Plastic Surgery for Men QT: How to get the Retrosexual Look?

When GQ and Allure recently joined forces for their 2010 Grooming and Beauty Study, they discovered that 93% of men find the term metrosexual offensive. Speaking of the obvious! The term grew to popularity in the late 90s and early twenty-first century when, both, men starting embracing it's meaning and women started giving it a name. Snap back to the reality of the present, however, and there seems to be a new movement in order; a movement some call retrosexual. If the earlier hailed a trend over the past decade of an overly-manicured and somewhat emasculated man, the latter is a renunciation of that trend. While retrosexuals are heralding the styles and values of traditional masculinity—they are doing so with an entirely different perspective, post-metrosexual male, with a heightened understanding and likening of brands, aesthetics and lifestyle.

Think Justin Timberlake's love for fedoras, David Beckham's penchant for flannels and Johnny Depp's old-era eyeglasses; these are subtle examples of the retrosexual. But they come in more extremities: the flannel-clad urbanite with rustic hair, nouveau gentleman on a motorbike or tattooed soldier in a J. Crew chambray shirt.

The rising trend can easily be seen in the growing popularity of brands that exude Americana and heritage—brands like J. Crew, Woolrich, Gilded Age, Red Wing boots and even vintage Ray Bans. Retailers are also feeding into the craze, providing old-school environments based on traditional values of masculinity. Tom Ford flagships connote the look of bachelor pads and the J. Crew Liquor Store and John Varvartos flagships shine light on a Depression-era general store. Betrand Pellegrin, author of Branding the Man, argues that men's retailers in general adopt this strategy. "In order for the male customer to understand the merchandise, it needs to be framed in a way that makes sense and can be instantly read as 'masculine'."

What has sparked such a backward glance at the masculine normality of yesteryear? Cultural observers say blurring gender roles and economic insecurity. Unemployment has impacted men more severely than women, and gender parity has resulted in men and women playing equal roles at work and home. "There is less difference between the sexes than ever, and one way guys deal with that is by adopting the styles and attitudes of previous generations," explained Ian Pierpoint. In fact, Michael Kimmel, a sociologist at the State University of New York, recalls a study that showed that men grew their sideburns and beards during times when women made visible strides toward equality. "If the sexes are equal, men will gravitate to things that differentiate them."

Without doubt, this has resulted in fashions that are a juxtaposition of polished and rugged, well-made and worn-in. Men want to look as if they've made an effort, but with products that have stood the test of time. That seems to have been the aesthetic for the Fall 2010 collections of Billy Reid, Gilded Age, Levi's and tons of other brands; not to mention the entire being of J. Crew menswear.

If anything, the metrosexual trend has resulted in men feeling that having good clothes and brands is an important part of life. Which it is! The retrosexual craze is allowing them to do that while grabbing hold of their balls and screaming, "I am man, hear me roar!" And by all means, I like the latter much better.
resource: DistrictCut.com