Metrosexual

Metrosexual is a portmanteau of 'metropolitan' and 'heterosexual,' coined by British journalist Mark Simpson in a 1994 essay in The Independent. It described a straight, typically city-dwelling man who spent freely on clothes, grooming, and self-care, habits that mainstream culture had previously coded as gay. The word entered wide use in the early 2000s and sparked debate about masculinity, consumer culture, and the link between appearance and sexuality. It has sometimes been used dismissively to imply a man is effeminate or gay. Though the label has faded from everyday speech, it captures a moment when popular culture began separating male grooming and vanity from assumptions about a man's sexual orientation.