andy warhol 2

"Andy Warhol began as a commercial illustrator, and a very successful one, doing jobs like shoe ads for I. Miller in a stylish blotty line that derived from Ben Shahn. He first exhibited in an art gallery in 1962, when the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles showed his 32 Campbell's Soup Cans, 1961-62. From then on, most of Warhol's best work was done over a span of about six years, finishing in 1968, when he was shot. And it all flowed from one central insight: that in a culture glutted with information, where most people experience most things at second or third hand through TV and print, through images that become banal and disassociated by repeated again and again and again, there is role for affectless art. You no longer need to be hot and full of feeling. You can be supercool, like a slightly frosted mirror. Not that Warhol worked this out; he didn't have to. He felt it and embodied it. He was a conduit for a sort of collective American state of mind in which celebrity - the famous image of a person, the famous brand name - had completely replaced both sacredness and solidity. Earlier artists, like Monet, had painted the same motif in series in order to display minute discriminations of perception, the shift of light and color form hour to hour on a haystack, and how these could be recorded by the subtlety of eye and hand. Warhol's thirty-two soup cans are about nothing of the kind. They are about sameness (though with different labels): same brand, same size, same paint surface, same fame as product. They mimic the condition of mass advertising, out of which his sensibility had grown. They are much more deadpan than the object which may have partly inspired them, Jasper Johns's pair of bronze Ballantine ale cans. This affectlessness, this fascinated and yet indifferent take on the object, became the key to Warhol's work; it is there in the repetition of stars' faces (Liz, Jackie, Marilyn, Marlon, and the rest), and as a record of the condition of being an uninvolved spectator it speaks eloquently about the condition of image overload in a media saturated culture. Warhol extended it by using silk screen, and not bothering to clean up the imperfections of the print: those slips of the screen, uneven inkings of the roller, and general graininess. What they suggested was not the humanizing touch of the hand but the pervasiveness of routine error and of entropy..."

andy warhol

Andrew Warhola (August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987), known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. After a successful career as a commercial illustrator, Warhol became famous worldwide for his work as a painter, avant-garde filmmaker, record producer, author, and member of highly diverse social circles that included bohemian street people, distinguished intellectuals, Hollywood celebrities and wealthy patrons.
Warhol has been the subject of numerous retrospective exhibitions, books, and feature and documentary films. He coined the widely used expression "15 minutes of fame." In his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, The Andy Warhol Museum exists in memory of his life and artwork.
The highest price ever paid for a Warhol painting is $100 million for a 1963 canvas titled Eight Elvises. The private transaction was reported in a 2009 article in The Economist, which described Warhol as the "bellwether of the art market." $100 million is a benchmark price that only Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Pierre-August Renoir, Gustav Klimt and Willem de Kooning have achieved.

vouge uk 2

Vogue (UK) Ltd has been pioneering craftsmanship and innovation since its foundation in 1990. Today, Vogue UK is one of the last true UK towel warmer manufacturers and one of the largest UK’s producer and distributors.
For over 17 years the company has had its home in the UK’s manufacturing centre in the heart of the Midlands but now has presence in Europe and North America.  The Vogue UK innovation leadership is enabled by the development of high designed products, finest materials and advanced functionality. With a broader, more versatile range of high-quality towel warmer designs than many other UK brands, Vogue UK expresses its commitment to ‘UK Crafted Luxury’.
Vogue UK’s commitment and respect to tradition while offering innovation, underline its core values of performance, precision and setting new standards.The secret of Vogue UK´s worldwide success is unique design, as well as excellent quality.  From material development and production to fabrication of designs, every step of the process is in Vogue’s hands.  Continuing its tradition of creating truly exciting heating concepts for the home, Vogue UK is proud to offer our exclusive quality hand-crafted products, accompanied by our total commitment to our customers and, when required, our reliable and unequalled after-sales service.
The company’s towel warmer and radiator range is a successful blend of traditional, contemporary and modern, with the majority of the models available in Hot Water, Dual Energy or All-Electric versions to fully compliment any style of bathroom or kitchen design.
Available in Chrome, Gold, White, Stainless Steel and bathroom suite colours, all of our products are manufactured from the finest materials available and individually tested to exceed stringent Quality Control Standards in accordance with Vogue UK’s ISO9001:2000 Quality Accreditation.  Each is fully CE marked with many of the electric products UL approved.Vogue operates in the UK, Europe, and North America.  Over a quarter of our turnover comes from outside the UK and the range of our products varies from region to region.  We see increasing scope for using expertise established in one part of the world to grasp emerging opportunities in another.
United Kingdom
The UK provides some 74% of our business and continues to be an exciting market for us.  With our expertise and track record, and a receptive marketplace, we’re developing innovative and unique designed products for a variety of consumers.The way we run Vogue UK is about much more than simply hitting targets and profit margins. We have certain responsibilities to society – responsibilities we take very seriously. Every one of our directors, employees and suppliers strives to meet our core commitments:
Ethics:
These underpin the way we behave, the decisions we make and where our business is going. We encourage a way of working that is honest, responsible and respectful.
Safety:
Providing a healthy and safe working environment is our top priority. We continually assess and manage risks to make sure we are performing at our best.
Leadership:
This is a big part of any successful organisation, so our management works to inspire our team, encourage teamwork, sharing, learning and open communication.
Value:
We are committed to giving our shareholders strong and continuous financial growth. At the same time, we aim to give customers excellent value for money and treat our suppliers with openness and integrity.
Responsibility:
Or responsibility to the environment and local communities guides our decisions. We work in partnership with local communities, set challenging environmental targets and constantly measure our performance.Safety and Health; Environmental Stewardship; Respect for People; Ethical Behaviour
Vogue UK has a legacy of core values, rooted strongly in safety, health and environmental stewardship.For almost 18 years, we have been reducing the environmental footprint of our own operations. Today, footprint reduction is expected of all companies.  The challenge – and the opportunity are products and manufacturing processes that are safer, less toxic, more energy efficient, use less water, less energy, and produce fewer greenhouse gases.
Our goal is to put our innovation and values to work to help our customers and their customers grow their businesses while contributing to social and environmental progress worldwide.

