Bend it like Beckham? I don't think so.(influence soccer player David Beckham has on fashion despite his unique appearance)(Column)

Sheltered creature of small-town America that 1 am, I neither know nor expect to know any of those men identified in the popular culture as "metrosexuals." The New York Times last week refreshed my memory of the term itself. In fact, reporter Warren St. John gave metrosexuality a face, a figure and hair styles ranging from Mohawks to cornrows--all belonging to the most famous athlete in the world.

"In recent years," St. John writes, "the European media found a metro-sexual icon in David Beckham, the English soccer star, who paints his finger-nails, braids his hair, and poses for gay magazines, all while maintaining a manly profile on the pitch."

The metrosexual's idea is to leave 'em guessing as to one's precise orientation while preening for all eyes. These are "straight, urban men willing, even eager, to embrace their feminine sides," St. John writes.

It's not much of a surprise, then, to read fashion writer Natasha Bita's June 27 report in The Australian, her country's national newspaper: "Whatever would men's fashion designers do without David Beckham? The man is a mass muse. In Milan this week, stylists mimicked the British soccer celebrity's hair, androgynous flair and his penchant for wearing slides with slick white suits.

"The ubiquitous Beckham has set the tone for next summer's menswear," Bita goes on, finally adding, "But to really be like Beckham, blokes will need his body to boot. Plunging necklines, cut-away singlets, cheeky shorts and flimsy fabrics mean men will be showing off their six-packs, not drinking them."

Here we pause to ask a question.

Wanna bet, sweetie?