On the Occasion of Harry Styles Turning 30 ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐บโจ
Breaking down the eras + nicknames of our beloved British Fruit Witch and favorite Aquarian.
Hi hi hi my friends.
โTis a celebratory time over here at WHNHQ. I mean, aside from all the things that are making me crankyโa few of which weโll 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 heโs now 30โand while I donโt 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. Iโve had it saved in a folder on my desktop for soooooo long, waiting for the perfect time to use it. Yes, thatโs a thing I do.
Weโve arrived at last.
But letโs 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 kindโoften indicative of what level of fandom one exists on. I loooooooooove the energy of fan flirtationโafter 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. Iโm 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.)
Thatโs not to say that one fandom level is better than another. I donโt believe in that. But it can point to an amount of investmentโฆof 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 donโt really give a shit if people think Iโm nuts. But I donโt want the other person to get uncomfy or bored. Iโm long-winded enough, as is.
Of course, Iโd be remiss if I didnโt 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, Iโm going to assume youโre a certain sort of knowledgeableโthough never that youโre as deranged as I am. Until I learn otherwise. Itโs always so awesome to find a kindred spirit out there in the world.
Thatโs many of YOU! My Coven of Psychos! And if youโre not a Harrie, but a deep fan of something or someone elseโฆyou 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 Iโm sure you were really terrified), that other one will be coming in the future as well.
A hintโฆ
In honor of our favorite naughty (and nice) singer with little brother energy from Holmes Chapel, Iโm 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.
Previously on WHN: 122 Things Iโll Miss About Love On Tour
Some eras may get more explanation than others and Iโm not going to necessarily go deep on EVERYTHING that happened in them. There really are not hard and fast rules around the labelsโoutside 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? Itโs aโฆfine line.
Letโs 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 isnโt 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. Youโll 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 (Harryโs sister) in this way. Mine just isnโt known by the entire world. I often think about something she wrote years ago in a lovely essay for Another Man3. If you havenโt 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):
โI 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 โ maybe not The X Factor, but thereโs no denying heโs golden. My baby brother never came home again. He grew up, and all of our memories became his origin story.โ
What a little squish. He remains so to this day in lots of ways and thatโs one of the reasons many love him so.
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 โfetusโ title, but I think itโs 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 todayโa 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. โI work in a bakeryโ is definitely a quote you can throw out to a Harrie in the wild and theyโll know what you mean. As you can imagine, that bakery in Holmes Chapel has become quite the fan destination.
In case you donโt know, the boysโHarry, Niall, Zayn, Liam, and Louisโall 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 werenโt 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 didnโt matter, because they exploded pretty much from the jump after the shoโthanks in no small part to social media and a banger of a debut single in โWhat Makes You Beautifulโ. (Honestly, if you donโt 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 didnโt put in the work to earn that title. But I did really like them. Iโve always been an unashamed pop girlieโand 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 thereโs 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 timesโฆlike the shoulder move, โIโm tired and itโs winter!โ, or โGet out of my kitchenโ.
Youโll 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. Heโs 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.
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Take Me Home Harry
This nods to One Directionโs second album, Take Me Home, which was released in November 2012.
For me, this is always giving micro-era and itโs one that I can easily skip as weโre moving toward the iconic turn that comes next. I donโt think Iโm alone here.
When I say little brother energy, this is a perfect example of what Iโm talking about.
We are evolving our hair and our sartorial style. As anyone this age does.
We are also doing some hat work.
While Iโm not going to get into every rumored relationship H has had through the eras, you know Iโm 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 โStyleโ that goes โtake me hooooooooooooooooome.โ
Moving alongโฆ
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)โespecially the Vaultโand see what it did to Taylor Alison Swift.
Previously on WHN: Breaking Down 1989 (Taylorโs Version) + Bonus Haylor History Lessons
This photo is very frequently cited as one that did a lot of damage across the fandomโin a โthis feels like more than I can handleโ 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, itโs 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 fuckboiโโeveryone wants him, that was my crime.โ
Like, Jesus Christ, Hโฆ
A common fandom refrain is, โHe had no business being 19 and looking like that.โ
But he was still a (generally) nice boyโโin a world of boys, heโs a gentleman.โ One might even decide itโs worth it to be called a โslutโ to be with him.
Important PSA from the โchildren of divorce4โ about โthis menace to societyโ:
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 heโs 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 frontโฆ
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. Hโs 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 donโt understand the difference between stage and editorial and red carpet looks vs. everyday bop around wear.
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 isnโt going to stop anytime soonโฆ
Heโs 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 itโs all a little Keith Richards. We also start seeing more Chelsea boots with the skinny jeans.
Youโll 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. Weโre talking circa 2014 here and the hair is GROWINGโฆto such a length that people thought it resembled a full-on Disney prince.
Itโs not a perfect correlation, but I think you understand the gist of PHH.
No matter the hair, heโs always a bit of a rascal who is so delightful nobody can stay mad at him. Bless.
Itโs not my favorite era hair-wise, but there are really no skips. And itโs also why I knew weโd get excellent new moments as the buzzcut grows out.