vouge uk

BUILT BY BRITISH CRAFTSMANSHIP
Vogue (UK) continually pursues a duel quest of excellence and performance. This passion has led Vogue to take up its greatest challenge and design towel warmers and radiators that continually push the boundaries of perception, reliability and design.
The authenticity that make Vogue’s designs a global success now inspires the heritage of radiator manufacturing toward new possibilities. Timeless, Originals, Contemporary and Interiors: are words that have characterised Vogue’s philosophy since its founding. Innovative spirit, dedication to precision and a quest for excellence in the design and craftsmanship of its products has characterised Vogues strength to stand out as one of the last truly British icons.
FOR THOSE WHO DEMAND THE BEST.
From the bathroom to the kitchen, from the architect’s creations to interior designs, Vogue's handcrafted products offer genuine innovation that raises the ambience of all environments. Embodying the perfect combination of technique and aesthetics our collection is designed to appeal to connoisseurs of excellence, heritage and to all who appreciate exceptional quality. With a thrust towards the future Vogue (UK) remains at the forefront of design, technology and craftsmanship

metrosexual look in men 7

In recent times, the Indian women were in for a bit of a surprise when the metrosexual male took over the country. Metrosexual males were everywhere. Right from the movie stars to the guy next door. It seemed that men had found a new obsession. Apart from their regulars like fast cars and fast life, who knew that we would be privileged enough to see men patronizing salons, doing facials, plucking their eyebrows and even waxing their chest hair!

Overall, the Indian women gladly welcomed a man into her life who was well kempt and looked atrociously clean and devoid of any facial hair. Infact the Indian men seemed to have evolved as squeaky-clean versions of their earlier self. All thanks to the regular scrubbing and polishing that they subject their bodies too. Well, I won't be surprised to find out that not many Indian women frequent their parlours as often as these metrosexual male counterparts do. However, this is a welcome sight and I think that most Indian women are very open-minded and are accepting this change, which is against the old, common notion that men should be rugged.

John Abraham - Garnier Deo Ad
While we all like squeaky-clean men, it is still a bit of an amusement when you walk into your brother's, son's or even your boyfriend's room and find stacks of cologne and thousands of other beauty products. Of course, if you think like me then no one really wants their man to look better than themselves. We always want to be one up on our men, especially when it comes to beauty. Beauty is a woman's territory that these creatures of Mars have dared to tread on. So much so that their recent escapades with the beauty products has given birth to a new avatar of the "Metrosexual Male".
If you ask me, there is nothing really sexual or interesting in having your man drenched in endless lines of fairness lotions and beauty products. You would not like him either to spend long hours getting his facial done or his pedicure done. Some of us still love the rustic looking man; with jaggered jaws, a nice hairy chest, and muscles galore. It's not just an Indian thing, it's how women generally like their man. It's good for men to look clean, but we will get bored of an eye candy. We women want our men to look strong and dependable. It is definitely a funny sight if the metrosexual man looks too "chikkna" or "softy", and appears as if he needs his woman to protect him.

Well, the good news however is that the rugged look is still in vogue. Although men are loyal to their salons and colognes, they are continuously reinventing themselves. While they still apply loads of fairness creams and lotions, they are now also venturing into sporting unkempt hair and keeping stubbles on their faces.

Hugo Boss Fragrances for Men

Well, if you ask me, the rugged look is anyday better than the squeaky-clean sophisticated look. What say?

You can check-out the Latest Cosmetics products for yourself and your man in our Cosmetics section.

metrosexual look in men 6

Metro sexual is a term too narrowly defined for men nowadays. Designers for men are concerned with style, attitude, look and feel. It's evident today that brands play a major role in giving out an impression for a person. Women have joked about it for years that "if you want to know what kind of a man he is, look at his shoes". These are no longer the times where men stick to the classic and try to not gauge any attention, "vanity best left to the women". Men and women are now equally in line with fashion, with trends and with wearing and being seen with just the right brands.

Designer shoes do not just bring with them the brand value, but also the significantly higher quality of their products. Designer accessories and footwear use the best and the highest quality of raw materials and products available in the markets. What more, they bring with them the expertise in the field. The research which goes for having these companies make the products that they deliver is extensive. There are hundreds and thousands of sample sizes and objective and subjective feedbacks and only then do they arrive at the right formulation. So you know that this is the best that can be made available. Most people agree with it, but shy away from buying designer shoes because men's designer shoes are costly and expensive. But what if all these branded designer footwear are made available to you on discounted prices? That would rule out any glitches which might be there. Yes, now all the major brands in the world are available to you on sale prices ranging from thirty percent to seventy percent and sometimes even more. Very often, Designer shoes carry out clearance sales, which are really the best bargains that you can have.

You can avoid the queues and browse through the wide available ranges of shoes, of all the international designers all at one online portal. The sizes are well defined, the shoe availability is instantaneous and the return policies are fair, what else can a shopper want?

metrosexual look in men 5

Macho man has bitten the dust: he's been replaced by something just as tough inside, but softer at the edges. Peter Gotting reports on a new target market.

He loves Armani, is seen just as often near a catwalk as competing in sport, confesses an adulation for Kylie Minogue, even designs his own jewellery. But he's not gay.

So Ian Thorpe told Australia in a radio interview last November. With interests outside the domain of the traditional, Aussie, macho male, Thorpe talked about his sexuality for the first time. He was flattered that the gay community identified with him, he said, but he was, in fact, heterosexual. "You know, I'm a little bit different to what most people would consider being an Australian male," Thorpe told ABC Radio.

