The latest market research shows that the movement toward the manicured, pedicured, fashion-plate metrosexual is dead, if he even ever really existed. So say numbers from GfKRoper Consulting.
The market-research firm surveyed a cross-section of men mirroring the U.S. over-18 population and found a kerplunk in the percentage of men who care at all about changes in male style. Only 22 percent said they “generally like changes in style” involving clothing and footwear, down 8 percentage points from 2004.
Looking from the other direction, 67 percent of men say they “don’t pay much attention to changes in fashion,” up 9 points from 2004.
By contrast, about half of women say they like changes in style, trending slightly upward.
GfK senior vice president Kathy Sheehan said the male fashion fizzle, though typically stronger among rural guys, is consistent across the board as far as declining interest.
As much as I’d like to believe that this is because men are offered squat when it comes to unique items of clothing, Sheehan shot that idea down, saying the market is simply following demand. So apparently all men are asking of the market are sacky shirts with stupid sayings and baggy pants with various pouches for electronic gear, which are more important than how you look.
Men’s clothing is the new mini-van.
“The overall trend is that there is a casualization that’s happening in the United States,” Sheehan said. “We would say the metrosexual was a flash in the pan.”
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I also tried to argue that much of the truly unique clothing, the stuff that stands out, often comes with price tags that loosen your bowels like a fast-acting laxative.
Yet Sheehan hosed that idea, too, saying that if men really demanded it, they’d see these more unique items showing up in moderately priced stores.
But I think that deep down, guys want to care how they dress, and women will tell you that clothing is the first indication that a guy probably washes behind his ears and might even make a good mate.
The thing that mate-hunting women fear, however, is that once they see a guy who really takes care of himself and seems to have it together, he’ll turn out to be gay, meaning he’s off limits.
What’s more, I think a lot of heterosexual men who want to spiff up are afraid that other guys will think that same thing — that they’re gay.
Though it’s not true in other countries and especially not in Europe, in this country it’s gay guys who have the reputation of really pushing the wardrobe limits, of employing the latest styles. That’s the perception that led to TV’s “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.”
Which all leads to my theory: that American men have such a built-in homophobia, they think that to look different is to look gay. So beige and baggy rule the day, rather than colorful and fitted.
If we don’t look exactly like the sheep on our left and the sheep on our right, we fear that our sexuality might be questioned. To my mind, it takes strength to look different, to develop a unique style.
That’s not being a metrosexual, it’s being a real man.
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