By Anthony Whitacre

Retro on the left Metro on the right. (Christopher Dietrich)

By Anthony Whitacre

In today’s society many men are classified by what they wear or look like. There are many names to give people who either dress good or not.

The most used term for a guy who cares about his appearance and always wants to look good is called a metrosexual.

Metrosexuals, which is defined as a male of any sexual orientation who has a strong aesthetic sense of self. These males spend a lot of time and money to go out of their way to look good. A narcissist complex some would say but what do they care what people say, they know they look good.

You can see many of these metrosexuals shopping at Abercrombie and Fitch or Hollister. They tend to flock to those places because of the quality of the clothing and the invisible sign that screams: metrosexuals welcome.

Now the other type of guy out there would be considered a retrosexual, which by Wikipedia’s definition means a guy with an underdeveloped aesthetic sense of self who spends little time on their appearance.

Now the difference between the two can be classified not just by their clothes but also by their hygiene. Metros like to be clean and buy expensive cologne to make them smell nice, while retros don’t really care if they are clean shaven or if their hair is perfect. Scruffy, is what they like, with some axe spray to keep them smelling nice. Some would consider them to be rough around the edges. Typical male behavior some would call it.

Many people think that a metrosexual male is gay because he is very meticulous about his appearance. This is just a negative stereotype like the boogeyman or Martha Stewart. Just because a guy likes to look good does not mean he’s gay. Not all gays care about the way they look. They can be just as bad as straight guys can about their appearance.

The poster child for metrosexual would have to be Ryan Seacrest. He’s a guy who spends lots of time on his appearance and hygiene. That would probably be why he hosts the show American Idol. His charming smile, beautiful blue eyes and nicely cut hair is what every metrosexual idols for themselves. To be as metro as Ryan Seacrest.

The retrosexuals have their mascot under the guise of Vince Vaughn. As a major celebrity Vince isn’t afraid to shrug around in non fashionable clothes all the time or care about his appearance. Unlike Seacrest, who seems to be at the top of the fashion industry all the time.

So retrosexuals and metrosexuals you are not alone in this world. There are thousands of guys out there just like you. Some define themselves by what they look like while others don’t care if they have nice clothes on or not. So do not be afraid. You are not alone.

Now ladies which would be a better a choice? A guy who will be spending more time on his looks than you or the man who doesn’t really care about his looks and gives you all the attention you deserve.