But he's not that different, at all. Men of all sexualities are taking a greater interest in their appearance. They go to hairdressers rather than barbers; avoid using soap because it's too harsh on their skin; visit the gym instead of playing sport and even have difficulty deciding what to wear.
They're occupying their time differently - not only spending more of it in front of the mirror, but also at boutiques, in bars rather than pubs, enjoying a dance at a nightclub and going to beauty salons. Cosmetics brands such as Ella Bache say men make up as much as 40 per cent of their salon customers in some areas.
Marketers are spurring on the change, dropping the macho element from products that target men. Gone are the tough male images, even from beer and car ads.
Men's fashion chains are growing, with women's stores such as Esprit launching men's ranges, and department stores offering boutique-style experiences. Men's magazines are increasing their coverage of fashion - not just for editorial reasons, but because they're getting more ads. The men's title FHM says its fashion and grooming advertising has increased 35 per cent over the past three years.
Twenty years ago, male fashion, skin care and vanity in general were identified with gay men. Now sexuality, it seems, is irrelevant. In fact, British newspapers have even found a new word for the softer man: the "metrosexual".
David Beckham, the man whom British academics have credited with changing male behaviour, has been deemed the ultimate metrosexual.
Beckham has helped break "masculine codes", says Warwick University sociology professor Dr Andrew Parker, "defying various manly expectations such as what clothes a man is allowed to wear".
Mark Wahlberg's semi-naked appearance for Calvin Klein underwear in the early 1990s is often cited as the beginning of mainstream male vanity.
Like Thorpe, he's a "little bit different" from the traditional, heterosexual male.
Beckham may be captain of the English soccer team, but he wears sarongs and nail polish, and has even posed for gay magazines. As the American online magazine Salon said, he has admitted that he likes to be admired, and does not care if it's by women or by men.
Whether they have heard of the term "metrosexual", that's how men across the world are appearing. Stores such as the Myer Grace Bros chain say it's a trend that's starting to hit the mainstream. This year, the company will launch a department for male cosmetics and fragrances. While David Jones says its men's cosmetics range is experiencing double-digit growth.
There have always been men who have taken great care of their appearance, but now, says Myer Grace Bros cosmetics buyer Marissa Galatis,
"we are trying to appeal to the wider, men's market. In particular, to young men: a lot of this growth is driven by them."
Mark Wahlberg's semi-naked appearance for Calvin Klein underwear in the early 1990s is often cited as the beginning of mainstream male vanity. Marketing legend has it that the ad was aimed at a gay market, but straight men took notice. Whether it was because women were ogling, or men themselves thought the former rapper looked good, Calvin Klein soon became cult clubwear, with men wearing their pants low to show off the brand.
Ten years ago, Weight-Watchers was strictly for women and "gutbusting" was seen as the more acceptable term for a bloke. Now it's OK for guys to watch their weight.
"The under-40s are certainly interested in the way they look and their physique," says Allan Bolton, a key developer of WeightWatchers for Men. "Over-40s are interested in how they look for the health benefits."
Role models are changing and it's not just Beckham and Thorpe. Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Pat Rafter, Hugh Jackman, Lachlan Murdoch and footballers such as Craig Wing are manicuring their appearance and showing their softer side: Rafter appears as a caring father; Jackman in musicals as well as in tough-guy roles in films such as X-Men. Wing told women about his gentle side in a Cleo bachelor-of-the-year competition.
In response to this groundswell, magazine publishers have established men's titles such as Men's Health and GQ. Even the blokier ones such as FHM and Ralph have increased their fashion and skin-care coverage.
The general manager of men's wear at David Jones, David Bush, says, "There's no doubt that David Beckham, Robbie Williams and Ian Thorpe and the 'blokey blokes' that are interested in fashion send the message that, by being so, you are not going to look like a fairy.
"Twenty years ago, we sold clothes and now we sell fashion." Younger men, in particular, are taking to their bodies with closer shavers, fragrances, moisturisers and hair dye. Calvin Klein's fragrances, Crave, is aimed primarily at 15 to 22-year-old males, who spend much more time in front of the mirror than their fathers. Why?
As the presence of women increased in men's social and working lives - as their rights were belatedly recognised - men have changed the way they act. Straight men, some marketers believe, are changing because women demand their partners take greater effort with their appearance.
"The feminist movement has been the biggest contributor to the men's market since it has developed," says Jean-Marc Carriol, director of the fashion company Trimex, which represents Clarins in Australia.
As women have pushed for equal rights, Carriol says, "the success of that push has fundamentally altered the way men and women interact within the workplace. Appearance and grooming are really important."
The workplace itself has changed for many men, too. As the proportion of white-collar workers grows, so does the need to look good. To compete in today's work environment, you must dress well, have your hair cut neatly and take care of your body.
And as the world becomes increasingly globalised, Australian men are starting to see that men in other countries, particularly in Europe, proudly take care of themselves.
Even with beer, marketers are taking on a less macho tone when they communicate with men.
"We have certainly seen a change towards more segmentation (of the beer market)," says Lion Nathan's premium marketing director, Paul Foster. "There's still that 'hardcore' masculine image at the core end of the market, (but) there's also a lot more progressive market segments."
Men are also changing the way they buy homeware, cars and electrical goods, says Alan Treadgold, director of research and consulting at the advertising agency Leo Burnett.
"There's a lot of categories that are purchased by males, but using what we would conventionally regard as female cues," says Treadgold. "Traditionally, when purchasing home entertainment systems, we would expect guys to be motivated by gadgetry and technical features. But, increasingly, there's a certain type of male choosing it from what might be seen as female attributes, such as the environment of the store, level of service and other intangible things."

In car advertising, for example, much more emphasis is being placed on the people driving and the feelings they are experiencing rather than the car's specifications.

Global research by the advertising agency Euro RSCG last year showed that men were more secure in their masculinity, with those aged 40 and above displaying greater sensitivity, particularly through family values.

"The definition of what it means to be male is changing," says Euro RSCG's strategy planning director, Matt Donovan

metrosexual look in men 4

The Metrosexual Man in India
Today, dressing up and looking good is no longer a female domain; the urban man too knows how to get the killer look and is ready to take up the style challenge
By Omi Gurung • May 1, 2009

 Be it hair straightening, waxing or plucking, they want the best
flamboyant egocentric in love with himself and his urban lifestyle, the new age man gives a damn about who he is, how he looks and what he wears. Call him sexy or vain, he doesn’t care. Media pundits and fashion gurus call him by various names, the most common being metrosexual.

