Metrosexuals: Then and now

The evolution of man has come a long way from the Freudian theory that he evolved from the ape. It has come from the loin-clad caveman holding a club, to the chivalrous dandy in frills, velvet and lace, to the gun-totting cowboy in a western hat and boots, followed by a little pause due to the death of chivalry, then on to the peace-loving hippie of the 1960s, the John Travolta-ish, bell-bottomed disco dancer of the ‘70s, the materialistic yuppie of the ‘80s, the cause-conscious New-Ager of the ‘90s and finally to the man of today.  

Today’s man is called the metrosexual. This term resurfaced recently but is not actually a new word. It was coined in 1994 by British journalist Mark Simpson to describe youngish, affluent men with thriving careers who live in the city or near a city, interested in looking and feeling good. To elaborate further, he is a man who is straight, sensitive, well-educated, and is consciously or unconsciously in touch with his feminine side.  

Just like a woman, the metrosexual has weekly appointments in the beauty salon (not the barber’s) for hair style, manicure, pedicure, massage, facials. He loves to shop, he may wear jewelry, and his bathroom counter is overflowing with the latest in skincare products and scents. Oh yes, he goes to a dermatologist or a cosmetic doctor for Botox and other injectibles to erase signs of aging. He may also be a good cook and he certainly knows the difference between pasta and antipasto. It is also likely that he owns a peachy pink or lilac shirt and has no qualms about wearing it. Oftentimes, he would dab a concealer under his eyes to camouflage dark circles or pending signs of eye bags. He does all these feminine activities but with machismo appeal oozing from every pore.  

Of course, his masculine activities include sports, be it tennis, polo, basketball, football, golf, etc. and he has to tone his body by working out regularly in a fitness club.  

This new genre of today’s metrosexual Homo Sapiens is really nothing new to me. For me, short of going into the extremes of what men do today to look young via cosmetic and surgical techniques, metrosexual men already existed during the generation of our fathers or even our grandfathers, when men were always well-groomed, well-dressed and gentlemanly. I grew up with a father who was always conscious of the way he looked. I would see my mother massaging hair cream or tonic on his wavy hair as part of his long morning rituals. Being tall and slim, he always looked dapper in anything he wore. He made it a point to tone his body through exercise and sports, which varied through the years, from basketball during his college days, to swimming, tennis, and golf later. He was very conscious of eating the right kind of food and taking vitamins which explains his good state of health today at age 83. He did not go for manicures and pedicures and neither did he wear jewelry except for a watch and his gold La Salle school ring, but I had some uncles and some of my father’s friends who did.

I remember an uncle, bless his soul, who never went out of his house without his diamond ring, solid gold bracelet and gold watch. Dad also knew the difference between pasta and antipasto and thankfully he shared his knowledge of gourmet food to his growing family. He was definitely a metrosexual man of his generation.  

Fast forward to our generation. In the late Seventies and early Eighties, during my days of wine and roses in gay Paris, I had a circle of male friends that were health conscious, beauty conscious and fashion conscious and, at the same time, accomplished in their chosen fields. At that time, our chill-out place was the Filipino restaurant Aux Iles Philippines, which was run by the Daza brothers, Sandy and Bong. Sandy was the chef, and Bong was the PR man. I remember that their coterie of male friends were into sports, fancy cars, the latest trends in fashion and male grooming, good wines and gourmet food. One of Bong’s good friends, Christian Courtin, was in a skincare business which is now Clarins. Listening to them kept me abreast of the latest in fashion, car models, trendy restaurants, etc. In short, they were the metrosexuals of that era. During the same period in swinging Manila, the metrosexual men frequented the Pierre Cardin boutique, whose designer Giovanni Sanna made them the best suits. They were accomplished men, well-groomed, well-dressed, wine connoisseurs, sportsmen and bon vivants. Manila was not short of metrosexual men during that era.  

The difference between metrosexuals then and now is just a few notches. Before, they believed that certain beauty procedures were for women only. My father’s generation would frown at the idea of a facelift, skin peels, eyelid lifts, etc. They had very definite ideas of what men could wear. Pink, peach, neon green, lavender, and floral prints were taboo then. Body shirts and sheer shirts were never worn by Daddy’s generation. Not so with the metrosexual men of today.  

Still the dominant gender, today’s metrosexuals are finding the courage to explore the female domain without fear of losing their status as "real men." Today’s survey of men shows that majority of them accompany their wives to spas for some beauty treatments for themselves, and they don’t think twice about going to cosmetic surgeons for a nose job, eyebag removal or whatever procedure to improve their looks. They could wear any color of the rainbow. Whatever fashion dictates is acceptable to them. Whereas Gianni Versace or Roberto Cavalli would have lost their shirts during Daddy’s time, today’s metrosexuals find their exaggerated, colorful prints exciting to wear.

They no longer describe themselves as dominant, authoritative and control freaks. Rather, they use emotional terms like easy going, caring, open-minded and sensitive. All this may sound confusing but don’t underestimate today’s man. He may primp and pamper himself, and be effeminate in his beauty regimens, but today’s man is no wimp. He believes he is a true macho and is very secure in his heterosexuality. He does what he wants, buys what he wants, and enjoys what he wants, regardless of whether people think of it as unmanly. Image is the bottom line: at work and at play.  

Today’s man is an easy prey to marketers of beauty and health products. Fashion magazines are now promoting buff physiques and new products that appeal to the masculine vanity. Just take for example football star and poster boy du jour David Beckham. He comes out in an ad with his braided hair, painted nails and colorful sarong. So feminine but so confident of his sexuality. His ex-Spice Girl wife, Victoria Beckham, is on her toes warding off her husband’s throng of admirers.  

For years, women have been expected to live up to a very high level of beauty to the point of being high maintenance. Now it’s the men’s turn to be high maintenance. Most wives are happy that they can justify their high budget on their beauty procedures. Justice at last.