Can a man be too groomed?
Too often lately I have been classified as 'too groomed', with the latest comment being this weekend where I was considered to be 'most swished' with my hair! In normal circumstances I would take that as a compliment, however on reflection could there be some negatives in there; is there something I should refine, sorry de-fine about myself?
Yes I blow dry my hair (to make it swishy!) and YES I do occasionally whiten my teeth - but other than the everyday washing behind my ears, cleaning my teeth and using deodorant...thats about as far as my grooming regime goes.
Now don't get me wrong, I consider myself a metrosexual, I have feelings, I like to dress well and for men in general we have come a long way from the lad culture of the early nineties.
Looking back at the 90's where I had my teens, the dress sense was very much Ellesse trainers, baggy jeans, jungle music themed t-shirts and a poorly made Naff-Naff jacket accessorised with a spliffy record bag (because didn't everyone want to be a vinyl DJ at some point!). To get something slim-fit or tailored was unheard of and certainly not 'the norm'. The 90's was the era of Brit-Pop when it was certainly cooler to dress down although it would only be a matter of time before men's fashion reformed itself and reverted back to the glory days of the 20's or 60's.
The major shift in men's fashion and grooming in the UK were pioneered by the likes of David Beckham, David Gandy where a complete reversal took place; hello tailoring, hello fitted clothing and we haven't looked back since. Have men gone too far with their grooming? Are we approaching a Greek style correction in the grooming markets?
For me in conclusion, it would be a shame to go back to an era where making an effort in your appearance would have been frowned upon. I think we are in a happy-medium place where the groomed can live side-by-side with the hipsters of today...in fact many would argue that the hipsters and the most groomed of all men (but thats another debate)!
“Men’s grooming is getting too complex, if you are going to groom, groom like a man.”
Founder of this eponymous blog, focusing on men's fashion & lifestyle.