A few years ago the term ‘metrosexual’ was the new buzz word. Newspapers and magazines couldn’t get enough of pointing out which Hollywood A-lister might be one. For those of you wondering quite what this term means, a definition found online is as follows: “a metrosexual is a portmanteau, derived from metropolitan and heterosexual, coined in 1994 to describe a man who is especially meticulous about his grooming and appearance, typically spending a significant amount of time and money on shopping as part of this.”
These days, though, the term is less in vogue and has been, thankfully, replaced with a word much more refined and reflective of the man it was trying to describe. Instead of man who is concerned with their appearance and style being referred to as a metrosexual, that man is instead a gentleman.
The mere utterance of the word ‘gentleman’ conjures up images of suits, fine shoes, cologne, fine facial hair, cigar smoke and whisky. There are now any number of online and high street stores, services and businesses all dedicated to catering for the discerning gentleman. But if you have a gentleman as a partner, husband or boyfriend – what do you buy, how do you look after such a chap? Help is at hand, read on…
Tip-Top Grooming
Firstly, any gentleman must ensure his appearance is tip-top and for this there is only one answer – a trip to a gentleman’s grooming parlour. If you select the right place you will find they will offer every grooming service possible, from a simple haircut right through to the full works – a shampoo and haircut, a wet shave, facial, manicure and shoe shine.
With such a service any bedraggled, would-be gentleman will emerge looking cleaned, groomed and refined. There are a number of establishments which offer this service but a discerning nod should be given to the Refinery, which can be found in Mayfair and Harrods. With rare praise in the press it will cater for the gentleman’s every grooming needs.
Inner Peace
So, with a new elegant appearance now consider how the gentleman ‘feels’ – a sensitive subject indeed. After being ‘taken to the cleaners’, he will probably be in need of some relaxation.
A spa used to be considered very much a woman’s domain but as the modern man has been embraced by the service industries, so the spa services have opened their arms to gentleman wishing to indulge in the quiet and calm offered by such an institution.
For some, going to a spa or a similar venue still holds slight trepidation so it makes sense to go somewhere specifically developed for the gentleman and, as the name suggests, Gentlemen’s Tonic is such a place.
A more relaxing package you would struggle to find, with an experience lasting 125 minutes the stresses and worries of modern life are cleansed away leaving the gent feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
High Fashion
Grooming appearance and ‘emotional wellbeing’ are now both boxes ‘ticked’. Next? Clothes. The old adage is ‘clothes make the man’ and for the gentleman, the ‘right’ clothes are a must. We would struggle to write about all of the possible choices of clothes and outfits but for the signature gentleman look, for the iconic style. You cannot go far past the suit as the gentleman’s ensemble of choice.
Of course, for a gentleman an ‘off the shelf’ suit does not quite do the trick. Instead we refer to a hand-made, bespoke suit. In London you will find no shortage of truly world class tailors. From Jermyn Street to the masters who populate Savile Row, London caters for your every tailoring need. Choose any one of these tailors and you will not be disappointed but, and purely down to the fact it boasts making suits for two such style and film icons as Laurence Olivier and Gregory Peck in their order book, H-Huntmans gets the nod as a go-to venue.
A Man is Judged by His Shoes
With a hand-made suit (and a hand-made shirt is worthwhile too – there is no point in wearing an ill-fitting shirt after getting a bespoke suit) what else do you need? Well, women have often said they can judge a man by his shoes and be it an urban myth or not, an excellent pair of shoes go perfectly with a bespoke suit.
Don’t let the overall effect of the suit be ruined by your shoes and get a pair especially designed and made for you. Whether you get a pair made just to match your freshly made suit or something more generic, these hand-made shoes will last you as long as your suit and be just as refined.