The word metrosexual (metropolitan and sexual) is a term generally applied to man with strong concern for the appearance. Apparently he’s a man with money and an interest in fashion and beauty. He might be officially gay, straight or bisexual but he belongs to the glossy magazine culture and works hard to get the picture perfect look with a pleasing personality.

With the emergence of the metrosexual man, the most to make moolah is the beauty industry. Beautician Mona R. from Naturals says “Men are more aware and demanding today. They know what they want and are ready to pay any price to get the look. Be it hair straightening, waxing or plucking, they want the best.” After all, this is an era of gender equality and the perfect make up.
While more men are paying attentions to their looks, the cosmetic industries have even come out with special products that suit Indian male skin type. The first to hit the market was Emami male fairness cream but today you can find numerous brands available. Jimmy Xavier, who acted in Emami fair and handsome ad, feels “Who doesn’t want to be pampered? Using fairness cream does make you look and feel good.” The new Indian men are bold and beautiful and they love getting pampered. Men are becoming regular at Spas and the ‘chocolate spa’ is the most wanted.
But this does not mean the saying of ‘tall, dark and handsome’ does not apply to the metrosexual man. Indian men of all shades of skin tone, hair types and physique are seeking metrosexual treatments with the desire to look more sexy, confident. fashionable, trendy, cultured and well groomed.
As urban males are now being more open to changes and experimental in nature, the male fashion industry in India is rapidly growing too.
According to Dhruv Bogra, Business head of Nautica, “The demand for premium and luxury clothing has been growing at 15 to 18 per cent for the past five years and today an affluent male spends upto Rs 75,000 every year just on clothes.”
Many, all men’s luxury lifestyle stores have been opened in the metros of India, like The Collective and The Prestige Store in Bangalore. The Collective even includes a Paris based salon Jean Claude Biguine and a contemporary café. Ayamik, a design house for men in Mumbai stores collections of 22 fashion designers including Narendra Kumar Ahmed, JJ Valaya, and Shantanu & Nikhil. These fashionable stores are no doubt, a fashion temple for all male brand bhakts.
Men are becoming more fashion savvy in India and there are many reasons for the growing interest. One of them is the change in lifestyle and work culture. Moreover, with fashion weeks becoming more organised, men are now more aware of what is in vogue.

In the West, celebrities like David Beckham, Freddie Prinze Jr and Alex Rodriguez all fit into the look of the metrosexual man.  In India, celebrities like Shahrukh Khan and sports star Dhoni are endorsing grooming goods for men, which are proudly on display in newspapers, magazines, billboards and TV ads. Bollywood stars like Hrithik Roshan are inspirational to the look of the metrosexual man.

 

metrosexual look in men 3

 

^ Marksimpson.com 'Here come the mirror men' by Mark Simpson - first usage of the word 'metrosexual'
^ Simpson, Mark. (July 22, 2002). Meet the metrosexual. Salon.
^ Murray, Mitch. (January 9, 2007). "Questions." Daily Mail (London), pp. 55.
^ "Metrosexual? That rings a bell..." Mark Simpson on the appropriation of his bastard child
^ Chrisafis, Angelique. (June 16, 2003). "Spot the salmon pink shirt". The Guardian (London), p. 6.
^ a b c Simpson, Mark (January 5, 2004). "MetroDaddy speaks!". Salon.com; later MarkSimpson.com.
^ "The rise of the metrosexual". The Sydney Morning Herald. March 6, 2003.
^ Broadway Joe, Football Great Talks About His Drinking Problem With Bob Simon CBS News
^ America - meet David Beckham
^ Metro Cowboy to Play Metro Athlete
^ Simpson, Mark (June 28, 2003). "Beckham, the virus". Salon.com.
^ Simpson, Mark (December 2005). "Metrodaddy v. Ubermummy". MarkSimpson.com.
^ Simpson, Mark (May 18, 2007). "When the issue comes out". The Guardian (London). Retrieved May 12, 2010.
^ The root word for "city" in "metropolis" is "polis", not "metro"; that part means "mother", hence "mother city" (cf "necropolis" for "dead city").
^ a b Marksimpson.com 'Becks the virus' June 28, 2003
^ a b Metrodaddy v. Ubermummy
^ King, Daniel (November 12, 2005). "And now presenting ... THE UBERSEXUAL?!". The San Francisco Chronicle.
^ 60 SECONDS: Marian Salzman | Metro.co.uk
^ Freud, Sigmund (1952). The major works of Sigmund Freud. Chicago: William Benton.
^ Huffington Post Mark Simpson and Caroline Hagood on Wo-Metrosexuality and the City April 13, 2010
^ Levant, Ronald F. Dr.; Gini Kopecky (1995). Masculinity Reconstructed: changing the rules of manhood: at work, in relationships and in family life. New York: Dutton.
^ Alzheimer, Lillian (22 June 2003). "Metrosexuals: The Future of Men?". Euro RSCG. Archived from the original on 3 August 2003. Retrieved 15 December 2003.
^ Simpson, Mark (22 June 2003). "Metrosexual? That rings a bell...". Independent on Sunday; later MarkSimpson.com. Retrieved 2003-10-13.
^ MetroDaddy speaks Mark Simpson
^ Simpson, Mark (22 June 2002). "Meet the metrosexual". Salon.com; later MarkSimpson.com.
^ ^ The Wimpiest Men on TV Stuffmagazine.com
^ "Counter-couture: Men's fashion titles on rise even as ad pages fall" Jon Fine. Advertising Age. (Midwest region edition). Chicago: February 28, 2005. Vol. 76, Iss. 9; pg. 51, 1 pg
^ "Metrosexuals ahoy: Cargo's ship sinks" April 7, 2006 Atlanta Journal-Constitution, page G6

metrosexual look in men 2

Metrosexual is a neologism portmanteau of metropolitan and heterosexual coined in 1994 describing a man (especially one living in a post-industrial, capitalist culture) who displays attributes stereotypically associated with homosexual men (such as a strong concern for his appearance), although he is not homosexual. Debate surrounds the term's use as a theoretOrigin

