THE EDGE

CUTTING THE EDGE

With the conclusion of Menswear Spring 2010, plus the itch to always have a haircut, Gerard Gotladera believes that it's about time men start looking like men again (at least biologically) and leave some hairstyles for the girls who think they're boys and the boys who think they're cave men.

Let's start off by saying F democracy. Freedom is such a cliche when you put it in a bigger reality and that if the world had it the stylish way, a lot will probably suffer from a life sentence. Face it, I always tell myself, people are gifted with uniqueness and that such gifts avail every human being the opportunity of (bad) choices. Anyway, let's not get too philosophical on this. What I'm really trying to say is that, if it wasn't for freedom, we might be living in a more stylish, tasteful society---in my opinion. Menswear Spring 2010 not only taught us a lesson in dressing (read: gladiator sandals, studs, transparent tops) but also gave us the mandatory haircut. Well, not really mandatory because not all runway shows gave testament to the beauty of the hairstyle, but most collections favored a cleaner, Cary Grant slicked back look that has been living for decades and decades and decades, even before my grandfather knew how to curse. But of course, back in the times of Jesus---when pomade wasn't in their near future, they wore their hairs free and bushy and wavy.

Gucci, DSquared, Dolce & Gabbana, Hugo by Hugo Boss were only a few of the many stellar shows that opted to send their models down the runway looking like their heads were smoothed with heaps and heaps of wax/gel/clay to old Hollywood perfection. I watched Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana's shows on Frillr and I was blown away by how cool and nostalgic the haircuts looked on the models. Don't get me wrong, I'm just 19 years old and the 50s didn't even have my mom yet. It's nostalgic because we've seen icons like Cary Grant, James Dean, Elvis Presley and pictures of celebrities back then who sported coiffed hairs, sleekly shaped back. And not to mention just how much cooler the ensembles looked with such hairstyles. Wearing the hairstyle suddenly made a plain black shirt paired with plain black trousers and black leather shoes seem mighty dressy for a dinner with the Queen. And it dawned on me just how important a man's hair is when it comes to looks.

Back in high school, I hated having to cut my hair. It was school policy to have haircuts so dangerously short (back then), you'd weep like a girl when you come to school the next day, looking more than prepared to join the army. Then came college and the weight loss and a better complexion when I came to realize that a man should always have clean, neat looking hair. And I credit my high school for waking me up to a more stylish life rule. Maybe not everyone is gifted with heavy, wavy hair that could pass for the hairstyle, but everyone could afford and do a clean look. The advantages of having such hairstyle may not be enough to convince everybody to declare this hairstyle the hairstyle, but it should remind us human beings that men should look like men and women look like women.

One thing I loathe about the younger generations is their inclination to either cut their hairs too short and leave a faux hawk or grow their hairs long and untamed. It's really disgusting. Those who favor such emo cuts---as we call it, think they're making the best choices of their lives but are really up for regret when they look back on their oh-so-sad-but-cool pictures when they're all fifty. I do get the idea that we all go through such ugly phases and that personal style is supposed to be respected, but when men are looking like crappy low lives, well, personal style must be bullshit. You just can't go wrong when you invest on haircuts or hairstyles that cost you a hundred pesos but will make you look like a real man. Even homosexuals look better when their hairs are clean and well kept.

As I've mentioned, the advantages might be insufficient to let a nation follow the hairstyle, but we all must come to understand that a man really looks better, more sophisticated, classy and cool, when they sport chic, clean haircuts. For those who were gifted with handsome faces and could get away with practically anything on their hairs, I salute you. But I guess you'll never be Cary Grant or James Dean or god of rock n' roll. And of course, we go back to democracy and the opportunity of (bad) choices. At the end of the day, my job as a fashion enthusiast is not to dictate, but to give men (good) choices.

Photos all from Frillr.com