Along with various beauty trends emerging for women, this one is solely for men. And that is wearing nail polish. Interesting fact: men back in 3200 BC used to wear nail polish before going to war in Babylon.
Ancient Egyptian men used to wear nail polish according to their class. Then somehow wearing nail polish became a trait of femininity. Although this new trend is changing that conservative gender-stereotypical image. A few generations adapted that earlier.
Are you intrigued by this? Then, read along to know why this trend is suddenly taking over the world.
Why Is Men Wearing Nail Polish A Trend?
The real question should be- why not? If we look at society, gender norms are practiced everywhere.
This practice affects men too. A lot of men have been bullied for being feminine. But the good news is, the new generation cares less about societal and gender norms. So, let’s read the reasons why wearing nail polish has become a trend!
Subcultures like emo and punk men in the west wear nail polish. They have been wearing nail polish for a long time. It’s because they want to rebel against the accepted norms of society.
But what about men who were not a part of subcultures? The answer is unfortunately no until now.
For some weird reason, people tend to connect homosexuality with men wearing nail polish. A man might wear nail polish. And he generally can come in touch with his feminine side. But he’s accused of being gay then.
Let me tell you something, it’s perfectly okay for straight men to wear nail polish as well. No, your sexuality won’t be questioned.
Musicians like David Bowie used to paint his nails before concerts. It made him more confident. There are other musicians who often paint their nails. This is to let people know that they’re a part of a band or they practice music.
Zac Efron wore nail polish too but he had an agenda. That is to raise awareness for abuse against children.
Harry Styles loves wearing nail polish. He’s a fashion icon for youth. He wears different shades of color of nail polish on each nail. Also, he does nail art to express his albums. ASAP Rocky too wears nail polish. Both of them are trendsetters.
You might not be a musician or don’t belong to a subculture. But, here’s some interesting news for you. Covid-19 has brought a change in our lifestyle.
Men started grooming themselves more than they did in the past years. Because why not?
It’s not feminine to groom yourself, it’s simply hygienic. Part of grooming is manicure and painting nails. Some women tried painting their partner’s nails and the husbands loved it.
Another reason for men painting nails is the new generation’s attitude. Gen-Z don’t care about social norms. They don’t care about gender stereotypes that have been established before.
So, gen-z believes men not wanting to paint their nails might be rooted in toxic masculinity. And this new generation is all about normalizing expressing themselves. Most gen z people are very accepting when it comes to fighting gender norms.
Should You Paint Your Nails?
The real question is, do you want to? If yes, then why not!
As stated before, it doesn’t attack your sexuality. It’s a fashion choice you’ll make for yourself. And no one’s got a say in it. So, if you want to groom yourself by painting your nails, go all the way!
Through painting nails, you can express yourself. By exploring nail arts, you can explore your artistic mindsets.
Painting nails is therapeutic as well. It’s fun and I think men shouldn’t deprive themselves of it. So part of your self-care routine, why don’t you get a manicure and paint your nails?
Painting nails also gives a lot of men confidence.
It helps people to stop biting their nails. So if you have this bad habit, nail polish will come to your rescue.
You don’t need a reason to wear nail polish. You don’t owe any explanation to anyone. So just do it cause you want to. It looks good on both men and women.
Nail Polish Colour For Men
First of all, you can wear any nail polish if you want. For starters, you can go for clear nail polish as it’s good for cuticles.
You can also wear black, dark blue, maroon, and all the dark-colored nail polishes. This is in case you have social anxiety. People might not even notice that you’re wearing nail polish.
For a bold choice, go for brighter colors. It might gain you a few looks and frowns. Be secure with yourself. Have self-confidence. Then words won’t affect you and nothing can hurt.
Fashion brands are getting on board with this idea too. Chanel expanded its cosmetic line for men. It’s called boy de Chanel. They released two nail polishes. The colors are black and natural.
In conclusion, men wearing nail polish isn’t taboo anymore. There might be naysayers but things are changing rapidly. So what do you think about this new trend? Would you consider it?
Let us know in the comments. Take care and groom yourself!
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Absolutely! I agree with all of your points, that is can be a confidence booster but most of all it allows men to express themselves in a creative way – as women have done for years.
I love to wear my toenails painted because it is fun, looks good and because I like it.
It’s just paint guys, get over it!