The term originated in an article by Mark Simpson[1] published on November 15, 1994, in The Independent. Simpson wrote:
“ Metrosexual man, the single young man with a high disposable income, living or working in the city (because that’s where all the best shops are), is perhaps the most promising consumer market of the decade. In the Eighties he was only to be found inside fashion magazines such as GQ, in television advertisements for Levis jeans or in gay bars. In the Nineties, he’s everywhere and he’s going shopping. ”
The term greatly increased in popularity following Simpson's 2002 Salon.com article "Meet the metrosexual", which identified David Beckham as the metrosexual poster boy. The advertising agency Euro RCSG Worldwide adopted the term shortly thereafter for a marketing study, and the New York Times published a Sunday feature, "Metrosexuals Come Out"; the story trickled into local news outlets across North America.
Simpson's Salon.com definition is more nuanced than the term's common use today.
“ The typical metrosexual is a young man with money to spend, living in or within easy reach of a metropolis – because that's where all the best shops, clubs, gyms and hairdressers are. He might be officially gay, straight or bisexual, but this is utterly immaterial because he has clearly taken himself as his own love object and pleasure as his sexual preference. Particular professions, such as modeling, waiting tables, media, pop music and, nowadays, sport, seem to attract them but, truth be told, like male vanity products and herpes, they're pretty much everywhere.
For some time now, old-fashioned (re)productive, repressed, unmoisturized heterosexuality has been given the pink slip by consumer capitalism. The stoic, self-denying, modest straight male didn't shop enough (his role was to earn money for his wife to spend), and so he had to be replaced by a new kind of man, one less certain of his identity and much more interested in his image – that's to say, one who was much more interested in being looked at (because that's the only way you can be certain you actually exist). A man, in other words, who is an advertiser's walking wet dream.[2]
”
Former Metro Radio presenter Mitch Murray claims that he invented the term in the 1980s. At that time, he says, the word had a very different connotation, as it was simply a play on words involving "Metro Radio" and heterosexuals. Murray would send a weekly tape to the local radio station in Newcastle upon Tyne. "Very early during the process", he created station identification segments, one of which he claims included the phrase "We are the metrosexuals." It is unclear whether the segment was actually broadcast, and there is no documentary evidence of his claims.[3] Also, when the word first became popular, various sources incorrectly attributed its origin to trendspotter Marian Salzman, but by Salzman's own admission[4] Simpson's 2002 Salon.com article was the original source for her usage of the term.
Media explaining the term often rely on citing a few individuals as prime illustrations. Simpson's 2002 Salon.com article "Meet the metrosexual" used Beckham as its prime exemplar — and most journalists and marketers followed suit. David Beckham and Tom Egger have been called "metrosexual icons"[5] and are often coupled with the term. Amply referred-to individuals include personalities such as Brad Pitt, Arnold Schwarzenegger,[6] Howard Dean,[6] and Ryan Seacrest.
Simpson's work was often blatantly plagiarised. The Australian national newspaper Sydney Morning Herald ran a major feature in March 2003 titled "The Rise of the Metrosexual" (also syndicated in its sister paper The Age) which borrowed heavily from Simpson's "Meet the Metrosexual" published on Salon.com the previous July, right down to the title and illustration. Neither his article nor Simpson himself were mentioned in the piece.[7]
A 60 Minutes story on 1960s-70s pro footballer Joe Namath suggested he was "perhaps, America's first metrosexual"[8] after filming his most famous ad sporting Beautymist pantyhose. Simpson has called Joe Namath "America's abandoned metrosexual prototype", leaving the field open for later Brit metro imports such as Beckham.[9]
Pointing out the differences between Beckham and Namath, Simpson writes:
“ If this ad were to be reprised by David Beckham today you would notice the following differences:
He would look much better in pantyhose
He wouldn't say "I don’t wear pantyhose". And if he did, no one would believe him.
He wouldn't be wearing anything else
He wouldn't laugh. Fashion, as his titanium-cheekboned wife has taught him, is a very serious business.
And, most of all, he wouldn't be selling them to women.[10]
”
[edit]Other terms

