He rolls his 6-foot, 2-inch lanky frame out of bed at 7 a.m. and sleepily heads to the shower. After that, it’s time to put together the day’s ensemble, which means some serious closet consultation. Finding an outfit that matches isn’t too difficult because the whole closet is color coordinated. Today he feels like going casual, so out come a gray Polo shirt, his favorite brand, Guess jeans that are faded just right and a black Armani Exchange belt to put around his slim waist. For accessories, a silver Breitling watch — more like a navigation system — hooks around his left wrist and Polo socks envelop his feet. A last glance in the mirror reflects shapely lips sheltered under a long but graceful nose. A 5 o’clock shadow spreads across pecan brown cheeks and a cleft chin, but it’s the eyebrows he notices. It’s time for another waxing appointment, he thinks to himself as he walks out the door. Sandeep Rangineni, St. Joseph senior and a self-proclaimed metrosexual, is now ready to face the day.

In this age where image is everything and looks really do matter, it’s no surprise that women are no longer the only ones asking the mirror, “Who is the fairest one of all.” Men are joining the ranks of the style- and grooming-conscious public and are fashioning — literally — a new generation of men.

Though the metrosexual trend is fairly young, the term itself was born more than 10 years ago. Mark Simpson, a journalist, coined the term in 1994 when he used it in the British publication The Independent. He used the word to describe a new crop of urban, heterosexual males, who have good incomes, shop at the best stores and are concerned about fashion and facials. Simpson says that this new masculinity is replacing the traditional repressed, “unmoisturized” masculinity, and that Hollywood, advertising and magazines are the cause.

Men who care about clothes and grooming are growing in number, and a whole trend has unleashed itself on society as a result. The word “metrosexual” has taken on a life of its own. In 2003, “metrosexual” was voted as the word of the year by the American Dialect Society, which means that it dominated conversations in America during that time. Shows like “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” along with facial products and hair care lines, have found a new consumer in hetero men with products created and marketed specifically for men. The male identity is getting a makeover, and the “metrosexual” is just one of the new looks.

Male as old as time

Man’s image has changed dramatically over the years, says Mark Justad, a member of the American Men’s Studies Association. He says that the range of male identity has broadened to include and embrace the metrosexual trend. Identities are more flexible, says the Vanderbilt University professor of culture and religion, and as a result emotions and vulnerability — traits stereotypically associated with females — are now being linked to male heterosexual identity. Though the “macho man” image was prevalent in the past, it’s not to say that men who cared about appearance simply didn’t exist. Justad says the metrosexual man has been around for a long time, known by other monikers such as the “dandy,” who was an appearance-concerned man in the late 18th century. He says that the metrosexual is just a more evolved form of this kind of man.

Sandeep Rangineni, who was voted “best dressed” in high school, says his friends often tease him about his color-coordinated closet. He says that he was raised to look presentable at all times and looks at dressing well as a sign of respect to his family. As a result, he never leaves the house without a collared shirt on. Ian Staples, Lawrence sophomore, remembers that he demanded to wear a suit and tie to school on the first day of first grade. Years later, Staples sports jeans and hooded sweatshirts to class, but he would prefer to wear a suit every day because he is more comfortable in slacks.

The metrosexual trend is Staples’ proof that his penchant for nice clothes isn’t out of the ordinary. “I haven’t changed, but the world has changed to accommodate my tastes,” Staples says. Rangineni, agrees, saying that the metro trend is just a testament to the changing views of society. He says that the explosion of men’s magazines like GQ, Maxim, Men’s Health (his favorite), drives this new metro-man idea because it gives tips and hints to dressing better, eating better, even dating better.

Goodbye Sloppy Joe, hello Mr. Clean

Ladies, beware of your next trip to the shopping mall or salon. You may be waiting in line behind a fashionable fella. Pampering, preening and shopping are no longer limited to just females. The commercial world is picking up on this trend, which is a factor to its popularity, says Mark Justad, professor at Vanderbilt University. He says that men’s magazines are a driving force behind the metrosexual madness because the fashion/hair care/skin care industry now has new consumers and need men to pay attention to their products. By creating images of what’s currently “in,” marketing techniques use men’s newfound self-consciousness to make sure they pay special attention to the products. A barrage of personal care brands like Suave, Nivea and Aveda have created products just for men to cleanse, care and coddle themselves with. ACNielson, a marketing research company, credits the metrosexual-phenomenon as the reason behind the boom in the sales of personal care products. According to AC Neilson’s Web site, the success in sales of male-oriented products is the reason why shower gels, one of the fastest growing personal care items worldwide, increased 7 percent in sales value in 2003.

