And let's remember, human attraction is complicated enough that scientists have studied it for generations. And, from the studies those scientists have performed on a wide and varied population of dudes, fellas, and guys, we can draw some conclusions. We might instinctively have known many of the things that attract men to women — just not why or how.
Not all the mysteries of attraction have been solved, of course. On occasion, we might see a pairing that defies explanation. "What does he see in her?" we might ask. Well, chances are he sees one or more of these seven traits.
1. A high voice
Like so many other animals, humans do have mating calls, in a fashion. The sound of a woman's voice can provide important cues to a man. A study out of University College London showed that men associate a woman's high-pitched voice with a young woman with a small body.
2. A small waist-to-hip ratio
As the wisdom of Shakira tells us, hips don't lie — and science agrees. Studies have shown that a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7 signals to men that a woman will be a healthy and fertile mate — hence the term "child-bearing hips" — and it's a phenomenon that crosses cultures.
3. Smiling
Turning frowns upside-down can have a profound effect. A study by researchers at the University of British Columbia found that men are more attracted to happy, smiling women. Funnily enough, the same study found the reverse to be true for women — they tended to find smiling men less attractive than brooding, serious dudes.
4. Healthy hair
Women don't have to be like Rapunzel or anything, but hair does provide an excellent indicator of overall health. Nutrition plays an important role in hair health — if a woman isn't eating right, or eating enough, her hair will damage easily. And once again, health and fertility are attractive qualities to men.
5. Wearing red
It's not just Chris de Burgh who finds a lady in red alluring. According to a study by researchers at the University of Rochester, women signal sexual receptivity to men when they wear red — which is to say, men found women in red more approachable.
6. Less makeup
This might seem backwards, but men like women to wear less makeup. While many women might shudder at the thought of facing the day without makeup, cutting back might still be a good option. A study out of Bangor University found that men prefer women to wear 30 to 40 percent less makeup. Interestingly, this is true even though men and women think others will prefer more makeup than they actually do.
7. Longer arms
Bet you would have thought legs would be a bigger factor than arms. Nope! Researchers at the University of New South Wales in Australia found that arms were a more important factor in attractiveness. The study didn't conclude why arms were the bigger factor, except to say that they played a more important role in the "suite of traits in the right combination."
Collage image via Instagram / @christinahendricksfanclub
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