Legit this is the full-length of what the man wore to Louisโ momโs wedding. I love him so much. However, Iโm glad this hat is no longer with us. Publicly anyway. He is a total rewear queen (bless) and Iโm sure itโs 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, โCourtney, you in danger girl.โ 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 donโt think you want that in your algo.
PHH: I will see you in another life, when we are both cats.
Long Hair Harry (LHH)
Heโs here. Itโs 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, โYou grew your hair long, you got new icons.โ And there are indeed many more tattoos at this point. We love an โiconโ wordplay.
Many pray for LHHโs return one day.
He is Dark Wattpad Harry6. You can foist your dirtiest fantasies upon himโand 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 somewhereโa 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 heโs Harry.
I really enjoyed the hair tied up in a man bun and suchโa precursor to Clippry who weโll meet shortly.
Donโt even get me started on this portion of the Another Man cover shoots. I canโt 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 โmodelโs ownโโฆ.again, I canโt speak of it. At least not publicly.
When H cut his hairโฆumโฆit was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day for a lot of Harries. Maybe not Zaynโs leaving the band or the โhiatusโ bad, but close.
May 6, 2016. A day that will live in infamy. (Ironically connected to the war that brought us that quote.)
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 itโs giving that โ90s boy bob that reminds me of high school? And of course he donated it to charity.
We also get the classic line, โYeah, I was about to personify my hair and then I decided not to.โ 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, โOh LHH is here.โ
Itโs not just a hairstyle. Itโs 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. Weโve been there, bub.
But he also needed to do it for work because he was cast in Christopher Nolanโs Dunkirk. Itโs a smaller part and he is quite good in it. (His best acting work to date for me.)
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He also looks fucking fantastic and chews bread in a way that might make you feel things. โNo thoughts, just the Dunkirk bread chewโ is CORRECT.
Itโs a whole corner on the internet.
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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 weโve started moving into eras by project, for the most part, there is again some blurring and mixing.
2017 also was the year of Harryโs debut solo album, Harry Styles, or HS1, as we like to call it. โSign of the Timesโ was released as the lead single on April 7 with โSweet Creatureโ 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 didnโt get to witness it in person. He was establishing himself as HARRY STYLES and not Harry Styles of One Directionโand looked fucking incredible doing it.
(If you havenโt listened to HS1, please treat yourself. It has a lot of โ70s rock and singer-songwriter influences and is absolutely gorgeous. Plus, you can see how heโs evolved as an artist and really come into his own sound by Harryโs Houseโฆwhile still carrying the influences of music he loves.)
This is one of my all-time favorite images. I love leaning. Itโs the Gen X in me.
I watch these, like, once a week. I know Iโm unwell and, honestly, I like it that way.
When I add โโฆin a cool wayโ to something (which I know I do A LOTโฆEaster egg for Harries and also just who I am!), itโs from Harry in this era. He also continues to use the phrasing. Itโs 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.
Weโll leave this era with the fan consensus best recording of a live performance of โMedicineโ. Say โMedicine, St. Paulโ to a Harrie and theyโll likely launch into a monologue about the songโs history and greatness. And be super psyched that you know about that night.
For the non-Harries, this is an unreleased track. So weโve got no studio version properly available. He played it all the time during Live On Tour (along with some 1D, โThe Chainโ, another unreleased called โAnnaโ.) Now itโs become a whole thing as to whether or not youโll get โMedicineโโฆbasically 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 itโand promptly lost my mind. The building was shaking. And then he went straight into a cover of โToxicโ 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.
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Listen to the song and youโll understand why it makes the fandom feral. This outfit goes hard, too.
Fine Line Harry
Fine Line is Harryโs second solo album and it dropped on December 13, 2019. On Taylorโs 30th birthday. When I say these two like to fuck with me at the same time, Iโm 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 albumโs colors. We donโt get as much promo time as we deserved because of the GD pandemicโฆbut 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 discussedโฆas you can imagine.
And then, of course, thereโs this. Yeah. I know.
You can bury me with a few of theseโฆlike 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 โStop Dragging My Heart Aroundโ. Itโs 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. Thatโs not a thing that usually happens.
The pearls. And that tee heโs got on below.
Sidebar: The โSledgehammerโ cover they do during the Howard Stern interview is phenomenal. A hardcore favorite of Gary Gโs, if that sways you. I count my dad as an influencer for sure.
We are really embracing our quirky, fluid style now and itโs 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 weโll get to!) He once again performed with Stevie and I wasnโt there. You know who was in the audience? His current girlfriend, Taylor Russellโฆlong before theyโd 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 eraโฆ
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 Thighgerโaka the tiger tat on his thighโis outโฆall bets are off. See also: Hitties8, aka Harryโs Titties. He calls them that too. Itโs 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:
โTheadora, my car broke down on your street and your dadโs friend kindly let me wait at your house with a cup of tea. Iโm 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 fishโ and โTell your dad to get in touch and Iโll see you at a show.โ
PS I FED THE FISH. Stop it, you adorable monster. (This is 100% Pookie behavior. Weโll 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. Iโm not sure you ever do.
