Modern Men Demand More Variety in Underwear Choices
The world first heard the term “metrosexual” back in the olden times – 1994, to be exact. At the time, metrosexual was a sort of funny word, usually used to label heterosexual men who cared about their appearance in a way that was perceived as feminine. In the 20 years that have followed, we have more or less dropped the term “metrosexual.” Why? Because if we were still using it to describe men who cared about their appearances, practically every single man on the face of the planet would qualify.
That’s right. Men everywhere now care about fashion, and about how they present themselves to the general public. 20 years ago, slim-cut pants were the sole purview of emo kids with eyeliner and burgeoning hipsters. Nowadays, everyone and their brother, uncle, father, grandfather and second cousin rocks a slim-fit suit to work. With the advent of the slim-fit suit, skinnier casual pants have become commonplace in men’s fashion.
But metrosexual influence extends far, far beyond slim-fit suits and funky bowling shoes. Metrosexual men also paved the way for more daring styles of men’s underwear. Can you imagine a world without trunk-style underwear (by far the best choice when it comes to sex appeal, support and a slim profile)? We didn’t think so. Well, if metrosexuality had never caught on, it is entirely possible that trunk-style skivvies would not be available to the modern American man. Bikinis, micro-briefs and thongs would be similarly absent from the underwear section of your local department store. There are two reasons we should thank the metrosexual trendsetters of the 1990s for these smaller, more daring styles: first of all, you can’t wear ultra slim-cut, tight fitting pants unless your underwear is completely undetectable through your clothing. Second of all, metrosexuals proved to typical American men that it was completely acceptable to care about their appearances – whether or not they wanted to sport duds on the cutting edge of fashion.
Not only have metrosexuals heavily influenced the underwear silhouettes available to the American man, they also brought a whole range of colors and decorations to the forefront of American men’s undergarments. Prior to the 1990s, the only colors for men’s underwear were white, heather grey, navy or light blue. Even black was regarded unacceptably risqué. Nowadays, you can walk into any store that carries men’s underwear, and you’re sure to find a wide variety of enticing colors. Some specialty boutiques are beginning to carry even more alluring styles, in a wide array of patterns and accent colors. If you are thankful for the variety of underwear available in the average American department store, you have the metrosexuals to thank. If the metrosexuals of the 1990s had not been so daring, suggesting that confident men can and should be concerned about their appearances, we would have far fewer underwear options today.