I’m a heterosexual man but wear heels and skirts to the office – my wife doesn’t mind

A heterosexual man who wears heels and skirts to the office, eschews pants and says his wardrobe is 50 percent women’s clothing has revealed that his wife “doesn’t mind” his style choices.

Mark Bryan, 63, from Dallas, Texas, USA, has been proudly donning women’s skirts and heels for five years at his day job as a robot engineer, but says he’s always been interested in exploring his style from his college days.

Now he wears women’s skirts and heels to the office and says the only time he doesn’t wear heels is “on the football field.”

He said he considers clothing “genderless,” despite being stared at by strangers when he goes out in public.

Mark, who is a heterosexual cis man and is supported by his wife, said: ‘I’ve had some reactions from the LGBTQ+ community accusing me of not supporting them. But how I dress is not about gender or sexuality.’

The father-of-three has proudly donned women’s skirts and heels for his day job working as a robot engineer for five years, but says he’s always been interested in exploring his style from his college days

Growing up in Dallas, Texas, USA, Mark says his style was influenced by the 1970s musical group Kiss, who performed in platform heels.

Mark said: ‘The band was very popular and I loved their heeled look.

‘I never experimented with heels until college, but I’ve always been proud of my looks.

“I wore a lot of polo shirts and made sure my jeans were always freshly starched.”

However, father of three Mark said: ‘I’ve always been fascinated by stilettos and high heels.

“I wore them in college with my girlfriend at the time who also loved heels.

“I’d never wear them in public — mostly we’d both wear them and dance around our rooms.”

“I remember trying on a pair for the first time at 21 and I was a natural, it wasn’t a Bambi on ice moment at all.

Mark, who is a straight cis male and is supported by his wife, said he considers clothing to be ‘genderless’

Now the robotics engineer wears women’s skirts and heels to the office and says the only time he doesn’t wear heels is ‘on the football field’

“To me, high heels give the illusion of confidence that everyone should enjoy, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.”

Mark said, “I see clothing as genderless and I like the freedom it gives me to wear both men’s and women’s clothing.”

Mark and his wife have been happily married for 11 years and live with their children in Crailsheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Meanwhile, he said he was supported by his wife, who even helped him pick out outfits on weekend trips.

He said, “I first started exploring my style while 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 was getting bored. In June 2015 I started wearing high heels with trouser suits to the office.’

“I paired a pair of red pumps with a red tie and never looked back.

“My colleagues joked ‘one day Mark is going to wear a dress’, but they didn’t know I would do that in 2018.”

“People are so ingrained that certain clothes are for men and others are for women and if you cross that line, you’re gay.

“I’m a straight, cis man and how I dress has nothing to do with sexuality.

“I like to wear what I wear.”

He says brands like Christian Louboutin and Jimmy Choo are firm favorites and his style inspiration is Carrie Bradshaw from the hit franchise Sex And The City.

The six-foot-tall pro said, “I like a clean look of a shirt and blazer on top and then a skirt and heels underneath.

‘I tried on a dress once, but I didn’t like it because it was too feminine.

“If I’m going for a more relaxed look, I’ll wear a denim skirt and three-inch heels. When I go into town, I wear a block heel because of the cobblestones.

“The only time I don’t wear heels is when I’m on the soccer field, because I’m an avid player and coach.”

Mark is no stranger to local looks, but this doesn’t stop him from embracing his personal style.

He said, “I’m at an age where I don’t care what people think.

“Obviously when I’m out and about people stare, but most people just get on with their day after.”

He said if people want to “look closely” at what he’s wearing, that’s “good.”

‘A look only lasts a few minutes and then people go on with their day.

“For me, how I dress is natural and I think most people just see that I’m comfortable and I like what I’m wearing.”

He added: “If I notice someone looking longer, I’ll crack a joke and say ‘take a picture if you want’ and that usually breaks the 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 with myself.”

He said, “I think life’s too short not to experiment with a personal style – even though it took me a few years, I’m so glad I went for it.”

“I feel most comfortable in myself and I think everyone deserves that.”

However, he confessed that he had also received backlash from an unexpected community – the LGBT community, who accused him of not standing with them.

He said, “I am not fighting for the community, but neither am I fighting against the community in any way.

“I fight for everyone to have the freedom to dress the way they want.”

As of June 2020, Mark has been documenting his style online through his Instagram, which now has 620,000 followers.

His platform has earned him exclusive photoshoots in Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and Interview Magazine.

“I never thought my online page would reach the number of people I have, but I’m extremely grateful,” he said.

“Of course I get messages from people saying my style calls me a freak or leaves tacky emojis under my posts, but I don’t pay too much attention to that.

‘People are entitled to their own opinion and I’m not going to be able to please everyone.

“I know my style is true to me and that’s all that matters to me and my family.”

Meanwhile, his wife – who did not wish to be named – said, “Do I support Mark? Yes of course.

“I think Mark would look great in anything, but he’s my man after all.

“He wears much higher heels than I do, but his legs look much better, too.”