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A new breed of man, the 'metrosexual'
(eastday.com)
Updated: 2004-05-12 09:39
He's religious about moisturizer. He knows what colors he looks good in. He
knows his Zegna from his Armani. He's not gay... He's metrosexual.
 Zhao Feifei reports on how to acquire the
good-grooming, good-looking qualities of the 21st-century man. He goes to
hairdressers rather than barbers and avoids using soap because it's too harsh
for the skin.
A subtle hint of cologne glorifies his body. He drapes himself in a sharp
outfit before hitting an evening hotspot. He has a discretionary income to keep
up with the latest hairstyles and the right shoes. He's a fan of GQ magazine and
not ashamed of it. He may not be your father's idea of a macho man, but
nevertheless, he loves women.
Mark Simpson came out with the term of
"metrosexual" in 1994. He is a explicit gay social commentator. [file
photo] | He is a "metrosexual." Ever since Mark
Simpson, a British and the outspokenly gay social commentator, first coined the
term in a 1994 article "Here Come The Mirror Men" in Britain's Independent,
"metrosexual" fever seems to have swept the world.
Tough guys in advertising campaigns have been replaced by something softer at
the edges. Suddenly, the media, or the soap operas, are saturated with messages
about men discovering their inner "feminine" sense of beauty. David Beckham, the
man whom British academics have credited with changing male behavior, has been
deemed the ultimate metrosexual.
"It reflects a laudable trend, which is men who care about good grooming and
style," analyzes Wang Jingzhong, manager of the Shanghai office for magazines
like Esquire, Bazaar and Cosmopolitan, a Mr Fashionable seen at launch parties
around the town.
"Open your eyes: There are men who apply moisturizer all around you. No one
is asking you to preen yourself into a walking peacock or tweeze your eyebrows
into an enviable arch, we're just asking you to give more attention to personal
grooming." "I go for it," says local fashion critic June Yamada, who just wrote
her English-Chinese bilingual manners and fashion book "Tell It like It
Is." "If a man cares about their looks, it means that they care about
women and they're sophisticated. Women do appreciate men who take care of
themselves."
But there is a line to draw between the normal, average metrosexual and the
overly obsessed beauty junkie, she adds. If a man looks in the mirror all day
long, he's narcissistic. That's just obnoxious.
Hong Kong movie
star Maggie Cheung [file photo] |
"I do not want a guy who's too slick and vain," echoes Hong Kong movie star
Maggie Cheung on her recent promotional tour for boutique I.T. "Stylish dress is
acceptable, but be wary of men who wear clear polish." Women buy clothes on a
whim, men buy out of need.
Still, more men are aware of the effect of the slogan "dress for success" in
this East-meets-West metropolis. They're spending more on their attire, and are
increasingly interested in a more polished style. Perhaps achieving
metrosexuality is too much for an average joe, but the fact is, some guys really
need a visual revamping.
With brutal honesty, Yamada wants to point out some common fashion faux pas.
"In general, men always wear black here, which makes parties look like
funerals," she fires away. "Black pants are outdated. Charcoal gray, navy blue
and dark brown are the three basic colors for men's pants. If you wear a white
shirt, match your tie to the suit. If you wear a shirt with strong colors, then
match your tie to the shirt. For example, if you have a dark charcoal suit, and
baby pink shirt, a burgundy red tie is a good match.
British man of
fashion David Beckham [file photo] | "Many
suits are not well-tailored, not well-ironed, and the shapes are distorted. I
see a lot of men walking around in suits who clearly didn't even bother to have
the pants hemmed to the proper length. And please don't clip the cell phone to
your belt! That's funny-looking. Hairstyle is important -- why are there so many
crew-cuts on the streets? They look like soldiers."
Above all, Yamada points out that hygiene is essential. All the gorgeous
clothes in the world will not be worth a damn if you reek. Teeth should be kept
clean and white. Get the gunk out from under your nails and get rid of dandruff.
Don't overdo the cologne. It's the little things that make a big difference.
"No long finger nails. They scare me. I always wonder if they use it for
picking their nose?!" she asks in horror. Deng Kan, a 28-year-old man who
describes himself as a chicken when it comes to dressing, complains: "My
girlfriend says I dress very conservatively and thinks I need to be a little
more, in her words, edgy. I'm comfortable being the way I am, proper and safe. I
stick to a few colors, black and gray, essentially, and cannot fathom how to
match pinstripes and patterns on suits, shirts and ties. Any suggestions on
livening up the colors and jazzing up the business wear?"
The answer is quiet elusive, but Wang has some basic rules. "The key to
mixing patterns is to stay in the same color family," he says. "One pattern
should be the dominant pattern and the other should complement it. Don't have a
war of stripes, checks and plaids going on over your body. You could also start
with shirts that are not the usual white, powder blue or pale yellow, to go with
a deeper-hued tie.
 "To make yourself look different you need a pinch of audacity. However,
don't stifle your style to become a one-look wonder. Your attire can help you
appear like a different kind of man to suit the occasion and your mood."
High-end names like Armani and Zegna are synonymous with beautiful, lasting
styles. Do they really have the magic of turning you into a male version of
Cinderella?
Wang doesn't think so. "They're tailored to Western men's body shape. For me,
I'm a little pudgy, and Zegna will make me look like a midget. Their pants
amplify my short legs," he says. Pirounis Stavros, who worked at the production
department of Zegna for more than 15 years, says brand names are good for
nothing if they don't fit you.
The top rules for guys' fashion is to choose quality over quantity, be
comfortable and love the tailor, he adds. Wang also offers some realistic advice
for shopping.
 "Before you go out and buy new clothes, you'll need to take inventory
of your current holdings. Dump anything that doesn't fit comfortably. After you
finish discarding, take note of what you have left. This will help you determine
what you need to purchase."
Avoid purchasing anything you don't genuinely like just because the price is
right. Chances are it will rot in your closet. If you're lucky enough to have a
wife or girlfriend to keep your closet updated, count yourself blessed.
Most women are naturals at the art of shopping. Then how does one judge an
appropriate price of clothing? "I know, in general, that retailers mark up
clothes by 100 percent," says Wang. "So if it costs a retailer 100 yuan (US$12)
to buy a shirt wholesale, they sell it to you for 200 yuan give or take. So when
something is marked 25-percent or 50-percent off, the retailer still profits. My
rule of thumb is to never cut corners on shoes or a suit. You're not just paying
for the material, you're paying for the styling and the fit. But I always buy
shirts and ties at a discount."
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