By Ann Chin

His bulky winter gear didn’t ruin his spiky, gelled hair or wrinkle his button-down dress shirt. And there wasn’t even a smudge of salt on his black Cole Haan shoes.

Jason Zaler, a freshman international affairs major, wouldn’t stand for that anyway. According to him, a “metrosexual” means that looking good is as important as getting good grades and adjusting to his new life on campus.

The term “metrosexual” has been tossed around the past couple of months, yet no one can really agree on what classifies being one or why shows like “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” have created such a buzz in the entertainment industry.

The general meaning of a metrosexual has been defined as a straight male that exudes feminine qualities, according Webster. But many people on campus characterize it differently.

“To me being a ‘metro’ reflects looking my best,” Zalor said. “It’s about taking care of myself and wearing clothing that expresses individualismm – not mass consumerism.”

However, Professor Murray Forman of communication studies believes it is perfectly primed for consumption.

“This is something the fashion and cosmetics industries are capitalizing on,” Forman said, who focuses on youth culture and identity in the media. “Men are now deemed to be more comfortable with traditionally feminine consumption habits such as tinting their hair, spending more time buying colognes, having body enhanced surgery and wearing makeup.”

Do men actually recognize themselves as being a metrosexual? Wesley Morris, a movie critic for the Boston Globe, said there are problems with placing labels on people.

“Most people don’t identify with being metrosexual,” Morris said. “It is something someone perceives about you rather than what you think about yourself.”

Another problem with this term is that it may offend people by insinuating their sexual preference. However, some are not insulted by this term at all.

“Metrosexual carries the connotation of well-groomed, neat, fashionable and attractive,” said Jarrod Medeiros, a senior biology major. “These are all good things in my book.”

Are metrosexuals too feminine for women?

There are women on campus that would date a guy who is metrosexual because of their clean-cut appearance and willingness to take the extra time to look good.

“I’d date one,” said Kaveri Datta, a middler medical lab science major.

According to some guys, a metrosexual is exactly what a woman wants.

“They are ideally what a woman wants,” Morris said. “A nice, clean, fashionable guy that will sleep with her.”

“I want to look good,” said Medeiros. “I want to give off a good impression of myself. How I dress gives an impression of my personality traits.”