The male consumer has risen ten folds since the post war era. Traditionally, consumerism was always perceived to be predominately women. Women were seen to be society's consumers who spent money rather than making it, and men were understood to be society's producers, in turn making the money and rarely 'consuming' however in their earning money, this gave them power and status which women tended to lack. Females were seen as being into fashion and cosmetics whereas males seem to worry less about these things and upheld a mascuiline image not caring much for vanity or 'over consuming'. In today's society however men are in close measure to women in terms of their consumerism if not equal or ahead. This essay will analyse the rise of the male as a consumer and understand how and why the male consumer has come so far from the 'gentleman of leisure' it once used to be.
One of the first noticeable changes in male consumerism was post war in the 1950's when masculinity was beginning to have less of an association with war and and self-identity obtained from a man's employment status became less important and more about consumer goods and experiences. After the war was an economic upturn causing mass consumption and increased spending with holidays cars and clothing dominating sales at this point as men and their families looked towards the future after a turbulent war period. A rise in variety and possibility in the consumer world influenced women and men to abandon their minimalistic war time lifestyles into a more post-war luxury 'want' culture. The first signs of a noticeable change in the attitude towards masculinity and consumption was the turn of the Teddy Boys. The Edwardian period seen dandies dress in what was perceived at the time as stylish and fashionable. In the 1950's tailors on Savile Row brought this back and reintroduced it into Britain's post war period. A Teddy Boy was typically a young man or teenager dressed in an impressive suit, usually dark, high waist trousers, mirroring what their parents or grandparents would have worn around 40 years prior. This style was as a result of a rise in prosperity and teenagers and young men having more disposable income, abling them to invest in such a look. The Teddy Boys was seen as a fractious side effect to the introduction of American Rock 'n' Roll in Britain. Despite the Teddy Boys not being the most positive influence on society it was a turning point for the male consumer. Men were embodying the style of the dandies of Edwardian times and these men were known to be concerned with being stylish and fashionable. Men were beginning to consume and spend more on clothing and appearance but were still perceived as masculine and powerful.
From the Mods and Rockers of the 60's and Hippies, Punks and Reggae of the 70's brought us into the decade of extreme change in the world of male consumers- the 1980's. This decade seen young men having the luxury of surplus income and better paid jobs, resulting in having disposable income to consume and spend in a way new and unfamiliar to society. They also tended to steer away from the tradition of getting married and settling down relatively early and living with parents at home for longer. Advertisers, department stores and the music industry began to increase their efforts to target young men in the 80's and advertising such as men's fragrance became narcissistic and erotic rather than macho. Despite a small part of identity from their place of work was still relevant and important, the male population increasingly began to define themselves by what they chose to consume which was mostly the same as their friends and work colleagues. Men also sought control in other fields as certain industries were declining and not doing as well as they once were. It was mostly industries that involved physical work and required a large number of male workers such as mining.
They also diverted from classic photography fronting artwork and instead portrayed stereotypical illustrations of both genders however males generally in a dominant stance or pose. The music scene was thriving throughout this period and resulted in the production of role models for younger men such as models, artists and musicians and a side effect of having these jobs in the public eye resulted in them having a great appreciation and want, to look good and take pride in their appearance which in turn influenced the young men of this decade to pick up on this and make them want to look as good, which they could with their better paid jobs and higher disposable income. Advertisers and marketers also began to suss the likely high level of success and profit that positive association between famous individuals in the public eye and brands could harvest.
On to the 1990's, the male target market continued to grow at a fast pace never seen before, it was a target market not to be underestimated or undervalued. Men's magazines such as GQ and Men's Health were another contribution to the rise of the male consumer, promoting such things as male grooming products such as hair styling products, fragrances, body waxing, piercings and tattoos being promoted by male models and celebrities. A lot of advertisements were portraying the 'ideal' or 'perfect' image of the male and male body with well-groomed, young individuals with buff figures being used to promote their products and this continued to become more common and mainstream to promote male products in this decade. Men and women were now becoming considered 'equal' consumers. Brands also begun sponsoring male celebrities and sports starts to promote their products and endorse them to the male consumer, these influencers aided brands targeting the male market advertise products such as moisturisers, facial cleansers and shower-gels helping the growth of the male target market evolve. Men were now feeling free and encouraged by the media and society to take care of themselves through cosmetics just the same as women but were still seen as masculine, increasing young men's confidence in themselves as they can become 'in touch with their feminine side' and not be judged or shunned by society, it was the new norm. Men and women were eventually becoming balanced in the world of consumerism.
