I think the only reason this is news, is that for a certain generation of women/girls, Harry Styles is generally received as an archetype for an attractive man, and so a lot of men are either experiencing, or seeing hypocrisies in the supposed expectation of masculinity they are supposed to portray in order to attract women en masse. He exists as a pedestaled token, one whose conventional attractiveness basically ok's features, choices, and actions which wouldn't normally be received as positively when exhibited by a man who doesnt have his fame, looks, or talent.
But its always been like this, Prince in assless chaps and high heels could steal anyone of our fathers' or uncle's ladies with minimal effort back in the day. Its the privilege of being attractive..it frees you to do not necessarily attractive things and still have them be received positively. For men specifically it means once certain core tenets of masculinity are achieved, as they pertain to what women generally look for in men, other aspects of masculinity can be challenged with little to no consequence. Jason Momoa or the Rock could start cross dressing tomorrow, and it will be received as sexually attractive for a plethora of women that would be turned off if they encountered the same in their everyday life with regular men