Rock ‘n’ roll and blue jeans have long been among America’s most popular exports. Now add to that list: metrosexuality. The term was first popularized in a 2002 Salon.com article by Mark Simpson and described the way in which even seemingly macho men like soccer star David Beckham were falling to the temptations of wearing “pink nail varnish” and having a “tricky haircut every week.” Seven years on, it seems the grooming once associated only with women — eyebrow plucking, wrinkle cream applying, fancy hair salon appointment making — has managed to make it to the developing world and is now popular with men in India.
Marketplace reports that male grooming products are among the fastest-growing in the consumer sector, with average annual gains of 20 percent. No doubt buoyed by the growth in the country’s collective wealth — GDP grew at a 6.6 percent clip and Forbes found 24 native billionaires there last year — India’s luxury goods sector has been cashing in on the increased vanity of Indian men. The trend began with popular skin lighteners (aimed at the vulnerable guys) and has continued with everything from pedicures and facials to body waxing.
Now, if only we could get United States autos to have the same export appeal.
Photo courtesy of The Consumerist, via Flickr.