boys will be girls

The modern man has taken to borrowing his girlfriend's face cream, and thinks nothing of wearing her cashmere cardie.

The modern boy is so much at ease with his sexuality that he now has the confidence to grow his hair, moisturise his skin, and paint his nails, without worrying about being branded a Big Girl's Blouse. He takes his cue from the effeminate waifs who inhabit the music charts: Pulp's Jarvis Cocker, Placebo's Brian Molko, and Suede's Brett Anderson. They in turn owe a lot to David Bowie, the master of bi-sexual dressing

The new breed is anything but muscle-bound with a six-pack ripple for a stomach, a winning smile and a jaw line of steel. Open any glossy magazine for men, and you will find pretty boys slouching about, taking pains to play down their testosterone levels in favour of adoloscent guile.

While they are not yet ready to borrow from the wardrobes of their girlfriends and sisters, they certainly think nothing of sharing their face creams and beauty tips. They are prone to the sensation of cashmere against their skin, and will even wear a twinset - as long as it's without a strand of pearls.

A lick of mascara, a dusting of transluscent powder (just to take away the shine, you understand) and maybe even a tight glittery top is OK, but a frock is still definitely out of the question for Mr Androgyny. He will start slowly; his wardrobe may already contain her favourite baggy jeans (that he wears); his lips are covered with her lip balm and, of course, they share the same hairdresser, but the biggest revolution comes with day-to-day wear. Mr and Mrs Androgyny may not know it yet but their dress codes operate on the same principles: utility, practicality and comfort. That means Farahs, desert boots, Hush Puppies and a pastel coloured jumper that may come from either Jigsaw, be it for him or her. Dressing to please each other has never been easier, as long as she remembers that Y-fronts just don't look good on a girl, and he steers clear of her knicker drawer.

Pale blue short-sleeved shirt, pounds 37, by Jigsaw Menswear, 9-10 Floral Street, London W1; navy cords, pounds 25, by Burton, 379 Oxford Street, London W1; 71-73 Market Place, Manchester; chocolate desert boots, pounds 43, by Clarks, as before Styling assistant Holly Davies

Hair Craig Taylor

Make-up AlexSandra, using NARS

Models Camilla Rutherford and Rene Bouman, at Storm

Camilla wears navy-and-white polo top, pounds 54.95, by D&G Jeans, from Way-In at Harrods, Knightsbridge, London SW1; denim fitted jacket, pounds 64, and 561 jeans, pounds 55, both by Levi's, 174-176 Regent Street, London W1; 13A Eldon Way, Newcastle- upon-Tyne; 21 The Arcade, Meadowhall, Sheffield; stone desert boots, pounds 36, by Clarks, as before

Rene wears red polo top with navy trim, pounds 32.50, by Fred Perry, from Harrods, as before; Lillywhites, 28 Clumber Street, Nottingham (enquiries, 0171-3073 500); denim jeans, pounds 250, by Evisu, from Browns Focus, 38 Floral Streeet, London W1; Strand, 22 Queen Victoria Street, Leeds; Pollyanna, 14-16 Market Hill, Barnsley; Duffer of St George, 29 Shorts Gardens, London WC2; Jones, 17 Floral Street, London WC2; stone desert boots, pounds 43, by Clarks, 260 Oxford Street, London W1; 1 Union Street, Bath; 25 Church Street, Liverpool (enquiries, 0990 785 886)

Left: Rene wears black shirt, pounds 65, by YMC, from Browns Focus, 38 South Molton Street, London W1; Duffer of St George, 29 Shorts Gardens, London WC2; The Library, 268 Brompton Road, London SW3 (enquiries, 0171-251 8861); grey stretch wool trousers, pounds 170, by Joe Casely Hayford, from Geese, Barton Arcade, Deansgate, Manchester (enquiries, 0171-240 3572); stone desert boots, pounds 43, by Clarks, as before

Camilla wears black cotton shirt, pounds 120, blue sleeveless cardigan, pounds 150, and grey stretch wool trousers, pounds 165, all by Joe Casely Hayford, as before

Styling by Sophia Neophitou. Photographs by Adrian WIlson