Female Attractiveness

Both men and women see the male with broad shoulders, a slim waist, and a muscular chest as being more attractive. Gay men especially see a low waist to chest ratio as being attractive. There is some evidence that a normal body mass index versus being overweight is considered more attractive to both genders. Women also prefer a flat abdomen but are less likely to prefer muscular men than is true of men appreciating another man’s musculature or their own musculature.

Men who have a large penis see themselves as more satisfied with their appearance. Women, on the other hand, prefer a medium-sized penis for their long-term partner and a larger penis for a one-time sexual encounter.

Skin tone preferences vary from culture to culture. Men who work outdoors in the sun tend to be darker so that light skin was considered to be associated with greater wealth. Men with red or yellow skin tones are believed to have better oxygenation and to eat more fruits and vegetables. These are believed by some to be men who are more attractive.

FEMALE ATTRACTIVENESS

Heterosexual men are more attractive to body symmetry and younger women. Men play more attention to female attractiveness than women do of male attractiveness. Men prefer a woman’s face that has a high forehead, broad face, small nose, small chin, high cheekbones, smooth skin, wide-set eyes, and full lips. The overall face shape is also considered important. A thick ring around the iris is a sign of youth so this is also considered attractive. A face that is more feminine is considered to be more attractive than a face that is less feminine.

Because fertility and youthfulness are considered to be related, younger women are considered to be more attractive and desirable than older women. Older women have higher ratios of testosterone to estrogen, which changes their facial appearances and makes them appear less attractive. All of this makes the desire for a youthful appearance be more prevalent in women of younger and younger ages.

There is contradictory evidence as to the desirability of the female breast in terms of its size. While men like the appearance of the female breast, there are differences in

whether large breasts are preferred or small breasts are preferred. In general, men like breasts that are symmetric. Sagging breasts, on the other hand, are considered less attractive and associated with older age.

Some cultures prefer women who are plumper, while others like thinner women. Certainly, the Western ideal is for a woman to be thin. What is just as important is having a proportionate body, regardless of actual size. Societies that have food shortages prefer women who are plumper. In general, women perceive men as liking other women who are thinner than is actually the truth. In other words, women are more judgmental about thinness than men.

A waist to hip ratio of 0.7 is linked to better health and better fertility in women. High waist-to-hip ratios tend to be associated with decreased fertility rate. A smaller waist to hip ratio is judged to be more attractive by both genders. This is considered to be one of the most important aspects of the male choice for a mate. There are slight differences according to ethnicity with a preference for overweight women being seen in cultures who do not have obesity as a problem.

The opposite of what happens in men is true in women when it comes to physical height. In general, men in today’s Western societies like short women and height itself is less important in selecting a female mate than selecting a male mate. The view of a tall woman with a shorter man is less likely to be an appealing one. This is less true in certain ethnic groups. On the other hand, long legs are valued in women but not in men. Small feet are valued in a woman but not in a man. Long hair is considered more attractive in women. Walking with a hip sway is attractive in women as well.

Women are perceived as more attractive when they are the most fertile, although it is not clear if she changes her appearance or behavior during that time. Faces are subtly different during ovulation by both men and women. On the other hand, women prefer men with a more symmetrical face during their most fertile time. Women with a lot of estrogen are seen to be more attractive than women with low estrogen levels.