Photographed by Ruby Yeh.Thanks be to HSBC (yes, the financial institution) for creating a moniker for all the ridiculously good looking, well-groomed men popping up in the glossies and streets alike. Now there's no excuse to not label a good looking, well-groomed man as anything other than YUM. (Oh, the growing pains will be strong with this acronym, folks,)
HSBC has redefined the men formerly known as metrosexual and coined YUM as the acronym to define the growing number of males populating luxury sphere. The dawn of the YUM has arrived. Let's all extend a warm, well-manicured hand to the new breed of "Young Urban Males."
Curious minds are likely wondering what, exactly, classifies a YUM. It's nothing to get your freshly-pressed shirts in a bunch over. HSBC has defined the "Young Urban Male" as one who, similar to the metrosexual, "prefers to display social status earlier on." This means buying luxury goods and living the groomed life earlier than the men who had previously held the majority in the luxury market. Basically, the dudes who keep up with GQ's Style Guide (or any other male fashion publication) are YUMs. What differentiates them from the metrosexual is, apparently, the asexuality of the term. Metrosexual often carried a "gay-straight" vibe in tow. YUM, despite it's, uh, frilliness, doesn't come with that baggage. Though, after asking a few men here at R29 headquarters, don't expect many YUMs warming up to their yum-ness. (New York Mag)