Look who’s being fussy now...

A study uncovered that men spend more time than women to get ready. Researchers found that men in the UK devote 83 minutes on personal grooming. DNA finds out if the study holds ground in Mumbai.

Expert view
Like women, men too want be stylish
I agree that men are concerned about their appearance and prefer methods of grooming. On an average, men spend Rs3,000 to 4,000 on their grooming. They come for styling hair, facials, pedicure, waxing, face scrubbing and body polishing. Earlier women or those connected with the glamour industry opted for such treatment. But the trend has reached the common man too. Earlier people would want to copy the looks of their favourite movie star, but now they want their own style. Everyone is looking for his own style. Even in the corporate world, where there are strict dress codes, men chose the fusion of modern styles. Men like to choose the style which suits them best. Moreover even in choosing dresses and other materials like shoes, sunglasses they go for branded items and designer labels in everything. But today the situation demands that both men and women put on their best.
—Shackya Nanda, saloon director, Juice

Star speak
Most try to keep up with the trends
P  ersonally, I don’t think it matters whether men or women take more time in dressing up. It is all about the persona of people and how they conduct themselves. However it is true that men have also started scrutinising their looks and appearance. They have started wearing jewellery and going to parlours. This is only to enhance their looks. But still in India not all men do the same things. I don’t spend so much time dressing up. There are many men who are not conscious about their looks and clothing. It is the personal choice of any person, if he feels the need to devote more time to grooming. Others don’t find it necessary. So, it depends on everyone’s personalised style.
—Shayan Munshi, actor

Everyone wants to look their best
Indian men also spend a lot of time on grooming, but I’m not sure if they spend more time than women. Today overall personality and grooming is important to both women and men, I don’t see any harm in that. I’m a part of the media industry, here men are equally conscious about their looks. Everyone wants to look their best today, no matter what their age is. I use a lot of products regularly for my hair and face. I also exercise regularly and also I’m particular about my eating habits. In fact my wife is also conscious, so we ensure consumption of nutritious food.               
—Deven M, 39, finance manager

Women worry more about looks
Men are becoming increasing conscious about their looks and are also extremely particular about what they wear. They spend a lot of money on grooming products, but they don’t spend more time than women while going out. This is because women have to bother and are fussy about things like jewellery, hairstyle, make-up and outfits. On the other hand, men aren’t  fussy and can take quick decisions. I don’t agree that men spend 83 minutes daily on personal grooming. Also the time a woman spends in a parlour is much more than a man would.
—Pooja Hingorani, 25, admin executive

I get ready in 15 minutes flat
Men don’t have the luxury to choose from the infinite varieties of dresses, shoes and make-up products. Men have simple needs. I take 5 to 15 minutes to get ready. I sort out my schedule and don’t bother about the opinion of others. I think women take more time because they are acutely conscious about their looks and give too much importance to what others think. Nevertheless, it will be wrong to say that men don’t bother about their appearance. They want to look presentable, but don’t want to devote too much time on such trivial tasks.
—Suniil Chaudhri, 26, management student

People like to ape matinee idols
Yes it’s true that men spend quite a lot of time grooming now. This is not a new phenomenon, but since some time now men are increasingly conscious about what they eat and wear. I use a lot of grooming products and also pay a visit to my hairstylist regularly. I like to be updated with the latest trends and look up to many actors, since they are pretty conscious about their looks too. I think it’s a good change that men are opting for a cleaner and chiselled look. It’s true that men spend more time than women in front of the mirror. But this is not true for all men.
 —Aslam Merchant, 26, businessman 

Guys cannot decide in advance
I agree with the survey which says that men take longer time than women to get ready. They take more time because they believe in last minute preparation. They keep saying that they won’t take much time and say they will be ready in a few minutes. But first they go for a shave, which consumes 15 minutes. Then they go for a bath and spend 20 minutes. After bathing, they ponder about what to wear. Then they hunt for a tie or matching shoes. It takes another 20-25 minutes. Then they spend time on styling their hair. This takes up a lot of time.                      
—Vanishka Lalwani, 26, PR professional