Image is an important part of the metrosexual mindset, says Jenny Coiner, stylist at LADA Salon and Spa, 4931 W. 6th St. Coiner says that although men can go to a regular barbershop to get their hair cut, going to a salon creates a certain image that men want to portray. She says she has about 40 male clients who come through weekly to get services ranging from haircuts and waxing, to manicures and pedicures. She thinks that an increase in options for men is part of the pull. Typically women have had all of the body care options, but now men have more choices and are going against the old stereotypes. Rangineni gets facials and has his eyebrows waxed. Getting facials wasn’t originally his idea. In high school, he used to drive his mom to get facials, and one day she suggested he get one too. He enjoyed it and has been getting them ever since. Rangineni now goes monthly to a salon in Lawrence for hair cuts and waxing services and facials. With all the new options for pampering and preening themselves, men are trying to maintain manliness while living a luxurious lifestyle.

Hey Dapper Dan

Masculinity means different things to different people these days. A metro man’s sexuality is often questioned because of his fashion sense or lifestyle. In the past, well-dressed, sensitive men were assumed to be homosexual, but that isn’t necessarily the case anymore. Staples says that metro guys aren’t trying to be feminine but are defining masculinity in their own terms. What is normal now? Certain interests seem to be designated as hetero for a guy while others are not. “Metrosexuality is a way men can express their sensitivity, vanity and enjoy the ‘finer’ pamperings without being attached to homosexual stigma,” says Karl Geiger, Sterling, Va., senior.

For Justin Montgomery, Wellsville junior, it comes down what characteristics one defines as being a man. To him, being a man means responsibility and discipline, not fashion and grooming. He doesn’t think being a metrosexual takes away from being a man though. Instead he says it takes discipline to look good. “Who wants to wash their face before bed every night, and then put on a plethora of creams to have that perfect clear skin? Who wants to iron shirts and fold pants so they don’t crease when you put them in the closet? If a guy cares that much, he will,” Montgomery says.

The metro movement has some people realizing that men and women are not so different, making the male identity much more pliable than in the past. Alankar Patel, St. Louis senior, says that metrosexuals blend male and female characteristics, making what it means to be a guy different in every person’s eyes. His biggest pet peeve is waiting for a girl to get ready, and he says that metrosexual guys might have more patience than he does when it comes to fashion. It’s the level of comfort that’s important, Patel says, and for some it may be jeans, for others it’s nice pants.

“Guys have been let off the hook about being a slob,” says Randy Crowell, owner of The Haircut and Sakaroff’s the Salon, 12 E. Eighth St. He likes the idea that men should be strong, sensitive and take care of their appearance, but he also says guys shouldn’t go too far in getting in touch with their feminine side. Crowell wanted a place for guys to go hang out and be guys,”so he created The Haircut, 3727 W. Sixth St., an upscale barbershop just for men. Where most salons are geared toward female clientele, at The Haircut, men can watch sports, shoot pool and just “be guys.” Crowell says it’s a matter of balancing characteristics to maintain differences that he says is OK to have. A more extreme version of Crowell’s viewpoint is a backlash against the metro trend. A marketing campaign to “Save the Regular Guy,” created by Consort Hair Care line, questions why a guy has to follow certain fashion rules, and touts its products as keeping men on the “regular guy” track. According to Consort’s Web site, that means going back to “a place where guys are guys, girls are girls, and no one is confused.”

For some women, a metro man usually doesn’t cause confusion, though a female’s eye for the metro guy varies depending on the woman you talk to. Journalist Mark Simpson says that women regard metrosexuals in three ways: Appreciatively, as competition, or not at all. Adrienne Hill, Overland Park junior, says she doesn’t think metrosexual guys are weird or unmanly, and actually prefers a metrosexual-type guy. “Yeah I approve of the trend, a guy who can dress well is attractive to me,” she says. Hill and her boyfriend, a University of Kansas graduate, both define him as metrosexual. She likes how he keeps his place in Dallas so neat and organized. Hill also appreciates his attention to her and her clothes. She says he compliments her if she gets something new and makes an effort not to clash with her when they go out together. Jenny Rizzo, Kansas City, Mo. sophomore, is just the opposite. She likes her guy to be a “guy.” Being a low-key kind of girl, Rizzo says she’d be irritated if a guy was too high-maintenance. A metrosexual type of guy just wouldn’t suit her, Rizzo says, because his tastes and interests would be too different from her own, and she isn’t attracted to that kind of guy.

The metrosexual trend has been scrutinized by a judgmental eye. While there are some out there who view the “regular” guy as a sinking ship they need to save, the general consensus of people, male and female, favors expanding the male identity and sees many characteristics of metrosexuals as improving upon the old image. Justad, Vanderbilt professor, says that metrosexuals are a sign of tolerance and open-mindedness in a playful, albeit important, way. No one likes generalizing though, and the term metrosexual seems too limited, with no definition sufficiently capturing this emerging type of man.