Now, there are of course the Love On Tour (which has its own micro-eras) and Harryโs 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 theyโre 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 youโre even still readingโฆBueller? Bueller?
I swear I thought I was going to make this really short bits, but I had to go and over-explain everything as Iโm wont to do. Also, I spiral down into the Harry photo and video abyss and go, โOh well I have to put THAT one inโฆโ and so on.
This final section is really gonna be (sorta) speed round though. Promise. And loads of videos and photos that you can digestโor not.
Whatโs 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.
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Curly/the curly-haired one + the like: I hope this is self-explanatory.
And then we start to get more nicheโฆ
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), thereโs 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 1Dโs โBest Song Everโ. Heโs the dweeby marketing guy pitching ideas to the boys. Itโs yet another term of endearment in the fandom. This song was on Harryโs 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 weโre 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 mediaโfrom posts to comments sections.
Basically, we can turn anything into a variation of Hโs name by adding the โrryโ to the end. Again, this is done with affection and I know youโve heard me use these/read them here probably more often than youโd care to. Unless youโre 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 โLittle Freakโ9 with longtime collaborator Kid Harpoon while kicking it in a hotel room in Japan.
Harryโs 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 ยฏ\_(ใ)_/ยฏ.
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 Bellโs IG.) That pup is also part of Japannry lore and has been for years.
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.
Itโs also where he ended the almost-two year Love On Tourโand 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 โGoldenโ video? Italrry. Even when heโs working there, itโs a Whole Situationโข that sends the fandom (read: me) into a blissful spiral. Productivity plummets.
(Fundamentally, I donโt love that he gets papped in these places. But Iโm also part of the problem because I like to look at the photos. I try not to use them a ton hereโฆtoday, I say the people must be educated. Forgive me, all the โrrysโ. I have sinned.)
You. Are. Welcome.
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Golfrry: Harry has been a big golfer since the 1D days. If thereโs a day off on tour, heโs golfing.
I do not golf. My dad tried to get me lessons when I was a teenager and I quit because I wasnโt instantly good10. Thatโs on me. But Iโve 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 arenโt 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.
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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 โAs It Wasโ when she says โCome on Harry, we wanna say goodnight to you.โ
Yep, heโs 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 โstache is so hot. There is much crossover with other categories here as well11.
Drunkrry: Heโs fun AF and would love a tequila, please. Neat. Especially at the Brits (basically the UKโs Grammys). Cuddlrry is a subset here. Stars! Theyโre 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 waysโฆfor 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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Metrry: Sheer. Earring. Bow. Enough said.
With a side of Drunkrry:
The beauty of the โrryโ names is that they are endless, so theyโre not all hereโand 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 journeyโฆif youโre still here.
Thanks to Harry Styles for bringing so much joy into peopleโs lives. Like mine! Thereโs 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. Itโs pretty dope that you were born and decided to share your gifts.
Cheers to all the Harries Iโve met along the wayโeither online or IRLโwho were also drawn to the songs and the vibes. Youโve 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 Iโm saying better now that youโve 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 meโฆand finding it all at least moderately amusing enough that you keep coming back.
Being a part of this fandom makes me feel like Iโm living inside the lyrics of โTreat People With Kindnessโ. For real.
Maybe we can
Find a place to feel good
And we can treat people with kindness
Find a place to feel goodI got a good feeling
I'm just takin' it all in
Floating up and dreamin'
Droppin' into the deep endAnd if we're here long enough
They'll sing a song for us (ah-ah-ah-ah)
And we'll belongMaybe we can
Find a place to feel good
And we can treat people with kindness
Find a place to feel goodGiving 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 youโre a fan of!) is trivial. Itโs just not. You know, as long as itโs not something evil and harmful. Talk your talk, no matter how ridiculous it sounds.
And if you think youโre 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
We donโt need to talk about what I was doing in February 1994.
I download a lot of these videos when I can so that you donโt have to go onto the app if you donโt want to/donโt even have TikTok. But let me know if itโs easier for you to see them if the TikTok itself is embedded. Sometimes thatโs the only option because a creator can disable downloads or shares to IG etc. Iโm open to any and all suggestions!
God what a fucking dream that shoot was. Jesus. Talk about a cultural reset.
What those of us who are stans of both Harry and Taylor call ourselves.
This banger is โNow That We Donโt Talkโ.
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.
Alessandro Michele is the former designer for Gucci and a major collaborator/dear friend of Harryโs. 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 Alessandroโs next move, be it his own label or landing at another design house.
Yes, he does actually have four nipples. He has spoken about this publicly multiple times so please donโt think that was a discovery I made all on my own by analyzing photographs.
The song eventually ended up on Harryโs House, not Fine Line.
A huge problem with anyone from our generation who was classified as gifted growing up. Thatโs an essay for another day.
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.
Harryโs 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.
The Gemma article is so sweet! I love this whole thing so much! Thank you!
Perfection. Thank you for your service now and always. Where can I bill this time (because I certainly did not multitask and do real work during this read)?