Generation X, though they are just as scrubbed and neat as any these days. were not known for their extensive grooming practices back in their cultural heyday, especially among men. With that in mind, here’s a look at a few ways in which Millennials are better groomed then their predecessors.
Subcultures and the Death of Youth Tribes
First, it’s worth acknowledging the extent to which culture and media inform people’s ideas of hygiene, grooming and attractiveness, especially young people. Although alternative youth subcultures remain, their absolute guaranteed commodification has left many younger people more cynical then their Gen X counterparts were about the validity of expression achievable through such a model.
As a result, older ideas of “alternative” youth tribes claiming authenticity through limited concerns about physical appearance – such as punk and grunge aesthetics – have been supplanted by more fluid ideals, enabled by the internet, that generally place a far higher priority on grooming and appearance.
Gendered Behaviours
Changing attitudes towards gendered behaviour have also contributed to a situation where Millennial males are better groomed than Generation X-ers. There are many ways in which changes to the ideas of masculine behaviours have led to the acceptance and normalisation of more extensive male body grooming.
Proliferation of Male Grooming Products
The previously mentioned changes in cultural attitudes have fuelled the diversification and increase in men’s grooming products. Today’s young men have access to a far greater variety of items such as specialised shampoos, waxes and oils for facial hair than their predecessors.
Most websites these days offer a vast array of grooming products for men, streamlining the process of finding and buying the right items and offering a surprisingly broad range of styles and fragrances across various products, including lavender moustache wax from sites such as http://www.henrytibbs.com/captain-fawcett-s-moustache-wax-lavender.html, among others.
The Return of Facial Hair
If the popularity of sites devoted to beards is anything to go by, men’s facial hair is in great health, although it wasn’t always like this.
Although facial hair for men has never really gone away, recent years have seen a resurgence in popularity that, when coupled with the changes in attitudes towards gendered behaviour and the proliferation of men’s grooming products, means today’s beard owners are generally far better groomed than those who came before them.