Over the course of the following months, other terms countering or substituting for "metrosexual" appeared. Perhaps the most widely used was "retrosexual," a traditionally masculine man who rejects focus on physical appearance, sort of the opposite of a metrosexual (again coined by Simpson, who described the term in a Salon.com article entitled "Beckham, the virus."[11]
“ Beckham is the über-metrosexual, because he is a sportsman, a man of substance--a "real" man--who wishes to disappear into surfaceness in order to become ubiquitous--to become media. Becks is The One, and better looking than Keanu--but, be warned, he's working for the Matrix. ”
Another example, the übersexual, coined by marketing executives and authors of The Future of Men (and perhaps inspired by Simpson's use of the term "uber-metrosexual"), caused Simpson to reply, "Any discussion in the style pages of the media about what is desirable and attractive in men and what is 'manly' and what isn't, is simply more metrosexualization. Metrosexuality—do I really have to spell it out?—is mediated masculinity."[12]
Marketers and magazines like Men's Health trying to sell cosmetics to men have introduced the term heteropolitan. Mark Simpson wrote in The Guardian in 2007 about the irony of "metromag" Men's Health jumping on the "heteropolitan" bandwagon, asking, "When is Men's Health going to come out to itself?"[13]
None of these metro-offspring have thrived, although metrosexual seems to have stuck and become part of the English language.
Etymologically, metrosexual comes from the Greek meter = mother and the Latin sexus = sex.[14] Mark Simpson was unaware of this when he coined the word,[6] but later endorsed the etymology, adding "It's post-Oedipal."
[edit]Übersexual
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The word übersexual is a term claimed to be coined by the authors of the book Future of Men (O'Reilly, Matathia, Salzman, 2005) and is a variant of metrosexual. The word seems to have been inspired by the phrase "uber-metrosexual", used by the creator of the metrosexual Mark Simpson to describe David Beckham.[15] Salzman appropriated Simpson's work on the metrosexual in 2002 to sell another book.[15]
Simpson has pointed out that the book contains several deliberate misrepresentations of him, his work, and the history of the metrosexual, including the assertion that his coinage of the term in 1994 was "derisive", when in fact the article "Here come the mirror men" was clearly welcoming. The academic David Coad's book The Metrosexual (Suny, 2008) confirms this, and documents other misrepresentations by the marketers.[16]
Many of the "top ubersexuals" named by Salzman, such as Bono, Bill Clinton and George Clooney were on her list of "top metrosexuals" in 2003. The authors of Future of Men argue that the übersexual is not derivative of the metrosexual man.
The future of men, proclaim the authors, is "not to be found in the primped and waxed boy who wowed the world with his nuanced knowledge of tweezers and exfoliating creams. Men, at the end of the day, will have to rely on their intellect and their passion, their erudition and professional success, to be acknowledged and idealised in contemporary society. Called the 'übersexual'—-a degree of greatness and perfection, an acknowledgment that this is an evolved species of man—he is so perfect as to leave little margin for error and fallacy."
Some, including Simpson and Armistead Maupin, have suggested that behind this congealed marketing-speak there was something rather simple going on: a homophobic attempt to stop the metrosexual being so "gay". Or, as Salzman herself put it proudly, the ubersexual (unlike the metrosexual) "doesn't invite questions about his sexuality".[17]
Simpson has argued that from the beginning the appropriation of the metrosexual concept by American marketers such as Salzman in 2003 was always about trying to straighten him out. His original definition of the metrosexual was sexually ambiguous, or at least went beyond the straight/gay binary; marketers, in contrast, insisted that the metrosexual was always "straight" – they even tried to pretend that he wasn't vain.[16]
However, they failed to convince the public – hence their attempt to create the uber-straight ubersexual.
Despite a large global PR push for their "new", completely "non-gay" metrosexual – and a largely uncritical press, which failed to notice that the list of top ten ubersexuals was essentially the same as the ones they had published two years previously as the top ten metrosexuals – the "ubersexual" failed to catch on with the public, as Salzman herself later admitted.[18]
[edit]Narcissism
Narcissism, according to Simpson, plays a crucial role in the metrosexual concept. As Simpson writes in "Narcissus goes shopping" (Male Impersonators, 1994), consumerism and narcissism are closely related. Citing Freud's On Narcissism, which analyzes the psychological aspect of narcissism and explains narcissistic love as follows:
“ A person may love: (1) According to the narcissistic type: (a) What he is himself, (b) What he once was, (c) What he would like to be, (d) Someone who once was part of himself.[19] ”
The metrosexual, in its original coinage, is a person who, under the spell of consumerism, is or desires to be what he sees in magazines and advertising. Simpson's metrosexual would be a type A or type C narcissist, as he loves himself or an idealized image of what he would like to be.
[edit]Female metrosexuality
Female metrosexuality is a concept that Mark Simpson explored with American writer Caroline Hagood.[20] They employed the female characters from the HBO series Sex and the City in order to illustrate examples of wo-metrosexuality, a term Hagood coined to refer to the feminine form of metrosexuality. The piece implied that, although this phenomenon would not necessarily empower women, the fact that the metrosexual lifestyle de-emphasizes traditional male and female gender roles could help women out in the long run.
[edit]Changing masculinity
Traditional masculine norms, as described in Dr. Ronald F. Levant's Masculinity Reconstructed are: "avoidance of femininity; restricted emotions; sex disconnected from intimacy; pursuit of achievement and status; self-reliance; strength and aggression; and homophobia."[21]
Statistics, including market research by Euro RSCG, show that the pursuit of achievement and status is not as important to men as it used to be; and neither is, to a degree, the restriction of emotions or the disconnection of sex from intimacy. Another norm change is supported by research that claimed men "no longer find sexual freedom universally enthralling." The most important shift in masculinity is that there is less avoidance of femininity and the "emergence of a segment of men who have embraced customs and attitudes once deemed the province of women."[22] What is accepted as "masculine" has shifted considerably throughout the times, so the modern concept of how a man "should be" differs from the ideal man of previous eras. Some styles and behaviors that are today considered feminine were, in the past, part of the man's domain (e.g., knee britches, makeup, jewelry).
Changes in culture and attitudes toward masculinity, visible in the media through television shows such as Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Queer as Folk, and Will & Grace, have changed these traditional masculine norms. Metrosexuals only made their appearance after cultural changes in the environment and changes in views on masculinity.
Simpson explains in his article "Metrosexual? That rings a bell..." that "Gay men provided the early prototype for metrosexuality. Decidedly single, definitely urban, dreadfully uncertain of their identity (hence the emphasis on pride and the susceptibility to the latest label) and socially emasculated, gay men pioneered the business of accessorising—and combining—masculinity and desirability."[23]
In a 2004 Salon.com interview, Simpson answers question about his "offspring".[24]
[edit]The commercial metrosexual
In its soundbite diffusion through the channels of marketeers and popular media, who eagerly and constantly reminded their audience that the metrosexual was straight, the metrosexual has congealed into something more digestible for consumers: a heterosexual male who is in touch with his feminine side—he color-coordinates, cares deeply about exfoliation, and has perhaps manscaped.
Men didn't go to shopping malls, so consumer culture promoted the idea of a sensitive guy who went to malls, bought magazines and spent freely to improve his personal appearance. As Simpson put it:
“ For some time now, old-fashioned (re)productive, repressed, unmoisturized heterosexuality has been given the pink slip by consumer capitalism. The stoic, self-denying, modest straight male didn't shop enough (his role was to earn money for his wife to spend), and so he had to be replaced by a new kind of man, one less certain of his identity and much more interested in his image – that's to say, one who was much more interested in being looked at (because that's the only way you can be certain you actually exist). A man, in other words, who is an advertiser's walking wet dream."[25] ”

