A man who became "bored" with 'traditional men's clothing' proudly dons skirts and heels to his day job, proving that clothing has no gender.
Mark Bryan, 63, prides himself on his 'hybrid' style, saying the only time that he's not wearing heels is when he's "on the football pitch."
Mark, originally from Dallas, US, but now lives in Crailsheim, Baden-Württemberg in Germany, is heterosexual, and his wife supports his style, helping him pick out outfits during their weekend shopping trips.
The dad of three said that after 20 years in the office, he just became bored of wearing a suit and tie and wanted to express himself in a different way, making the distinction between dress sense and sexuality. He began wearing skirts and heels to work back in 2015.
Mark, a robotics engineer, said: "I see clothes as genderless, and I love the freedom I get from being able to wear both men's and women's clothes.
"I first started exploring my style when shopping with my wife and she suggested 'why don't we look at dresses and skirts?' After 20 years of wearing a suit and tie, I'd gotten bored.
"June 2015, I started wearing high heels with pant suits into the office. I paired some red pumps with a red tie and never looked back.
"My colleagues joked 'one day Mark is going to wear a dress' but little did they know that I would in 2018. People are so ingrained that certain garments are for men and others are for women and when you cross that line, then you're gay. I'm a straight, cis man and how I dress has nothing to do with sexuality. I love wearing what I wear."
Mark and his wife have been married for 11 years, and she fully embraces his fun fashion choices. His partner, who didn't want to be named, said: "Do I support Mark? Yes, of course.
"I think Mark would look amazing in anything, but he is my husband after all. He wears much higher heels than I do, but his legs look much better also."
Mark said that he's always felt confident in heels, saying he wore them in college with his girlfriend at the time who also loved donning them.
He explained: "I remember when I first tried a pair on at 21 years old and I was a natural, it wasn't a Bambi on ice moment at all.
"To me, high heels give the illusion of confidence which should be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of gender and sexual orientation.
"I like a clean look of a shirt and blazer up top and then skirt and heels on the bottom. When I'm going for a more relaxed look, I'll wear a denim skirt and three-inch heels. When I go into the city, I'll wear a block heel because of the cobble streets.
"The only time I'm not wearing heels is when I'm on the football pitch as I'm a keen player and coach. When I'm out and about, of course, people stare but most people will go on with their day after.
"If I sense someone is taking a longer look, I'll joke and say 'take a picture if you want' and it usually breaks up any tension.
"I live in a small town so I'm going to get some looks but they never bother me because I'm just happy in myself."
"I think life is too short not to experiment with a personal style - even though it took me a few years, I'm so happy that I went for it.
"I'm the most comfortable I've been in myself and I think everyone deserves that. I know that my style is true to me and that's all that matters to me and my family."
What do you think of Mark's look? Let us know in the comments.
