Being Metro Is More Than a Label
I’m occasionally labeled as a metrosexual. I laugh at it, but I can understand. I enjoy shopping. I have my favorite brands for certain items of clothing. I am very particular about how my clothes fit. Care should be taken to bend collar stays appropriately. I don’t gel my hair. A manicure is sometimes necessary. Fashion rules apply. Granted, much of this is for fun and not essential, but to an extent, taking care of myself means something to me. I don’t necessarily label myself as a metrosexual, but I don’t mind it either.
This probably started in high school… One day I was ashamed of the over-sized sweater, the wrinkled khakis, the bad haircut. I felt it didn’t actually represent who I was. I was beginning to discover my own identity, and my appearance didn’t reflect that. I started reading Details and GQ, started shopping at Structure (when Express Men was actually good), and admired the style of actors like Jude Law (he’s got great style in Alfie). For awhile, I embraced the metrosexual label. I was different, and it was a positive thing.
Over time, the label of metrosexual became less important, and the idea of respecting myself and being comfortable with my own, unique identity became more important.
The brands you choose and how you present yourself is an outward reflection about you and your values, whether you like it or not. Dressing well and having a clean appearance is just as attractive as staying fit, having great interpersonal skills, or not smoking. People notice what you value on the outside, and will immediately make assumptions about who you are, and what you value on a deeper level. That being said, if it’s apparent you spend an enormous amount of time or money on your appearance, it might not say much about what deeper values you hold. There is a line.
The term metrosexual, to me now, is just a term. It loosely describes me, but I rarely use it. I am aware of who I am, and I respect myself. My identity extends far beyond a label, or a brand. While it might describe me, it’s only the surface, and lends itself only to give a glimpse of what I really value below that.
Image: sphoto
This article is part of 4-part series: Millennials on Metrosexuality
Read the other three:
Why I Hate Metro Men
A New Kind of Candy, A New Kind of Equality
Males Against Metrosexuality
Seth, if it works for you, power to you, dude. For me, it's just not my style. One thing you said really resonated with me, though:
“The brands you choose and how you present yourself is an outward reflection about you and your values, whether you like it or not.”
Despite my non-metro stance, I couldn't agree with this more, and to some degree, I think guys who choose to not embrace metrosexuality are making as much a statement as the guys who are. In the same way that NOT buying a brand says as much as buying it.
At the end of the day, metrosexual, or not, we're all choosing to express something in how we present ourselves, whether we intend it or not.