 

 

This commercial vision is also adapted in television's metrosexual archetype, Bravo's Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, in which the "Fab Five" instructively transform the appearance of the straight guy—but largely avoid dealing with his personality.
In some contrast, there is also the view that metrosexuality is at least partly a naturally occurring phenomenon, much like the Aesthetic Movement of the 19th century and that the metrosexual is merely a modern incarnation of a dandy.
Another person who confesses to his metrosexuality is Mike Greenberg, co-host of the popular morning sports talk show "Mike and Mike in the Morning" on ESPN Radio. He has many times confessed to being metrosexual and his book has "Confessions of a Metrosexual Sportscaster" on it.
Dominic Monaghan, star of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Lost, has also been described as a metrosexual. He has jokingly admitted that he "believes he should have been a homosexual—because he loves make-up, painting his nails and wearing skirts".[26]
Stuff has proclaimed Ryan Seacrest as "the poster boy of metrosexuality".[27]
Men's fashion magazines – such as Details, Men's Vogue, and Cargo (defunct) – target what one Details editor calls "men who moisturize and read a lot of magazines".[28][29]
ical signifier of sex deconstruction and its associations with consumerism.

metrosexual look in men

In simple terms, a metrosexual man is still a masculine man on the inside, only softer around the edges. Metrosexuals are also not necessarily gay or homosexual, they are just more in touch with their feminine sides than the traditional, stereotypical cave man.

Levels of metrosexuality do differ. Some men only practice basic grooming - using facial products and dressing well, sometimes even going for manicures and pedicures. Others are so metrosexual that the women in their lives feel like their men are over-doing it and acting more like the girls than the woman does.

