Indeed, advances in medical science has meant that people are living longer and a general 'anything goes' attitude in society has meant that there is less pressure to conform to the 'married by 25' mind-set of previous generations. In fact, the typical age of marriage has increased by 5 years since the 1960s, and it remains true that men, in general, get married at an older age than women do, with the average age now being in the thirties.



But there may be a trade-off in terms of this shifting of the 'settling-down' parameters, one that questions whether someone really is only as young as they feel; at least, in the eyes of others.

'Youthfulness' has long been accepted as one of nature's ways of conveying fertility and hence suitability as a lifetime partner. Although, traditionally, personal appearance was widely regarded as being a woman's concern, things have changed in recent years, with the emergence of the 'metrosexual' male - an urban male who displays a strong interest in his own appearance and lifestyle. Metrosexuality became a cultural trend in the 1990s, coinciding with a time where, for the first time ever, the majority of adults were midlife or older.

Although society's aging is only one of many theories explaining the emergence of metrosexuality, there is one thing that is certain; it is more socially acceptable today than ever before for men to care about their personal appearance. Indeed, this is reflected in the male cosmetics market, which has boomed since trailblazers such as David Beckham entered the scene back in the 1990s.

It is now possible to browse entire ranges of personal care products, including items such as , which are aimed specifically at men who are displaying their first 'expression wrinkles'. Indeed, individual anti-wrinkle creams and entire anti-aging kits are proving immensely popular, for men who not only like to act as young as they feel but also for those who like to look as young as they feel.

So, in an ever-aging society, it would seem that men are finally catching up with women in the quest to remain youthful. And with men - and women - choosing to settle down later in life, this only serves to act as an extra incentive to look as young as they feel.