In today’s world, manicures and nail polish are basically synonymous with women. After all, women (as opposed to men) are generally more into beauty and fashion trends. However, things are changing. And as gender lines continue to blur and androgynous looks and styles evolve, we continue to question what is ‘socially acceptable’ and what is not. Men don’t usually think of getting manicures or wearing nail polish. But there has been a noticeable trend happening over the last several years that could be overturning the idea that manicures and nail polish are just for women.

 

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At the forefront of the male manicure is Harry Styles. A fashion trendsetter and icon, Harry has not been shy about showing the world his unique style. From fur to lace to pearls and ruffles, Harry always manages to make it all still look sexy and cool. He can rock the manicured nails, showing off nails painted with happy faces or pastel colors. Or he can make it a point to dress his nails with a variety of colors paired with large opulent rings around his fingers. He’s shown them off in various ways and people are noticing.

While Harry is not the first man to wear nail polish, he is leading the way to a greater trend at large. If you think back far enough you may remember some other high-profile artists who liked to challenge the status quo. Kurt Cobain from Nirvana would often wear chipped nail polish and metal bands such as Aerosmith and Motley Crue liked to wear black nail polish. Johnny Depp has always been a user of nail polish and even Seal has been known to wear a coat or two.

But these guys are not the first men to wear nail polish. In fact, men have been wearing nail polish for centuries, 3000 BC to be precise. While the nail polish ingredients are quite different today, so are its meaning. In ancient times, nail polish was used to signify class rankings or worn by men in preparation for battle. And then somewhere along the line, manicures and nail polish became primarily associated with women and indicative of beauty. A lot can change over thousands of years!

 

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Today, while the use of nail polish or getting manicures by men has primarily been a trend for artists and musicians, there is a great possibility it will reach the masses soon. Today, more than ever, celebrities have closer ties to their fans. With social media and mini celebrities of social media, the transition from celebrity to mini celebrity to the masses is no longer 6 degrees of separation. This means trends can easily hop to the masses in an instant.

To top it off, men are becoming more aware of their own beauty. The boom in men’s grooming began about a decade ago and it’s still going strong. What started off with a boom in men’s grooming products such as razors, shaving creams, beard and moustache oils and skincare products, the trend has continued to expand to various trendy hairstyles, more bold fashion and now….man-icures and nail polish.

Afterall, why should women have all the fun? Having groomed nails is attractive to anyone and adding a little color doesn’t hurt nobody. Right? Even rappers are cashing in on the trend. Like clothing, like hairstyles and like shoes, nail art is a form of expression. And as we move more toward genderless hair and fashion statements, it’s only natural for genderless manicures and painted nails to make its way to the mainstream. If anything, if it makes you feel good, then why not?