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He's too sexy for his hat
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July 31, 1998: 12:16 p.m. ET
Men have found a new passion -- looking good -- and they're flaunting it
From CNNfn Correspondent Donald Van de Mark
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - It's not just sex, sports, cars or career anymore. Men, it seems, have a new passion -- fashion.
Men's fashion week, which just wrapped up in New York, is just one sign that women aren't the only ones who care about style.
"The old-fashioned male was not actually supposed to care about what -- about the way he looked. It was sort of not cool, it was not macho. Now, it's very cool to look good. It's very cool to feel good," says Michael Caruso, editor-in-chief of Details magazine.
Judging from the sales numbers, it appears men would agree. They spent almost $51 billion last year on clothes and accessories in the United States alone. That's up 10 percent in just two years.
Looking good does cost money. According to industry figures, the average man spends $900 a year on his wardrobe, from his $11 Calvin Klein underwear to his $110 Zegna ties or pricier custom-made shirts. But there are options for every age and for every budget.
"It's not a surprise to find a designer suit label that is probably in the realm of $2,000 to $3,000, depending on where it's made and what fabric it's made from. We can also go into a typical mall today and find that a guy can put together a casual pants, shirt and tie for probably $100," says Tom Julian, trend analyst with ad agency Fallon McElligott.
You might be tempted to say that men are becoming a lot more like women, complete with their own fashion books and glossies. But there are some differences.
Men still spend 25 to 50 percent less on clothes than women. They make quick and targeted purchases. And in general, neither swim suits nor shoes are male fashion obsessions.
"I mean . . . women with shoes is something that I think Freud couldn't have figured out," says Caruso.
In the '90s, men's fashion spending has been fueled by casual Fridays and the trend toward quality casual attire. And judging from the latest fashion shows, that look's not going away anytime soon. 
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