This thesis considers the figure of the metrosexual, a contemporary archetype of stylish masculinity that has received considerable attention in the global media. It traces the development of a style-conscious and consuming masculinity in the West since the eighteenth century, through the figures of the dandy, the playboy and the new man. It also traces the discourse that has emerged in relation to metrosexuality in the Western media, from its first mention to the present. The metrosexual represents a significant departure from the norms of Western masculinity, most notably in his relationship to the homosexual and homoerotic. This thesis considers the implications of such a version of masculinity as they relate to women, gay men and theories of masculine subjectivity.

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