It seems that female appearances are very subjective: some men like plump women, some men prefer slim girls, and others don’t care about the shape, but they pay attention to other things. Scientists have come to the conclusion that there are many subliminal things about female appearances that men notice unconsciously.
Different pieces of research were conducted by various scientists from several countries over assorted times. Overall, thousands of men and women took part in the studies.
We at Bright Side decided to combine all the data that the scientists collected and tell you about the most important things women do that attract men.
1. Voice and manner of speaking
In the beginning, scientists found that men prefer women who have a high “feminine” voice. Marilyn Monroe is a great example of the ideal voice. The least attractive voice is a squeaky voice like Kim Kardashian’s and Ellen Page’s.
This is because high feminine voices are associated with youth, which equates with attractiveness. Older women often have squeaky voices.
Another research showed that men prefer women who speak in a similar manner to theirs. This is about the way certain words and letters are pronounced, the pace of speech and other details.
2. Height
Probably everyone knows that most of the time men prefer women shorter than themselves. The difference in height can be less than 7 or 8 inches.
However, there are a lot of men whose height is less than average. So, while tall men try to find short girls, short men look for women of a similar height.
3. Age
We often see couples where men are older than women. And it seems that the majority of couples are like that. However, there are very bright examples of couples where a woman is older.
Scientists found out that men aged before 20 and after 30 prefer women from 24 to 25 as sexual partners. This is because in this age a woman will most likely become a mother. And in this case, it doesn’t matter if a man or a woman even think about children. It’s all because of evolution. Men who had sexual contacts with women from 24 to 26 had more children than other men.
Men who are older than 30 and who choose older women than themselves can’t be explained by this theory. Probably, in this case, we need to look for more psychological reasons and motives. Or maybe we should keep in mind the fact that there are no situations where men choose women based on only one criterion of attractiveness.
4. Eye color
Scientists from The University of Tromsø, Norway claim that blue-eyed men prefer blue-eyed women. According to the researchers, this is because the eye color of the future baby helps to understand if the choice was right.
Men with brown and green eyes tend not to prefer blue-eyed women.
Of course, the preferences of blue-eyed men seem quite logical. But, in fact, even if both parents have blue eyes, they might have a brown-eyed baby.
5. Makeup
Research from 2014 claims that men prefer women who use makeup moderately. The most curious thing is that women don’t really like to have very bright makeup, but they think that men like it, which is why they often do it.
So, women who make a very bright makeup might repel the men they’re trying to attract. Don’t forget about this and choose your makeup wisely.
6. Waist-hip ratio
Doctor Cary Fitzgerald, a psychologist from South Carolina University in Beaufort, and her colleagues conducted a study and came to the conclusion that men memorize information better about women who have an “ideal” waist-hip ratio. Such women are considered to be the most attractive.
According to the research, the ideal waist-hip ration is approximately 0.7. It is very easy to calculate: measure the waist and the hips, then divide the girth of the waist by the girth of the hips.
According to specialists, models such as Kate Moss and Kelly Brook and actresses like Marylin Monroe and Jessica Alba, have the ideal waist-hip ratio, despite the fact that they have completely different body shapes.
7. Limbal rings
The eye color aspect can be not very clear, but the limbal rings are very straightforward.
Limbal ring is the dark ring around the iris. Scientists have come to the conclusion that wide limbal rings attract men more. Maybe this is because younger women have wide limbal rings, but even older women who still have wide limbal rings are very attractive to men.
8. Hair color
Scientists from France have conducted research that showed which women are invited to dance in nightclubs more often: blonde-haired, brown-haired or red-haired.
The conclusion was that men invite blondes more often than others. The second place was taken by brunettes, and red-haired women were the least attractive for men.
The scientists thought that this was not due to the color itself, but how good the hair color looks together with the skin color. So, the skin color of the majority of the red-haired women was found the least attractive of eight skin colors.
9. Length of legs
Clinical psychologist Leon Zeltzer studied a few pieces of research and many online forums to figure out what leg length is more attractive for men. He came to the conclusion that men prefer women with longer legs. This statement doesn’t contradict the part about men who like short women.
This is true because men like it when women’s legs are long relative to her body. So, you don’t have to have super long legs to attract a man. The only thing that really matters is the contrast with the rest of the body.
10. Lumbar curvature
The lumbar curvature is another universal standard of female beauty that is built into the male brain thanks to the evolution. On average, the angle between the back and the buttocks should be about 45.5°. This curvature is considered to be the most attractive for men.
This is because in the past (as it is now) this curvature allowed women not to suffer from backaches during pregnancy. Of course, many pregnant women experience pains in the back, but women who don’t have the “right curvature” are more susceptible to the pains.
You should always remember that appearance is not the only thing that interests men. There is also inner beauty, and we strongly believe that every woman is attractive in her own unique way. Besides, the studies showed that there are many men who were different from the majority. So, don’t fear to be outside the box and use your advantages in a smart way.
Tell us in the comments which features of the opposite sex are the most attractive to you.
Illustrated by Daniil Shubin for Bright Side
