Who exactly are these metro-sexual guys?... Well, since moving to LA, I feel like I see them everywhere! I knew a few of them in college (you know who you are boys) but they were few and far between. In LA, that is so not the case. After asking a few of my friends what their definition of the term is, I've come to the conclusion that there is no right or wrong description. It's whatever you want the term to mean. I do know for a fact that metro-sexuality is certainly becoming more commonplace and less of a forbidden and unwanted term. I think the most important thing is that you don't hide who you truly are from anyone. If you are a guy who loves spending time on his hair and gets the occasional mani-pedi and loves Britney Spears for her music, then so be it! Be proud of all of that!
Here's what my friends had to say:
"They are obsessed with designer labels, considers GQ his bible, spends more on clothes than you do... Did you meet my ex-boyfriend? :-P"
"I guess my definition centers mainly around a guy's level of obsession with his appearance."
To answer your question, I try not to label people (especially when it comes to sexuality), so I suppose my definition of a "metro-sexual" would be someone who defines themselves as such. I have yet to meet such a person-- anyone I have met who has been accused of being "metro" denies it."
"I should have an opinion on this because i dated one. he got various parts of himself waxed, used only kiehl's products, had a precision-shaped beard and a very well composed hipster wardrobe that included some skinny jeans and tight shirts, and a clean and well-furnished apartment. it's a funny word, metro-sexual. we take it to mean something like 'girly' or 'vain' or 'primped' or 'over-groomed' but to me it means sort of sexy urban creature, city life being more about beauty and style and self-image and self-creation."
"Great question. I have also thought of the delineation between butch-man, average joe, metro-sexual and homosexual. To be honest, those lines are only visual or a personal choice to let others know your category. For myself, I picture my persona as average joe with a hint of metro-sexual. I truly believe that whatever defines metro-sexual is in all men. There are butch guys out there that might like the nicer things in life behind the scenes. And I am sure there are homosexual guys that love to rebuild engine motors. I guess there are no lines that make a man metro-sexual. There are factors that make a man seem that way and could be characterized.
Metro-sexual is a new concept. I believe men have been metro-sexual for ages because of our passion to look nice, smell nice and feel nice. But, we never gave it a name until recently that would clearly define a metro-sexual man. If we look back to different looks and styles through pop-culture, I am sure you could point out the nicer looking guys to the shaggy looking ones. But, being metro-sexual now is not a good thing. In the 40's, Frank Sinatra was definitely metro-sexual. He dressed nice, spent plenty of time on his looks, cleaned up and was dressed up impress in that era's clothing. But we would never call him metro-sexual. We can find many different examples, but they were metro-sexual: the need for a man to take care of his looks beyond basic maintenance. However, we now call them "men of all men" because they defined the look of that era. Guys now who dress really well and get spray on tans are just in the crazy pursuit of looking perfect. Because we have such high standards now for perfect, men have to adapt to reach perfection. Women, unfortunately, have had that bar raised so high for many generations. Men have been lucky because Burt Reynolds was considered sexy back in the 70s. I mean really? That mustache was perfectly groomed all the time. Now, he is considered a butch-man. It is all perception and relation to what you want to compare these ideals.
Metro-sexual is only the state of mind for a man to look perfect. Now, we have to deal with guys using "female techniques" to look great. To answer the direct questions you have, I can give answers that will now make sense. My definition of a metro-sexual guy is only that of which a man is trying to look "perfect" in the eyes of the media. This is why metro-sexual guys can still get women because those women find perfection on the outside acceptable and desirable. He is not the type of guy who gets manis and pedis, he does it because he knows this will add to his perfect look. Look at Bernie Mac, he got them all the time. And, yes, he will take extra time on his hair, but also seek out haircuts more often to keep the length perfect too. I don't think metro-sexual guys in general enjoy shopping, but every man likes to shop for something. The later questions start becoming too personal for each metro-sexual man. To make this statement understandable, I will use myself as an example.
I hate manis and pedis. They ruin how my hands and feet need to stay beaten up. I am a bass player and can't afford moisturized hands or feet when I use them all the time. And even if I wasn't a bass player, I would not get them. My hands are meant to be rough for when I need to work on my cars, play golf or play with my dog. I do take extra time taking care of my hair because I believe looks are everything when meeting people. You never know who you will meet on a gig or when you are out with friends. Just a few weeks ago, Lyle Lovett was at a gig I was playing for a private party. You just never know and need to look your best. Super neat? I am super awesome! I love to shop. But, that doesn't mean mall shopping. It always feels good to get stuff that you need or will make you happy in the future. But, there is a guilty pleasure to finally find ties that work with my shirts or find shirts that don't look like a balloon on me. Girly movies? Meh, I will see them if I have to. But, they are not all that bad. Just corny, like a National Lampoons Trip movie. Just a different kind of corny. I just avoid the mess that is Britney Spears. The three things that make me metro-sexual are: I love to cook/bake, I love watching musicals and I love candles. All the other things that I like that make me look good are on every guys mind. If if isn't, then he isn't human. Everyone desires to look good, feel good and wants to impress someone. If you want to get deep, just start researching the psychological relationship between and man and his mother. Many of the metro-sexual tendencies come from that relationship." -From the only guy who responded to the question.
Try to see the "metrosexual" label the same way as you can pull off your awesome "butch" hat :).
ReplyDeleteI get the bad vibes the term can get as it might make sound the man in question as immature and conformist, that, striving for perfection, trying to achieve mass media launched beauty models.
He obsess over tan and is a culturist.
It has nothing to do with "crossdressing" or going for clothes and modes of expression regarded as typically feminine, if not marginally, but often tastelessly, like using cleavage or shaving just to show off their muscles, but without elegance.
Ok that is one of the many variation of the "MS" concept, the most basic and masscult one.
I personally think of it as a different mode of artistical expression to style, which of course unavoidably on styles typically regarded as feminine, hence "crossdressing", conventionally speaking, though adapted to a male body, but just because the style range of males only extends from purely functional and practical to unisex chic, but most of it is regarded as unisex. So whateve doesn't particularly highlight the body or such, is unisex. Of course now the unisex chic is slowly expanding in potentially more edgy clothes allowing lot of experimentation, but I already go for wide necks or boat neck which can hint either shoulder, sometimes overlaying a tank top :).
So if I'm metrosexual, I'm atypical, as being into a reformed or refined alternative scene style with glam elements, so yeah, exactly, a bit of eye makeup including eyeliner and eyeshadow, slightly defined eyebrows. The ever present leather jacket, black nails and, sometimes, boots.
As for tan, I neither strive for tan nor paleness. And I'm straight.