fetus Harry

Now we enter our first official public era that begins with The X-Factor UK. The season that gave the world One Direction started airing in August 2010.

Now, many balk at the “fetus” title, but I think it’s hilarious and would never knock the OG Directioners who named these iconic periods.

If there was a WHN Ring of Honor, they would be in it. Those youths invented much of the internet-speak and behavior we all use today—a topic covered at length and academically in a fantastic book by Kaitlyn Tiffany called Everything I Need I Get From You: How Fangirls Created the Internet as We Know It.

Anyway, look at this adorable boy with his sweet curls and scarf and loving family cheering him on. “I work in a bakery” is definitely a quote you can throw out to a Harrie in the wild and they’ll know what you mean. As you can imagine, that bakery in Holmes Chapel has become quite the fan destination.

In case you don’t know, the boys—Harry, Niall, Zayn, Liam, and Louis—all auditioned separately and made it through to the bootcamp stage. Then the judges (huge shout-out to Nicole Scherzinger) made the call to put them into a group, instead of seeing them falter as soloists who they felt had star power, but maybe weren’t quite there there yet.

1D did not, in fact, win their season of the show. That would be a guy named Matt Carldle. They actually came in third.

But it didn’t matter, because they exploded pretty much from the jump after the sho—thanks in no small part to social media and a banger of a debut single in “What Makes You Beautiful”. (Honestly, if you don’t bop to that song, no matter who you are, I call bullshit.)

The world went awwwwwwwww for Harry, big time. (And the rest of the lads, too. Duh.) I would never claim that I was a Directioner then. I didn’t put in the work to earn that title. But I did really like them. I’ve always been an unashamed pop girlie—and Harry was my favorite.

Please do not call Benson or Stabler. I thought he was adorbs and most of my favorite songs feature a significant Harry part.

Had I been a tween or a teen in 2010, I might not have survived. Of course, every generation has moments and groups and stars and mania like this, but these kids were doing it all with not-yet-fully-formed frontal lobes mixed with the internet and YouTube and early social media.

If Luke Perry or Leo or Jared Leto (in character as Jordan Catalano) had been out here releasing video diaries on the regular, I would have lost my mind. As previously stated many times, I think there’s a good chance I would have been fanfic famous had Tumblr, Wattpad, Ao3 etc. been available.

I would have deadass loved hearing people talk about the new chapter from @brendasnecktie, not knowing it was me.

The current hairstyle of choice for so many teen boys is extremely low-flow shower head episode of Seinfeld-coded. They wish they could achieve the levels of swoop-meets-volume that was happening in early 1D, especially from Fetus H.

This boy was born to be a star. I mean, his given name is fucking Harry Styles.

But as one might expect of a 16-year-old thrust into the worldwide spotlight, there were a lot of times when you could see his confidence waver or that the critics and the haters visibly shook him. You just wanted to give him a sweet hug.

Fetus Harry gave us many iconic moments that have been referenced in this Substack endless times…like the shoulder move, “I’m tired and it’s winter!”, or “Get out of my kitchen”.

You’ll find those and many more in this lovely compilation vid.

I had to put in more of the cooking clip because I love it so much. He’s so GD endearing.

The feelings evoked by Fetus Harry for an, ahem, older fan were definitely of the protective variety. Very few things can get me riled up like the way Simon Cowell and Modest Management overworked those boys. Like many others, I dream of a tell-all that will likely never happen.

Sigh.

@cfreakrrytry not to say pookie challenge (i failed, proudly😝) #harrystyles #harrystylesedit #harrystylesedits #harrystylesvids #hslot #fetusharry #fetusharryedit

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Take Me Home Harry

This nods to One Direction’s second album, Take Me Home, which was released in November 2012.

For me, this is always giving micro-era and it’s one that I can easily skip as we’re moving toward the iconic turn that comes next. I don’t think I’m alone here.

When I say little brother energy, this is a perfect example of what I’m talking about.

We are evolving our hair and our sartorial style. As anyone this age does.

The teen zits. Honestly, a slay.

We are also doing some hat work.