Yes, metrosexuality can get out of hand. If a man changes his clothes 5 times a day, fights with you for the bathroom mirrors, spends more on grooming products than you do and keeps you waiting while they spend their two hours preparingLast year the mainstream media discovered a new species of British male: the metrosexual. He was fashionably dressed, spent an egregious amount of time and money on personal grooming, and looked like Jude Law in Alfie.
The trouble was that in its fascination with the habits of the sophisticated urban male, the press missed the fact that the real changes in men's appearance were taking place beyond the city centre; in provincial high streets, in the suburbs, even on the football terraces.
'I went to a football match recently in Nottingham,' says Mark Hooper of the men's style magazine Esquire. 'Everyone on the terraces seemed to have a Hoxton fin haircut or an expensive jacket. It's not just about trendy types in Soho or Shoreditch. It's a universal attitude now.'
Last year, the research company Datamonitor found that British men now spend £1.3 billion a year on grooming products. The overwhelming majority of those purchases are being made by men under 40 who spend £111 a year each on personal beauty products - only £27 a year less than women in the same age bracket.
Scenting the growth in demand among younger men, cosmetics giants such as L'Oréal and Nivea have been rushing to stock the shelves of Boots with male hair and face care products.
But the grooming boom has also led to the growth of many smaller British companies such as Pur:phuel and King of Shaves, the second biggest selling 'shaving software' brand in the UK after Gillette. Founded 12 years ago in his bedroom by Will King, the company offers everything from moisturisers, cleansers and exfoliators to XCD, a 'male image enhancement regime for men' - otherwise known as make-up.
Recent years have also seen the growth of dedicated men's grooming salons such as Carnaby Street's G Room and the Refinery, a chain of male beauty parlours offering such treatment as back waxes and Botox injections.
According to Joanna Broughton of Truefitt & Hill, a men's salon in St James's, London, 'the perception of masculine good looks has undergone a tremendous transformation in the past few years. Men not only want to look their best, they now recognise the importance of being flawlessly groomed.
Men no longer consider that manicured fingernails or smooth skin detract from their masculinity. Awareness of appearance is becoming paramount in the psychology of the modern male.'
Quite what is prompting this change is open to question. Mark Hooper cites the popularity of makeover shows such as Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and style icons such as David Beckham.
He also points to the rising number of single men in Britain. Six in 10 men aged between 25 and 34 are not married, with 40 per cent of that figure completely single - double the amount of two decades ago. 'Men are in and out of relationships, and it forces them to work harder at their appearance because they have to be on the lookout for a partner.'
Equally, Hooper says, the society that today's young men grow up in is markedly more feminised than that of previous generations. 'Men socialise more with their female friends, they're quite likely to work for a female boss, and they may earn less than their partner. That old 70s attitude of blokiness is disappearing because there are fewer ways that men can claim they are naturally "better" than women. They have to put more effort into everything, from their relationships to the way they look.'
Indeed, according to Dan Holliday of The Fish Can Sing, a marketing company that specialises in tracking cultural trends, men are spending more time on their appearance out of anxiety at the shifting social hierarchy. 'GCSE age onwards, young males are aware of the need to compete with their female counterparts, who are increasingly outperforming them in the examination rooms and in the workplace.
Some young men are taking on the girls at their own game and are adopting a more fluid, expressive and experimental attitude and behaviour. This partly accounts for the growing interest in grooming, menswear and other conspicuous signifiers of success.' Those unable to keep up, Holliday warns, are liable to 'lapse into crisis and introspection'.
Perhaps it's not surprising then that types of health problems traditionally ascribed to women are on the rise among young men. The Eating Disorders Association estimates that 10 per cent of Britain's 90,000 anorexics and bulimics are male.
Men are increasingly liable to fall prey to eating disorders and more exotic conditions such as dysmorphia, sometimes known as 'bigorexia', an obsessive-compulsive syndrome that leads sufferers to work out constantly in the gym, abusing steroids and developing hypertrophied bodies, in the delusion that they are puny and underweight.
Dr Roberto Olivardia is co-author of The Adonis Complex: The Secret Crisis of the Male Body. 'To a degree unprecedented in history,' he says, 'men are being made to feel more and more inadequate about how they look - while simultaneously being prohibited from talking about it or even admitting it to themselves.'
This is the bleak underside of men's new regard for their appearance. Far from a problem, most see the shift in attitudes as a positive sign. For Steve Beale of the men's fashion magazine Arena Homme Plus, the grooming boom is the belated expression of an age-old impulse. 'Ordinary men have always obsessed about their appearance, even if they haven't had all the moisturisers and hair gels they do now. Besides, good-looking people get the best jobs and the most women. What you're seeing now is the reproductive instinct writ large.'
Beale has a point. A few years ago, researchers at London Guildhall University found that taking care of your appearance made financial sense. In a survey of 11,000 British 33-year-olds, the most presentable men enjoyed 15 per cent higher wages than their less well turned out colleagues.
Similarly, good-looking people were more likely to be married, more confident, less likely to be kept waiting at bars, and liable to receive lighter penalties from juries if they ended up on trial. 'The truth is, it's all quite base,' Beale says. 'Men are tuning in to the fact that if you use moisturiser you might pull more women. Instead of grooming being seen as non-masculine, it's become the opposite. Now it's macho to moisturise.'
I try to keep my look raw. I like to represent what I'm about: hip-hop, R&B, ragga, roots - I keep it ghetto. But on the flipside, I love Gucci, Alexander McQueen, Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto. When I buy a designer item I try to blend it. I'll wear a pair of Nike Air Jordans and a pair of Evisu jeans. Then I'll have a Moschino T-shirt and an Alexander McQueen shirt. In the summertime it's all about keeping it clean. Shorts for the entire season, no jeans or sweatpants, and a nice pair of pure white, box-fresh trainers.
I haven't got much money but I carry myself as though I do because I don't want to look like a bum. Grooming's important to me. I use Clinique body exfoliator and for the face Johnson's baby lotion. It's good for sensitive skin and it lets my skin breathe. Women always think you're going to have a face like a Brillo pad. But my skin is smooth and shiny and my face is as soft as a girl's.
When friends come round to my house and see cleansers and toners and cottonwool, they say, 'Sanikya, is that your girl's stuff?' The look on their face when they find out it's mine! They think it's hilarious. With them, it's just simple flannel and soap.'
I work out pretty much every day. That's partly for me and partly for the reaction. When I'm walking around in the summertime in a nice vest and you can see people do a double take as you walk past - it's the biggest stroke to the ego you can get.
There have been times when I've been out raving with a friend. We'll leave a club, then go for a sauna at about four in the morning. We complain to the staff that we need more towels, more conditioner, more shampoo. We just do it to be outrageous. That's how I am: young, rude and cocky. I'd say I was vain but not obsessive. I'm just making sure I look the best I can.
You look at most electricians, they're a mess. If you turn up for a job looking crap, people think you're going to do a crap job. I have my own company and I insist that the lads working for me look smart.
In the mornings it's a Gillette Mach3 Turbo on the shaving front, GHD or Shockwaves hair wax, Dermalogica men's range for the face and for aftershave, Hugo Boss, D&G, Ralph Lauren or Davidoff Cool Water. My wife's a beautician and sometimes she'll give me a facial. I rewired the house so it's a fair swap, isn't it?
The trick is not to look too trendy at work. You want to be smart but boy-next-door. You want to gain trust. From when I was 14 till I was 18 I worked in a clothes shop on the high street. That's when I understood that image is everything. That belief has followed through to everything I do now. I chose the uniforms for my company myself - I even designed the embroidery on the shirts.
On the weekends I jazz it up a bit. I like to dress up, make an effort. Put on a shirt and jacket. Gel my hair into a Mohican. I aim to stand out above the norm. I'm 6ft 4in, so I don't get stick for how I look. Having said that, I don't really care about brands that much. Just Diesel jeans and a Hugo Boss shirt for when I'm going out with the boys.
As far as I'm concerned, looking good begins with how you feel about yourself so it's important to take care of yourself. I'm twice a week down the gym. I eat healthily. I'm not the greasy cafe type except on cold, rainy winter mornings. I've been a keen surfer since I was eight years old. If the surf here in Bournemouth was reliable, I'd be out in it every day.
All of the lads in my company belong to the local gym. On a Friday, we'll all meet up in the afternoon, have a couple of beers, have a sauna and a hot tub, and wash away the crap from the week.
A lot of people in building work suffer from poor communication skills. I'm a natural talker, and people relate to you if you can communicate. That's why image is really important. It's part of how you win a relationship with people. Ultimately, the product you're selling is you.
I've always been into clothes. I think it's important to look different and to have people talk about what you're wearing.
When I was 17 I had a pink APC T-shirt that I bought in Paris. I wore it to death and I loved it. I grew up in Surrey and I was in the rugby team. I'd turn up for training in this pink T-shirt and they'd all start laughing.
You can get away with a lot more now. Even though the high street's pretty appalling for men, places like Topman do try and they get a lot right. Men are much more comfortable using moisturisers and hair products. Working in magazines, I'm aware of the marketing of products aimed at men. There's a lot more focus on what a man is supposed to be and how he's supposed to look.
Men are encouraged to experiment with their appearance. A few years ago I was into the Strokes and really influenced by how they dressed. When you go to see a band and they're all wearing suits and looking smart, you think, 'I'd like to look like that.'
I admire men who don't try too hard. Pete Doherty has got a real dandyish style. He just looks naturally cool. Whereas someone like David Beckham, because he's had all the marketing and everyone knows who does his hair and his styling, it's almost like he's been put together.
Looking good for me at the moment means wearing skinny Helmut Lang black jeans, pointy shoes and Dior shirts. I like going out dressed in a tie and jacket to grimy discos down in Camden. I love that whole rock'n'roll look. I've always had a theory that every man has a secret desire to be a rock star and I often try to live that out.
I think people would describe me as a fashion victim but I wouldn't call myself one. I just like to look good. themselves, then I think there is a threat of a role-reversal there.