A couple of years ago I thought it would be weird to have a man that spends too much time in the bathroom. It just seemed to me that the bathroom is a women’s thing; depilation, plucking and putting on creams being a ritual only the fairer sex knew about. But I guess times are changing fast and men put a lot of effort in their appearance these days ‒ not all of them of course, but there is a large number of those, who are well versed in fragrances, use anti-wrinkle creams, do work out regularly, and of course, have a beard. And as it turns out, I happen to like it. It should all come wrapped in the right amount of manliness, because otherwise the wild, sexual and primal energy that a man should always have, in my opinion, goes missing. Just because a man is familiar with the mirror and knows his body, doesn’t necessarily make him effeminate. After all, having a partner that takes care of himself is not such a bad thing, especially considering all the hours, weeks really, that we spend at a beauty salon or in our bathroom, looking for signs of cellulite and the slightest appearance of hair. It should be kept within the normal range of good taste; and if you’re wondering where the range ends, I would say it’s up to every individual to decide.
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I often come across the term metrosexual … but what does it really mean? I would like to emphasise that it has nothing to do with a person’s sexual orientation. It’s a term for men, because women are expected to take care of their appearance, follow fashion trends and use lots of cosmetic products and beauty treatments. A metrosexual does these things as a woman would. The term, coined from “metropolitan” and “heterosexual”, describes a heterosexual man, who usually lives in an urban centre and minds his grooming. The rugged man with an unkempt beard, looking all messy, gave way to the neat man, who uses cosmetic products for his skin and chiselled body. Sales are steadily rising for men’s cosmetics, and they also turn to cosmetic surgery more often. The new trend is culturally conditioned: cosmetic companies overwhelm us with images of perfection, fashion and overall wellbeing, so the average men feel the need to reach certain standards that are for the most part unattainable. Consumer society that places looks on a pedestal sets the men up for failure as well: looks become the most important factor, everybody is striving for perfection and eternal youth. Sir Paul Smith, the fashion icon, said at his first American store’s 25th anniversary that “men have become more susceptible to fashion”.
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The English designer believes that fashion has made great strides from the time he first opened the store. “Americans take much more care of their appearance, which I can say for men in general” he said for Style.com. “In comparison to the past, we are much more under the influence of technology, we have more information, but we can be more casually dressed for work.” As the saying goes, a man is judged by his clothes. A neat appearance and tidy suit say a lot about a person. Today, fashion is equally important for women and men. The latter strive for elegance just as well. Fashion provides them with glamorous solutions and the opportunity to keep in pace with the times. In the last couple of years especially, men’s fashion is full of clothes and accessories that bring charm and charisma to the forefront. Being fashionable means expressing your personality in an original and genuine way. That is why we can see boys and guys of all ages presenting versatile and adaptable styles on the catwalks. The youngest of them wear unbuttoned shirts and jeans, which represents daring youth, the older ones stick to suit jackets and ties in darker shades like ambitious men. Striped or colour shirts are combined with dark jackets and white slacks. The spring style is practical and refined at the same time. For formal events, a man is still allowed to wear a vest which he wears over a light colored shirt, under an elegant grey suit jacket.
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I have always liked men that are dark, mysterious and above all, the silent type. In my female imagination these characteristics were associated with a rougher look. I still notice it in men nowadays, even though they often combine that with something beautiful, like a nice fragrance, a kept beard, hair gel or a sartorial pair of pants. I don’t see why this should bother me. I am actually excited. Oh, and another thing ‒ I love articles like this one, because they allow me to spend hours and hours on Pinterest, looking for just the right photos … and when I find them, I keep looking … 🙂