While I’m not going to get into every rumored relationship H has had through the eras, you know I’m not leaving this one on the table. Yes, Haylor happened in the TMH/Frat Boy timeframe and I would just like to call out the line from “Style” that goes “take me hooooooooooooooooome.”

The famed Central Park date from December 2012.

Moving along…

Frat Boy Harry

Look at this man. Look at him. Imagine you were in the age range of this human in 2013 and the power he might have over you. Listen to the 1989 (TV)—especially the Vault—and see what it did to Taylor Alison Swift.

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Previously on WHN: Breaking Down 1989 (Taylor’s Version) + Bonus Haylor History Lessons

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This photo is very frequently cited as one that did a lot of damage across the fandom—in a “this feels like more than I can handle” way.

Frat Boy Harry is an icon and a legend. Remember that he likely would have been a college/uni guy at this point should he not have become famous. Imagine sitting next to him in a lecture?

FBH loves a snapback and not wearing a shirt. Or maybe if he does, it’s a jersey or a plaid. He is loving his jewelry. He has discovered the rock star within. He is getting tats. He is (allegedly) banging models and pop stars.

He is a fuckboi—”everyone wants him, that was my crime.”

Like, Jesus Christ, H…

A common fandom refrain is, “He had no business being 19 and looking like that.”

But he was still a (generally) nice boy—”in a world of boys, he’s a gentleman.” One might even decide it’s worth it to be called a “slut” to be with him.

Important PSA from the “children of divorce⁴” about “this menace to society”:

Again, even a menace can be babygirl. We are starting to see the hints of what will become the dichotomy that allows Harry to be both baby AND daddy.

But he’s also always been great with actual babies/kids. That is a whole sub-genre of photos that can unhinge even the strongest of soldiers. More to come on that front…

FBH is very relatable. We all knew this guy (and may still) in our own lives.

Also this:

FBH is still around in current Harry. H’s off-duty style is often very fratty. He loves a baseball hat, shorts, a hoodie, and a tube sock. It continues to boggle the mind when people don’t understand the difference between stage and editorial and red carpet looks vs. everyday bop around wear.

Succession merch is def FBH-coded.

There are 500000000 more FBH photos I could post, but they also slide right into our next moment.

Bandana Harry

I would say Bandana Harry is an extension of Frat Boy Harry and the name is quite self-explanatory. He was also really something to behold. This is when we can see that maybe the hair length isn’t going to stop anytime soon…

He’s just a teenage dirtbag, baby.

Yes, Harry is actually a Packers fan.

But he wore a lot of different jerseys in this period.

He usually gets the Mick comparisons, but it’s all a little Keith Richards. We also start seeing more Chelsea boots with the skinny jeans.

You’ll always be famous bandana boy. Thank you for your service.

Prince Hair Harry

Now, this is the era that tends to confuse my non-Harrie friends because of that other Prince Harry. Especially because of my obsessions with both. We’re talking circa 2014 here and the hair is GROWING…to such a length that people thought it resembled a full-on Disney prince.

It’s not a perfect correlation, but I think you understand the gist of PHH.

No matter the hair, he’s always a bit of a rascal who is so delightful nobody can stay mad at him. Bless.

It’s not my favorite era hair-wise, but there are really no skips. And it’s also why I knew we’d get excellent new moments as the buzzcut grows out.

Legit this is the full-length of what the man wore to Louis’ mom’s wedding. I love him so much. However, I’m glad this hat is no longer with us. Publicly anyway. He is a total rewear queen (bless) and I’m sure it’s in his closet somewhere.

Sidebar: A friend of mine who is not a Harrie somehow ended up in a sea of Larries on TikTok recently and I was like, “Courtney, you in danger girl.” Larries are a segment of the fandom that I avoid at all costs. They are of the belief that Harry and Louis have been in a relationship this entire time and were kept apart by management. My friend Lara has the perfect term for them: Boyband QAnon. It gets so dark and weird and invasive and aggressive and mean over in that realm. So yeah, I don’t think you want that in your algo.

PHH: I will see you in another life, when we are both cats.

