By Jeremy Langmead (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-02-13 10:15

It's more than just appearance that has helped a new generation of men confidently to turn up their noses at the unappetizing idea of the age-obsessed metrosexual. According to a report by the Institute of Fiscal Studies, a new class of super-affluent Britons who earn more than $700,000 a year is emerging. And the average age of this very, very rich 0.1 percent of the population is between 45 and 54. Sadly, I'm not in that 0.1 per cent, and chances are neither are you, but the point is that it's the middle-aged who have the purchasing power, not the 20-somethings.

Another report, by the MacArthur Foundation, surveyed 8,000 Americans between the ages of 25 and 74 and discovered that there was an increased sense of well-being and contentment in middle age.

We're happier in our 40s than in our 20s. Want proof? Who walks around with a more convincing grin on his face: Pete Doherty or George Clooney?

It's not just financial pulling-power that increases with age - so can sexual allure. Padma Lakshmi fell for Salman Rushdie, Penny Lancaster for Rod Stewart and Catherine Zeta-Jones for Michael Douglas. Some will claim that the women named above were attracted by the big bucks, others will claim power, but the smart will say: "So what?" A man in bed with a beautiful woman is not going to spend too long analyzing why she's there.

It is women, in fact, who have helped men realize how dangerous the desire to look young can be. We have watched them submit themselves to the surgeon's knife, spend thousands on caviar-filled potions and eat nothing but low-cal yoghurt in order to fit into size 6 dresses.

It doesn't look fun.

Men might have been oafish enough to encourage it, but we're not foolish enough to follow it. While gender generalizations are never popular, men, on the whole, do tend to look a little longer before buying into something. And thankfully, with this youth cult thing, we've realized just in time that it's not worth the money.

Also prevalent at the shows in Milan and Paris was an extraordinary number of men - both models and spectators - wearing beards. Facial hair, it seems, is back in fashion. Having just grown a beard - they can hide a multitude of chins - I was rather chuffed. And so will be the offspring of fashion-conscious fathers. At last, their fathers will look like fathers again rather than older brothers who have just come back from the local skate park. All we need is for the pipe to make a comeback and we've gone full circle.

The Guardian

(China Daily 02/13/2008 page10)

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