10 JULY 2002
Long recognised for his willingness to explore the frontiers of fashion, David Beckham now seems determined to take his sartorial sass one step further. Having done the sarong and made headlines with his regularly changing hairstyles, the 27-year-old England captain has ventured into the even more controversial domain of nail polish. And, according to high street retailer Woolworths, he’s sparked a trend.

Becks and wife Victoria have frequently done the fashion double act, so it comes as no surprise to learn that when he chose to accessorise his outfit for the baptism of Liz Hurley’s baby with nail varnish, it was in the same shade of pink as his wife’s. Now, Woollies staff have reported a “large surge” in the number of men asking for nail varnish, although they are still unable to say which colour the guys are going for.

“We have seen a large surge in men coming into the shop and asking for nail polish,” said a spokesperson for the store. “Some of the staff were a bit confused at first until it was pointed out that Beckham had started a new craze.”

It’s not the first time the football ace has painted up. He wore a silvery black version on a cover shoot for GQ magazine and was also rumoured to have donned a lick of some polish for a pre-World Cup visit to Downing Street.

Other male celebrities spotted wearing nail colour include American rocker Lenny Kravitz, screen heart-throb Antonio Banderas and Quentin Tarantino.