Long Hair Harry (LHH)

He’s here. It’s Long Hair Harry.

LHH is a core pillar in much the way that Frat Boy is. He changed, ruined, and defined lives. To quote the 1989 (TV) vault once more⁵, Blondie sings, “You grew your hair long, you got new icons.” And there are indeed many more tattoos at this point. We love an “icon” wordplay.

Many pray for LHH’s return one day.

He is Dark Wattpad Harry⁶. You can foist your dirtiest fantasies upon him—and the internet sure does.

What a fucking fantastic head of hair he has.

This also marked the true beginning of the Gucci era that went all the way through the end of Love On Tour. I am sure he and Alessandro⁷ will be working closely together again once he lands somewhere—a topic of much debate in the fashion world.

The fandom is forever gagged by LHH and makes a million edits (to this day) to prove it. He had fucking attitude for dayssssssssss.

But he is also soft and smart. Obviously. Because he’s Harry.

I really enjoyed the hair tied up in a man bun and such—a precursor to Clippry who we’ll meet shortly.

Don’t even get me started on this portion of the Another Man cover shoots. I can’t talk about it. I know some of you understand. (This is the very shoot where he cut the hair off and the short hair is featured in images as well. All of the imagery is divine.)

Guys, when we saw the credit on THE COLLAR was “model’s own”….again, I can’t speak of it. At least not publicly.

When H cut his hair…um…it was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day for a lot of Harries. Maybe not Zayn’s leaving the band or the “hiatus” bad, but close.

May 6, 2016. A day that will live in infamy. (Ironically connected to the war that brought us that quote.)

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@harrystyles on Instagram: “Whoops. #Littleprincesstrust”

January 31, 2024

We later got to watch it go down in Harry Styles: Behind the Album, the doc about the creation of HS1. Of course, it looks oddly good before they even shape it. Or is that just because it’s giving that ‘90s boy bob that reminds me of high school? And of course he donated it to charity.

We also get the classic line, “Yeah, I was about to personify my hair and then I decided not to.” As well as some insight into why he might have felt like shaving it all off last fall, too.

Harry cutting his hair does not mean LHH disappeared for good. He lives on, like you might see a photo or a concert clip and go, “Oh LHH is here.”

It’s not just a hairstyle. It’s a vibe. A mood. A way of moving through the world.

I love Harries and their wacky creativity.

Dunkirk Harry

Harry obviously had some understandable psychological reasons for chopping the hair. Most girls get this on a cellular level. We’ve been there, bub.

But he also needed to do it for work because he was cast in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk. It’s a smaller part and he is quite good in it. (His best acting work to date for me.)

@antidoterryydunkirk harry is so 🛐 only he can look that good chewing literal bread #harrystyles #dunkirk #dunkirkrry #harrystylesedit #fyp #edit

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He also looks fucking fantastic and chews bread in a way that might make you feel things. “No thoughts, just the Dunkirk bread chew” is CORRECT.

It’s a whole corner on the internet.

@hoe4hstylesshe rlly chewed tf outta that bread tho #harrystyles #cashapp13plus #dunkirk #fyp #dunkirkharry #dontworrydarling

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Then we get the Dunkirk press tour with a bit of grow out. DELISH.

The double Harry moment of my dreams. Especially as things were back in 2017.

Now that we’ve started moving into eras by project, for the most part, there is again some blurring and mixing.

2017 also was the year of Harry’s debut solo album, Harry Styles, or HS1, as we like to call it. “Sign of the Times” was released as the lead single on April 7 with “Sweet Creature” coming next on May 2. The album dropped on May 12.

There was full promo, obvs. Magazines, late night shows, SNL, Today, a performance at the Troubadour with Stevie Nicks that I will absolutely think about on my deathbed because I didn’t get to witness it in person. He was establishing himself as HARRY STYLES and not Harry Styles of One Direction—and looked fucking incredible doing it.

(If you haven’t listened to HS1, please treat yourself. It has a lot of ‘70s rock and singer-songwriter influences and is absolutely gorgeous. Plus, you can see how he’s evolved as an artist and really come into his own sound by Harry’s House…while still carrying the influences of music he loves.)

