Fashion and Gender: The New Man in Society

By Kelechi Ahunanya and Sylvia Nwosu

How is the sexual identity of men changing?
“A man with a shaved armpit?...ugh!!!”. This is a stereotypical response of conservatives. The fact is, hitherto some men have frowned upon the idea of shaving any hair in their body–except, of course, to trim or shave their facial hair. And one stereotype is to see this change as a sign of femininity triggered by the fashion world. Sounds like something you’ve heard before right?
Anyways, shaving the armpit is just an aspect of the new trend. For the past decade, the identity of men has changed. Research show recently that more men are removing their chests, armpits, and groin hairs. The drift of guys with tight and skinny pants, slim or athletic (but necessarily muscular) bodies, and clean-shaved or smooth skin has won the day!
But we wonder, why the change in men’s identity? It seems that there is a new ideal for ‘A Society Man’. (See for example: Masculinity Reconstructed: changing the rules of manhood: at work, in relationships and in family life. New York: Dutton. Courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrosexual#cite_note-20)
Here are some responses from some students, about the change in men’s appearances these days. One may argue that the responses are gender biased:
Aylin, a female student at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics said: “Some guys look very strange in skinny jeans while others look good. Personally, I'd probably never date a guy who wears skinny jeans.”
“I'd say if you are trying to avoid looking really ‘metro’, then you would only wear skinny jeans if you can pull off the ‘alternative’ look. Think artist, rock band members or the like.” says Rex, a male student of McDaniel College Budapest Campus.
“I instantly think identity crisis” Says Lyn, a female student of the Budapest Semester in Mathematics. “And… how can their package fit comfortably in tight skinny jeans? Seriously…ugh!” She concluded.
Jerome, a male medical student at the University of Szeged, thinks that guys are less smelly when they clean shave their armpit. So perhaps It’s just a question of personal hygiene.
From what I gathered on-line via FaceBook, MySpace and Twitter, most girls have reservations about guys in tight pants. Either that the guy is ‘metro’, ‘gay’, or he is ‘just being himself’.
Guys, what do you think these responses mean, and what’s your opinion?