We all know the type: guys who linger longer in the mirror than you do, guys who have more stuff in their hair than you, and guys who tan way more than you do. Call them metro, call them girly, call them “tools,” call them whatever you want. They will still care more about their appearance than a “typical guy” would.
So what do we do with these guys? Shun them from society because they’re too “feminine?” Call them names and make fun of them even though we do the exact same things? In today’s changing world, the hating really just needs to stop.
Girly men are only considered girly because gender has been constructed in our culture to mean specific things. Girls like pink. Boys like monsters. That’s the way it is. Or is it? So what if a guy gets his hair cut/styled every other week. I know there are girls out there who go even more often than that. If it’s acceptable for girls, why can’t it be the same for guys?
All too often people feel that they have to fit a cookie cutter mold of gender and sexuality. I want to know who got up one morning and decided that this was how things were going to be. It had to start somewhere, right? Well today, more than ever, is the perfect time to start bending and breaking those cookie cutters. If a guy takes pride in his appearance, respect that. If you don’t like it, don’t date him. It’s that simple.
Guys like this are the perfect match for many girls. Maybe he’s complementary for the low maintenance girl. Maybe he can bond over hair color and white teeth with the higher maintenance girl. Either way, there’s a perfect girl for every “girly” man, just as there is for every “manly” man. It’s these differences in personalities that bring couples together.
So go ahead. Call him girly. Can we then call you manly? What does it mean to be girly, anyway? Personally, I think guys who are more sensitive and thoughtful are more attractive. Does that make them girly, too? I’d rather have a compassionate guy who takes care of himself than a rough-and-tough jerk any day. I’ll keep my girly men, thank you very much.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Le Moyne chapter.