This is one of my all-time favorite images. I love leaning. It’s the Gen X in me.

I watch these, like, once a week. I know I’m unwell and, honestly, I like it that way.

When I add “…in a cool way” to something (which I know I do A LOT…Easter egg for Harries and also just who I am!), it’s from Harry in this era. He also continues to use the phrasing. It’s really quite useful.

Live On Tour Harry

We sort of morph into the Live On Tour era from Dunkirk without a clear line of demarcation as the small venues lead to arenas and tour went on into 2018. The suits were SUITING and FITTING on this tour and I loved it all.

There was indeed kilt at one point.

Hi.

We’ll leave this era with the fan consensus best recording of a live performance of “Medicine”. Say “Medicine, St. Paul” to a Harrie and they’ll likely launch into a monologue about the song’s history and greatness. And be super psyched that you know about that night.

For the non-Harries, this is an unreleased track. So we’ve got no studio version properly available. He played it all the time during Live On Tour (along with some 1D, “The Chain”, another unreleased called “Anna”.) Now it’s become a whole thing as to whether or not you’ll get “Medicine”…basically if he wants to give it to us.

I happend to be at the very first show where he brought it back out during Love On Tour. October 31, 2021. My birthday. Harryween. MSG. Still in masks. It was basically my one wish and I got it—and promptly lost my mind. The building was shaking. And then he went straight into a cover of “Toxic” and I lost my mind some more. I had the pleasure of its company many more times during my 20-show HSLOT run. It never ever gets old.

It led me to make my very first TikTok. Yes, I was dressed as a version of Stevie Nicks.

@wehavenotesWhen the “Medicine” hits #harrystyles #hslot #harryweennight2 #harryween #medicine #medicineharrystyles #loveontour #msg #newyork

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Listen to the song and you’ll understand why it makes the fandom feral. This outfit goes hard, too.

Fine Line Harry

Fine Line is Harry’s second solo album and it dropped on December 13, 2019. On Taylor’s 30th birthday. When I say these two like to fuck with me at the same time, I’m not kidding.

We now enter the era of high-waist wide pants, with a side of suspenders that will carry through the first part of Love On Tour. And pink and blue, the album’s colors. We don’t get as much promo time as we deserved because of the GD pandemic…but we get some. And it was glorious. The hair is a bit grown out and the vibes were immaculate. Until we all had to stay home and tour was postponed.

The inside album art is the stuff of fandom legend as well.

Pilgrim Harry may be a one-off inside an era, but he is oft discussed…as you can imagine.

And then, of course, there’s this. Yeah. I know.

You can bury me with a few of these…like rehearsing for the Fine Line One Night Only at the Forum.

Stevie came out for that one too.

He also inducted her into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019 and gave a lovely speech.

They did “Stop Dragging My Heart Around”. It’s fab.

I, in fact, took a picture with this outfit at the V+A in London when I was there for his first solo Wembley shows in 2022. It was part of the wonderful and educational Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear exhibit.

But I digress.

Some other key moments from this time:

The JW Anderson cardigan he wore for soundcheck at Today. After it went viral with fans knitting their own, Jonathan Anderson (who also designs Loewe) released the pattern so fans could make it properly themselves, which was very cool of him. That’s not a thing that usually happens.

The pearls. And that tee he’s got on below.

Sidebar: The “Sledgehammer” cover they do during the Howard Stern interview is phenomenal. A hardcore favorite of Gary G’s, if that sways you. I count my dad as an influencer for sure.

We are really embracing our quirky, fluid style now and it’s been all gas, no brakes ever since. Many elements combined when he popped up to sing with Lizzo.

Please also bury me with the Gucci Cruise photos (hellllllo Italrry, who we’ll get to!) He once again performed with Stevie and I wasn’t there. You know who was in the audience? His current girlfriend, Taylor Russell…long before they’d meet and get together.

I love when he throws around casually riche energy.

