Men's nails: discover the secrets to a perfect male manicure (2024)

27 February 2023 3 min

Men's nail polish has always characterised the style of many international rock stars, giving a touch of boldness to their looks! Today this trend is increasingly popular, find out more in this article!

In ancient times, it was men who wore nail polish, before it became an exclusively female custom. However, during the last century, international rock stars resumed wearing nail polish as a sign of protest against the rigid aesthetic standards of the time. Indeed, being alternative was not an attitude looked upon favourably. The 1970s and 1980s turned the world upside down, rewriting the rules of fashion. The first exponents of this cultural revolution were the best-known faces of the music scene of that time, starting with the famous David Bowie, known as much for his music as for his whimsical look.

He was never afraid to show himself in extravagant clothes, colourful wigs and an impeccable male manicure. At the time, men's nail polish was taboo and only the bravest wore it. David Bowie wasn't the only one to fight to clear customs, Iggy Pop and Kurt Cobain also performed several times sporting black, red or even glitter nail polish. In the last decade, this habit has conquered men all over the world, who no longer wear nail polish as a gesture of rebellion but simply for the fun of it. The gender boundary is becoming increasingly blurred in the fashion industry, and some products and habits are now 'gender free'. Mencure (a combination of 'men' and 'manicure') is not just a trend, it is a new attitude that is becoming increasingly consolidated. More and more young people of all ages are taking care of their appearance in its entirety, filing and strengthening their natural nails to show a neat and clean look in everyday life or for important occasions such as a job interview. In certain situations, male or female does not matter, taking care of one's image is essential regardless of one's biological sex.

Today, many VIPs attend events, award ceremonies and concerts with coloured manicures. The most popular colour is of course black, especially matt. Men's nails tend to be short, rarely does a male have extreme nail lengths or shapes. The preferred shapes are almost always round or square. In recent years other colours have caught on: Johnny Depp has even tried fuchsia and sex symbol Brad Pitt has experimented with multi-coloured patterns. After all, both actors can dare with what they want, on them any fashion experiment would be successful.

Men's nail art is becoming more and more elaborate, just look at Machine Gun Kelly, the American rapper and Megan Fox's ex-boyfriend. The artist has always had an eccentric style and a strong passion for colour, right from his early days. He has never minded criticism or puzzled looks, but always sported extreme outfits, with a preference for fuchsia and silver. His nail designs dictate trends, always very eccentric to the point of attracting the attention of designers such as Dolce & Gabbana. The Texan singer modelled for the well-known fashion house for their Fall/Winter 2022-2023 collection presented at Milan Fashion Week. His physical build and height of over six feet allowed him to ride one of the world's most coveted catwalks, sporting sparkling outfits. His man nails were filled with shiny rhinestones, to say the least, but there are many nail arts that the rapper has made viral in a short time.

A modern-day exponent of simpler male looks is the British singer Harry Styles, who loves mismatched nails without the addition of any particular decoration. At the Grammy Awards 2023 he sported a white nail design as one of the outfits he performed in, while for a photo shoot he chose the colour mocha. In both cases, these are two simple and versatile solutions.

Another male manicure lover is Bill Kaulitz, the frontman of Tokio Hotel rock band. The German band conquered European teenagers in the early 2000s and the singer now lives in Los Angeles. He attends Hollywood events with mismatched nails, chrome finishes and bright colours. They are a perfect way to complement his style, which has always been unique and alternative.

Now you can find interesting cues no longer only from purely female fashion icons. Have fun discovering a new, more inclusive and avant-garde fashion frontier!