Metrosexuality

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A cultural trend where urban males focus on grooming, fashion, and aesthetics while also involving attitudes typically associated with femininity in their self-expression
2. An emerging lifestyle among city-dwelling men that combines an interest in personal care, fashion-forward thinking, and an aesthetic appreciation often linked to female norms
3. A social phenomenon where men in cities put significant effort into personal appearance, style, and grooming inspired by traditionally feminine traits

Etymology: Metrosexuality was coined in 1994 by the British journalist Mark Simpson, who used it in an article for The Independent to describe a straight urban man who cared about his clothes, skincare and appearance. The word is a blend of "metropolitan" and "heterosexual," joining the first part of one with the last part of the other, and its shape reflects the idea that the figure lived in the city and was not gay. Simpson's point was partly playful: he saw the type as a consumer target that advertisers had been courting for years. The term took off in the early 2000s, helped by the US television show "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," and it became a shorthand for men who used moisturiser and bought fashion without feeling it compromised their masculinity. In 2002 Simpson himself declared the figure had been overtaken by a newer type, the "spornosexual," an allusion to pornography, showing how quickly the label moved on.