We get the music video vibes too (think: Golden, Adore You, Falling, etc), though some must be filmed during the next era…

Quarantine Harry

A sharp turn for the world puts everyone on lockdown and an era sorta ends before its time. But H was still GIVING and we were TAKING.

When I tell you I barely survived the running in Italy photos. Anytime the Thighger—aka the tiger tat on his thigh—is out…all bets are off. See also: Hitties⁸, aka Harry’s Titties. He calls them that too. It’s FINE.

This general quarantine vibe will lead us to the next section of nicknames nicely.

Hello facial hair!

My favorite Quarantine Harry story involves his car breaking down and the feeding of a fish.

This is what the below note he wrote says:

“Theadora, my car broke down on your street and your dad’s friend kindly let me wait at your house with a cup of tea. I’m devastated that we missed each other. Looking forward to meeting you soon. Treat people with kindness. All my love, Harry. P.S. I fed the fish” and “Tell your dad to get in touch and I’ll see you at a show.”

PS I FED THE FISH. Stop it, you adorable monster. (This is 100% Pookie behavior. We’ll cover this one in a minute.)

You see, it turns out that young Theodora was actually a huge fan. AND THAT FISH WAS NAMED HARRY. I often think of her and how one recovers from not being home when this happened. I’m not sure you ever do.

Now, there are of course the Love On Tour (which has its own micro-eras) and Harry’s House moments following quarantine. But I feel the general public is much more well-versed in those as they just happened. He was more famous. I wrote about it all a lot here. And they’re named very clearly. But please raise your hand if you have questions.

There are some other monikers for Harry that are common in the fandom and often less-so elsewhere that I think might be fun for anyone who is interested. If you’re even still reading…Bueller? Bueller?

I swear I thought I was going to make this really short bits, but I had to go and over-explain everything as I’m wont to do. Also, I spiral down into the Harry photo and video abyss and go, “Oh well I have to put THAT one in…” and so on.

This final section is really gonna be (sorta) speed round though. Promise. And loads of videos and photos that you can digest—or not.

What’s In a Name?

You will see that some of these are present in many eras. They are not always beholden to time or space.

We have the standards:

• Harold: No, this is not in fact his proper name. He really is just Harry Edward Styles. Americans find this harder to buy than Brits.

• Hazza or Haz: V. common British-ism. I love it so.

• H: Everyone around Harry calls him H. He also uses it on Zooms. Sigh.

@esnystylesDILFRRY RISE #harrystyles #harries #fineline #harrystylesvids #dilfrry #fyp

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• Curly/the curly-haired one + the like: I hope this is self-explanatory.

And then we start to get more niche…

• Gary: As explained by Kid Harpoon at the Grammys.

I loved this for my own Gary, who had just received this tee from me for Christmas before those Grammys. How cute is my dad?!?

• Pookie: When he does shit like the below (or feeds a fish), there’s no other word that will do.

• Sue/Angel Sue: Harry and his longtime stylist Harry Lambert lovingly call each other Sue.

• Marcel: A famed Harry character from the 2013 music video for 1D’s “Best Song Ever”. He’s the dweeby marketing guy pitching ideas to the boys. It’s yet another term of endearment in the fandom. This song was on Harry’s pre-show playlist throughout Love On Tour and god I miss the feeling of dancing to it and knowing the show was about to start. I could also time my bar trips by that playlist.

The final category we’re diving into is a huge part of talking like a true Harry stan. Or understanding my own fucked up language, I suppose. You will find it all over social media—from posts to comments sections.

Basically, we can turn anything into a variation of H’s name by adding the “rry” to the end. Again, this is done with affection and I know you’ve heard me use these/read them here probably more often than you’d care to. Unless you’re in the Coven of Psychos, of course.

Below, some of my favs:

• Japanrry: Harry looooooooves Japan. He has talked about how important it is to his creative self and spent some time traveling alone there when starting to write Fine Line. We also know he wrote “Little Freak”⁹ with longtime collaborator Kid Harpoon while kicking it in a hotel room in Japan.

