Standing in front of the shelves of male toiletries at the supermarket, there is an unambiguous image at play: masculinity in Australia is about power and strength.

I thought, naively, that we had left behind these images of the singlet-wearing Aussie bloke who proudly crushes empty cans of beer with one hand and communicates in monosyllables, but it seems not. “Real” men sweat, and they need toiletries befitting the image.

The tradie stereotype has a stronghold when it comes to male toiletries. Credit: Louise Kennerley

It seems male toiletries are either intent on meeting what is arguably an outdated standard of what being an Australian male looks like, or are constructing an image of what they believe masculinity should look like.

Take, for example, Tradie Stallion Deodorant Body Spray. It comes in the kind of black can that could contain paint thinners. Nothing sissy about this, it says. Tradies are the personification of real men doing real work, the peak of masculinity.