Marketers Aim to Man-Up Men

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who's the Fairest Man of All?

Billett said he's recently seen an influx of makeup lines for men, male girdles and even underwear with butt padding.

"Every major men's magazine writes about men's grooming and great picks for products that you'd see in women's magazines," said Billett, who has noticed this shift in the past couple of years. "I can think of half a dozen men's companies that just do men's cosmetics.

"It's a market share that everyone wants a piece of because men are becoming more and more concerned with how they look and how women perceive them," he said.

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Andy Gilchrist, author of "The Encyclopedia of Men's Clothes," links the uptick in men's vanity items to the failing economy.

Many men who had previously been sitting comfortable in their jobs are now back on the market looking for employment, spurring them to appear just as polished as the next guy.

"There is a trend now toward more classic clothing and gentlemen trying to understand the rules of dressing that's coming around because of the economy," said Gilchrist.

"All of a sudden, men who had been [more casual] are realizing that they are being judged on their image," he said. "They realize that the guy down the hall who was wearing a tie and a nice shirt got promoted."

Celebrity stylist Philip Bloch also believes that the suffering economy may have something to do with men's increased awareness of their beer belly or 5 o'clock shadow.

"When times are tough, people want to feel better about themselves," said Bloch. "They want a quick little fix like the tummy-tuck tank tops.

"You don't want to be depressed about your financial situation and look down at your waist and see you have a belly hanging out and your hair falling out," he said.

Bloch said that aging male celebrities -- from Brad Pitt to George Clooney -- also gives the average guy a reason to spruce up his appearance.

"We're seeing men take more pride in themselves and realize that it's not just a 20-year-old thing anymore," said Bloch. "They realize that 40 is the new 30 and that 30 is the new 20, and so forth, and that they have to compete."

"The age limit of sexy is just different now," he said. "You have to stay looking good for longer. Bachelor shelf life has increased."