Harry’s House was, in part, inspired by Japanese musician Haruomi Hosono and his 1973 album, Hosono House. H also drunkenly sucked face with EmRata in Tokyo last March ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

In fact, just this week my favorite update account @HarryFlorals posted some unseens of Japanrry with Bell the Shiba from last year. (They came via a birthday post from Bell’s IG.) That pup is also part of Japannry lore and has been for years.

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Bell on Instagram: “Happy Birthday ハリーさん。
I miss you 😻”

February 1, 2024

This is an older shot of the two.

One of his Japanese besties brought us some birthday content already today.

• Italrry: This version of Harry is a different breed. Something happens to that man in Italy and I swear he gets even hotter. He spends a lot of his downtime at the home he owns there.

It’s also where he ended the almost-two year Love On Tour—and that was no accident. He gave a gorgeous speech in Italian first, and then English. The man jogging with his thighs on full display? Italrry. That mustachioed man with he wine? Italrry. Tan dude on a boat? Usually Italrry. The “Golden” video? Italrry. Even when he’s working there, it’s a Whole Situation™ that sends the fandom (read: me) into a blissful spiral. Productivity plummets.

(Fundamentally, I don’t love that he gets papped in these places. But I’m also part of the problem because I like to look at the photos. I try not to use them a ton here…today, I say the people must be educated. Forgive me, all the “rrys”. I have sinned.)

Did one of my BFFs give me that exact kerchief for Christmas a few years ago? YEP.

You. Are. Welcome.

@goldengirlyyySO HAPPY TO BE ITALIAN #harrystyles #fyp #blowthisup #viral #trending #harrystylesedit #italyrry #edit #italian #trending #CapCut

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• Golfrry: Harry has been a big golfer since the 1D days. If there’s a day off on tour, he’s golfing.

I do not golf. My dad tried to get me lessons when I was a teenager and I quit because I wasn’t instantly good¹⁰. That’s on me. But I’ve been told he has a not-terrible swing. It certainly looks fiiiiiiiiiine to me.

• Dadrry/DILFrry: Golfrry has big dad vibes, so he could also be Dadrry or DILFrry, but those aren’t always Golfrry, you know? Also, this is not to be confused with Daddy, though again there could be a Venn diagram of the two.

H adores a Golf Dad. Because he is one spiritually. It was a running bit during his MSG HSLOT shows.

@rosecoloredrrystraight up lying to their face 🤭 #harrystyles #fyp #foryou #hslot #loveontour #harry #lhh #phh #kids #dadrry

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This is a man who has always known how to old a baby.

The wee one in the studio with him (for HS1) is his goddaughter, Ruby Winston. You know her voice from the beginning of “As It Was” when she says “Come on Harry, we wanna say goodnight to you.”

Yep, he’s the kind of person whose godchildren regularly call him to say ni-ni. He has more than one and their names are tattooed on his body.

Cue the ovary implosion.

• Momrry: Sometimes H has big mom energy. You know it when you see it. He needs you to finish your chores, but is also the proudest of everything you do.

Harries never fail to get me cackling.

• Mustachrry: The provenance of this is obvious. The ‘stache is so hot. There is much crossover with other categories here as well¹¹.

• Drunkrry: He’s fun AF and would love a tequila, please. Neat. Especially at the Brits (basically the UK’s Grammys). Cuddlrry is a subset here. Stars! They’re just like us!

When Drunkrry meets Japanrry, they want that karaoke mic.

Britsrry + Drunkrry = Quality Content

• Cliprry: H and his lil clippy-clip have parted ways…for now. Much like Love On Tour, Cliprry is forever. We know Clippy the Clip will be back one day.

This is also extremely Momrry.

• Buzzry: People lost their shit over the recent buzzcut. They did so erroneously.

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In Praise of Hotties with Buzzcuts

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@wehavenotesTrust the process + the elder fangirls who have come before you. #harrystyles #harrystylesbuzzcut #bradpitt #davidbeckham #buzzcut #harries #baldrry #hairtok #2000s #genxtiktokers #genx #pleasing #genxharries #greenscreen #hs4 #hslot

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• Metrry: Sheer. Earring. Bow. Enough said.