The Noughties seen the development of the 'Metrosexual' male. The metrosexual male typically was a young man, usually single with a luxury income and high disposable income, most likely living in the city most likely because this is where the best shops were to consume and spend said disposable income. They are extremely interested in shopping, fashion and keeping up to date with trends and their friends and colleagues. The image of the metrosexual male was being utilised in advertising across the country and would usually feature an urban male around town however was having an influence in men much further out than just the centre of the city in high streets everywhere and even the suburbs. The average male was spending and consuming in the aim to achieve perfection physically and in their clothing and technological gadgets and the spenditure gap between women and men on cosmetics products was closing which was a perfect opportunity for advertisers. Despite the metrosexual male being the most common and up-and-coming consumer character for males, there is also other consumer characters that surfaced at this time such as the Retrosexual male which was almost the opposite to the metrosexual male as they spent very little money on their physical appearance and lifestyle and have little to no concern or interest in what he wears and how he looks. There was also the rise of the Spornsexual, a mixture between sport and porn. These individuals were the gym selfie males that would actively self-objectify what was considered the second generation Metrosexuality. Another of many 'characters' of male consumers that was relevant at this time was the Technosexual male. This was a young man, very similar to the metrosexual, interested in fashion and keeping up with trends but also has great enthusiasm for technology.
The 2000's also seen a huge rise in technology and social media with the launch of the first – of many – iPhones and the release of social media platforms such as Facebook. From then until now there has been over ten more versions of the iPhone and introduction to other extremely popular and addictive social media apps such as Instagram and snapchat. The average male consumer such as the metrosexual male would usually spend his disposable income on the latest style releases but also the most recent technological releases and would use their social media apps to share their latest purchases with their peers. This rise in technology was a huge opportunity for advertisers and marketers as they began to reach their customers through social media apps creating adverts and promoting their products on the likes of Facebook and Instagram.
In more recent years, the male consumer has come on even further with one in five retailers selling mostly to male consumers and according to a research done by Barclaycard, in today's society men are apparently the largest consumers of beauty and fashion completely diminishing the legend that women are society's biggest consumers. The same study shows that just under a quarter of stores that expanded their men's department say the reason for doing so was because they actually believe men now shop and consume more than women. There has been a 59% increase in male consumption in-store and a huge 69% rise in men online shopping with most men saying they prefer to shop online as they aren't interested in the shopping experience as such, for example, waiting in long ques. Brands now use social media as an advertising tool to promote their products to the male consumer as they find online shopping more convenient. They will pay influencers, bloggers and celebrities to wear or use their products on their social media accounts therefore resulting in male consumers wanting to achieve the same look as the people they look up to and aspire to be, such as sportsmen. "The rise of social and digital media has made shopping more accessible and convenient for men, which in-turn has increased their purchasing power." (George Allardice 2017)
To conclude, it is extremely evident that the male consumer has come ten folds since the back end of the second world war away back in the 50's and will continue to rise and evolve. Men are now comfortable spenders and consumers in both fashion and cosmetics and enjoy keeping up with trends and most have the disposable income now a days to do this. However some do not and with the rise of the male consumer has also come an increased pressure to keep up-to-date with constant emerging trends in both fashion and technology which some people unfortunately can't afford and results in higher debt levels amongst males as they spend more than they have in the pursuit of perfection and social acceptance. The pressure from advertising campaigns and men's magazines from the 90's onwards also put increased pressure on males in terms of how they should look physically and the 'perfect' body which resulted in a rise in eating disorders throughout the population of male consumers such as bulimia and anorexia. However the focus on the male consumer over the past few decades has had an extremely positive effect on the economy as it increased spending more and more by the decade and male consumerism is at an all-time high. Most importantly men are now able to express themselves freely through their clothing and cosmetic purchases no matter what their consumer 'character' is or their sexuality, they are now considered an equal consumer to women and won't be judged for caring about appearance, it's just considered normal now which wouldn't have been back in the 40's and 50's. Society's 'New Man' has come so far but still has so much potential to grow and evolve further.