My sister phoned up yakking enthusiastically and speaking in exclamation marks: "Remember how you were lamenting in one of your columns about where the real men have gone?! Well, sis, here's good news! Men's Health magazine is saying that the world is now celebrating the return of the gentleman!"
And off I trotted to grab hold of this good news bible. Of course Men's Health, being the ultimate metrosexual magazine, the article focused on lad fashion and the rules for dressing up as the new true gent: 'So do you fit the bill?
The new gent is likely to be between 25 and 35; single but with a view to changing that; ambitious; honest; and above all a man of integrity. His style is simple, slim, well-cut and understated.'
But in between the lines of fashion advice, one can read a couple of promising and encouraging holistic aspects.
The line of thought of the article was that the economic crisis is forcing the world to learn a lesson about quality: "We are on a social precipice, where 'consumer bulimia', brand obsessiveness and disposability are about to become a thing of the past," claims Men's Health.
So it seems that there is a silver lining to the economy lying in tatters. We are turning a new social, moral and aesthetic leaf and instead of being seduced by show-offs, we naturally find ourselves seduced by looks and attitudes that infer both financial and moral strength.
At long last it seems that the championing of parading; of high maintenance; of clamouring me! me!; of putting on drama queen performances; are all on the way out. Humility and simplicity - both forced to curl up and hide over these last years - seem to be slowly making a comeback and all thanks to the credit crunch.
If you give it a bit of thought it makes sense. We are all now wanting to invest in timelessness and quality. And we're not just talking clothes or interior decoration here. We want to go back to the time-honoured morals of the gentleman's era: not the obvious trappings of the old world - the smart suits, the cigars and the clubs, but the deeper values of integrity, discretion, respectful behaviour and enough innate confidence not to have to shout about it.
So readers, here is my manifesto of The New Gent:
• The credit-crunch gentleman says 'please' and 'thank you' and asks questions about other people rather than just talks about himself (or his car, or his outfit);
• Cares about the planet and is environmentally aware;
• Doesn't treat women like porcelain but is always very polite;
• Is modest and honest - in today's world there is no place for pretension;
• Does not flirt ceaselessly with every speck and fly;
• Does not phone/text/check his Blackberry incessantly;
• Is not xenophobic. On the contrary, he is concerned about community work and social reform (many timesonline.com forum contributors please take note);
• Is well-read, dedicated to work but not a workaholic;
• His clothes are just entry points to his personality and not the pillars holding it up;
• Appreciates that it's the little things in life that make it worth living.
The credit crunch, with the job insecurities and money worries it is bringing about, might be putting an extra strain on people's relationships (as is the case in the UK - with couples rushing to counselling), but ironically enough it seems that now, in this moment of truth and stress, it's the best time to figure out who the genuine people really are.
The return of the gentleman is certainly a ray of hope in this grim climate. Ladies, let's keep our fingers crossed.