MASCULINE MEN OR METROSEXUAL

Writer: Paul Taylor

In the last few years, modern men have become labeled with the tag metrosexual as they adopt beauty regimes that contain more products than a M.A.C. store counter display. I myself have tried to become one of these modern-day, metrosexual men who have helped the male beauty industry grow by over 30% in recent years. Throughout my metrosexual period, I’ve tried moisturising, favoured expensive hair salon experiences over backstreet barber shops, and even worn “guyliner”—all to be seen as “with it.” It is now coming to light, though, that women of the naughties are having a rethink and have decided that they want “real” men back in their lives. Even James Bond has forsaken us metrosexuals and ditched the smooth, polished look presented by Pierce Brosnan in favour of the raw, rugged, masculine image of Daniel Craig. Woman have decided that while they still want their men to take care of themselves, they shouldn’t show it and instead should present the image of masculine men who ooze testosterone and “real man” sexiness. So what does that mean for us metrosexual men who secretly enjoy our new, beautified lifestyles filled with manicures, facials, and that just-cut salon hairstyle?

Designer James Patmore realised the predicament metrosexual men are facing and set about designing a gentlemen’s dresser that could accommodate these new problems we modern men face. The Armadillo dressing table looks like a high-end work desk that transmits more masculinity than Popeye post-spinach. Wood strips housed upon a steel frame are at varying lengths, providing that rugged look, while sliding the strips reveals secret compartments to house male grooming products. Patmore’s Armadillo name was inspired by an advert he once saw as a kid, with the slogan, “crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, armadillo.” Patmore thought this slogan was ideal for playing with the stereotypes of masculinity.

GROOMING PRODUCTS FOR MEN

Grooming Book by Ben Hall is another great product that looks to helping metrosexual men who live a busy, on-the-go lifestyle. Designed to look exactly like a book or journal, the Grooming Book actually houses six interior compartments that contain a mirror and five Molton Brown men’s grooming products that men can use to maintain their upkeep on the go while appearing to just be absorbed in some good reading.

What about when you’ve secured a third or fourth date, and this time it is dinner round at your house. Do we men go all out with candles and flowers or just stick in a DVD and order a pizza? We men are now being forced to find a balance between romantic and a place that lies somewhere just before “treat them mean, keep them keen.” Perhaps designer Claus Bjerre has provided us with the solution through his Light Plumbing. Made from galvanized iron pipe and fittings that you’d normally find in the plumbing isle at the local DIY store, Bjerre’s lamp has managed to give us romantic potential along with the “I am a real man” statement. Bjerre believes he has “taken what is normally a very feminine object and turned it masculine.”