the metrosexual phenom. is a neat answer to two very different problems. in men's fashion, there has been a tendency to cater to the american gay aesthetic or the european playboy, but this has left out the average american male consumer for the most part. to combat this "king of the hill" ratty i-can't-be-seen-caring-about-fashion trend, they have come up with this idea of selling metrosexuality, speaking directly to the straight-identifying man who probably has been dying his hair, hitting the gym, even dieting for years but just never felt quite right saying it was for any other reason than keeping up appearances...now this guy can buy skincare products and go to the spa without the jeers of his friends...
secondly, it answers the ongoing trend among gay men toward a hyper-masculinity. yes, there are several gay men who would find absolute happiness having their nails buffed or getting highlights, but there are also those gay men who needed to have a way to shrug off this queeny preoccupation with oneself, without feeling that they some how gave up their gay identity. tom ford, possibly the most stylish gay man on the planet said it best in a recent issue of details, when he said that he doesn't want to feel stubble in his mouth.