Supernatural Botanicals

Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl, giving us his best Gordon Gekko impersonation.  I adore this look!  This over-the-top style is amazing…and so hot!  It screams sexy.  Love it!  I especially love the fact that the style continues on to another generation. 

According to Wikipedia, a metrosexual is a neologism generally applied to heterosexual men with a strong concern for their appearance, or whose lifestyles display attributes stereotypically seen among gay men. Metrosexualism is closely related to Dandyism.  Debate surrounds the term’s use as a theoretical signifier of gender deconstruction and its associations with consumerism. The word was coined as a tongue-in-cheek play on “homosexual”.

The Power Metrosexual:

Where does one draw the line between a man that pays attention to detail, and a full-blown metrosexual?  For instance, take Gordon Gekko, the character played by Michael Douglas in the 1987 film Wall Street.  Gordon’s persona didn’t strike me as particularly metrosexual in the very least, after all, he was tough, smart, and clearly the ladies man.  But you’d be blind to ignore his obvious attention to detail, i.e., impeccable taste, tailored suits, gorgeous cuff links, crisp starched shirts, and perfectly slicked back hair.   Personally, I think Gordon Gekko had serious style, serious attitude, serious power, and serious appeal.  Of course, he was an ego-maniac and a monster at the end of the day, but Michael Douglas’ ultra-appeal made you want to buy every bit of what this bad boy was selling.  Gordon Gekko is truly the “ideal” metrosexual of his day.   In fact, to this day.  Realistically or even fictionally speaking, there’s never been another like Gordon Gekko.

The Rapper Metrosexual:

But let’s delve further, shall we?  Kanye West is best known for creating great tunes, having an attitude, making Mike Myers extremely uncomfortable during the Katrina telethon, and being a metrosexual.  He’s rather good at all of those things.  The picture below portrays a stylish Kanye…..love the sweater which appears to be cashmere, love the tailored fit, love the khakis with the belt, and the shoes can even stay.  Here’s where being a metrosexual tests the limits of masculinity….a man purse?  Not the man purse!  It’s just one step over the line.  Men aren’t supposed to be carrying purses as much as women aren’t supposed to be wearing wallets in their back pockets, in theory, anyway.   I know that sounds completely stereotypical, but some things in life ARE black and white.  And what I know for sure, is that men shouldn’t be carrying handbags.  Period.  It’s far too feminine a move if you are a man.  Love the look, Kanye….but let your lady carry the bag, please.   Otherwise, it’s completely gorgeous.

The Rocker Metrosexual:

Rockers have always been able to cross over into the land of androgyny without receiving too much grief over it.  David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Marilyn Manson, Mick Jagger, Elton John, Axel Rose, and Steven Tyler are some examples of men with particularly feminine qualities.  What’s more disturbing is the trend we are seeing today with our rockers.  When you think rockstar, the last thing you think of is flat irons and guyliner.  Sadly, this is the look of our modern day rocker.   From Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora to Pete Wentz and Keith Urban.  In my opinion, once your man has crossed over into flat ironing his hair or even worse, strung out on guyliner, it’s time for a testosterone intervention, ladies.  While all four aforementioned rockers possess tremendous amounts of good looks, the Jennifer-Aniston-Shag and guyliner are just too big a pill to swallow.

The Pretty-Boy Metrosexual:

Ah, the pretty-boy metrosexual, perhaps one of my favorites.  Not that I’m condoning pretty-boys, or even metrosexuals necessarily, but I find this group to have the perfect balance of personal grooming and masculinity.  (okay, so maybe I do condone pretty-boys!)  They never look unkempt, even if they are unkempt.  Always in perfect taste, always classy, always on the money!   Andy Garcia is perfection, as was the eternally beautiful JFK, Jr.  Jude Law is today’s metro meets sexual.  He has an urban coolness and attention for details, yet stays completely masculine.   And for obvious reasons, we see why Halle Berry loves Gabrielle Aubry, who is also as close to perfection as I think is legally allowed.

Men need to find the balance of attention to details and masculinity.  (Translation….ladies, show your men that certain things, like pedicures and man purses, are for the ladies only.)