With a side of Drunkrry:

The beauty of the “rry” names is that they are endless, so they’re not all here—and the list can grow forever. Unlimited unhinged behavior FTW!

Well, this whole situation is now about 30 years long, so I should probably stop myself and thank you all for coming on this journey…if you’re still here.

Thanks to Harry Styles for bringing so much joy into people’s lives. Like mine! There’s a lot of silliness in this post, but it stems from genuine affection for an artist whose music has absolutely changed my life and the lives of many others. So, too, has the energy he puts out into the world.

Happy Birthday, H. It’s pretty dope that you were born and decided to share your gifts.

Cheers to all the Harries I’ve met along the way—either online or IRL—who were also drawn to the songs and the vibes. You’ve made my life infinitely more interesting and fun and kind. And to all the normies in my life who accept me, unhinged/on brand/as is. Do you understand what I’m saying better now that you’ve read this thesis or are you more concerned than ever before?

There is no wrong answer. But seriously, thanks to you all for letting me be me…and finding it all at least moderately amusing enough that you keep coming back.

Being a part of this fandom makes me feel like I’m living inside the lyrics of “Treat People With Kindness”. For real.

Maybe we can
Find a place to feel good
And we can treat people with kindness
Find a place to feel good

I got a good feeling
I'm just takin' it all in
Floating up and dreamin'
Droppin' into the deep end

And if we're here long enough
They'll sing a song for us (ah-ah-ah-ah)
And we'll belong

Maybe we can
Find a place to feel good
And we can treat people with kindness
Find a place to feel good

Giving second chances
I don't need all the answers
Feeling good in my skin
I just keep on dancin'

And if we're here long enough
We'll see it's all for us
And we'll belong

Never let anyone tell you your fandom (of whatever or whoever you’re a fan of!) is trivial. It’s just not. You know, as long as it’s not something evil and harmful. Talk your talk, no matter how ridiculous it sounds.

And if you think you’re teetering on the edge of sanity, just remember that a woman in her 40s did an almost 7000-word deep dive explainer on the names fans call Harry Styles. In celebration of his 30th birthday.

Normal is sorta boring anyway. But, Jeff Azoff¹², if you see this for some reason, you do not need to add me to a watchlist or send your dad after me. I am hinged in all the ways one needs to be.

See you all on Friday (uh, tomorrow) when we will talk about many other things. I swear.

TPWK. Kissy.

xA

1. We don’t need to talk about what I was doing in February 1994.

2. I download a lot of these videos when I can so that you don’t have to go onto the app if you don’t want to/don’t even have TikTok. But let me know if it’s easier for you to see them if the TikTok itself is embedded. Sometimes that’s the only option because a creator can disable downloads or shares to IG etc. I’m open to any and all suggestions!

3. God what a fucking dream that shoot was. Jesus. Talk about a cultural reset.

4. What those of us who are stans of both Harry and Taylor call ourselves.

5. This banger is “Now That We Don’t Talk”.

6. In these AU (alternate universe) fics, you might encounter Harry Styles the mob boss or career criminal with a heart of gold and kinky proclivities, etc. He was probably hurt as a youth and thusly needs his heart opened up in a new way. I realize that it is insane for me to know all of this information...and admit it.

7. Alessandro Michele is the former designer for Gucci and a major collaborator/dear friend of Harry’s. Gucci did all the outfits for Love On Tour and H + A designed a capsule for Gucci called Ha Ha Ha. We are all anxiously awaiting Alessandro’s next move, be it his own label or landing at another design house.

8. Yes, he does actually have four nipples. He has spoken about this publicly multiple times so please don’t think that was a discovery I made all on my own by analyzing photographs.

9. The song eventually ended up on Harry’s House, not Fine Line.

10. A huge problem with anyone from our generation who was classified as gifted growing up. That’s an essay for another day.

11. Tia and I were lamenting how in our old lives as print editors, there would have been an amazing graphic of all the interlocking name categories.

12. Harry’s manager and one of his best friends. His dad is Irv Azoff, who has been one of the most powerful (and ornery) men in music for DECADES.