Science has discovered that a select few items women regularly use have the power to attract
the opposite sex.
And, as it happens, you probably already own a majority of them.
Curious to know which of your everyday objects possess the power of attraction?
Let's find out.
In 2014, the American Podiatric Medical Association revealed that high heels are the devil.
Well, they might not have used those exact words, but they did say that heels are the
leading cause of foot pain in women.
This isn't too surprising given that pretty much anyone who has ever worn heels knows
of their discomfort.
Through a survey conducted by the association, it was discovered that of the 49 percent of
women who reported wearing heeled shoes, a vast majority complained about the pain.
Nevertheless, a study from the year prior discovered what was called a,
Wearing heels was found to alter a person's gait in a way that reduced the length between
steps and upped the swivel of the hips to create a unique swagger that apparently causes
men to find women more attractive.
After viewing videos of women walking in both heels and flat shoes, the participants in
the study rated the heel-wearing women as "significantly more attractive."
Only you can decide if it's worth the pain.
There are plenty of reasons to read.
Most people may not crack open a book solely to keep an open mind or live longer than those
who don't read, but both are side effects of reading.
Surprisingly, books can even influence attractiveness.
A study by EliteSingles found that 85 percent of single people considered others who are
well-read to be more desirable than non-readers.
As part of another survey conducted by EliteSingles, 26 percent of men and women named a well-stocked
bookshelf as the most attractive item to come across in a date's home.
When it comes to genres, many men found erotica-readers attractive, but Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird
was also listed as one of the top five most attractive books to own.
Go figure!
But, why is reading so attractive?
Books lead to discussions, psychologist Salama Marine told the site.
She said,
It's no secret that many women love sundresses.
It's not just for reasons of comfort, either.
Colleen Sherin, fashion director of Saks Fifth Avenue, told The New York Times,
It's not just women and designers who love the look, though, and many men are drawn to
women wearing sundresses.
Glamour surveyed a few men who are on board with the trend to figure out just what it
is about these dresses that make the women wearing them so attractive.
Reasons cited include the cultivation of a girl-next-door vibe, and being pretty much
the ultimate when it comes to capturing a look that's both classy and feminine.
Yeah, sundresses are pretty great, no matter who you are.
There's another reason men find sundresses and pretty much anything without sleeves so
attractive, and it has nothing to do with being classy.
According to science, men are all about arms.
For real!
You've heard of guys who are so-called "leg men," but it turns out a lot of dudes are
secretly "arm men" instead.
In one comprehensive study conducted in 2010, tall women with long arms were rated as highly
attractive, and anyone with slender arms was considered very, very attractive.
A later study conducted by the University of Missouri at Kansas City found that women
who were described as "toned and thin" women were considered more attractive than "thin
only" women.
When speaking to The Independent, the study's lead author, Frances Bozsik, explained,
There is more to attractiveness than meets the eye, and it's also in the ear and nose.
It may sound a little out there, but researchers have found that our sense of smell seems to
have a lot to do with how attractive we find someone.
Scientists have found that human noses have the ability to assess things like fertility,
health, diet, age, and personality, and our noses can even recognize family members through
their body odor, which researchers speculated,
Okay, that took a turn, but still.
Our noses are pretty amazing.
Although you might think all of this research means you should rely on your natural scent,
that's not necessarily the case.
Perhaps one of the best attractiveness hacks is perfume.
Well, one kind of perfume.
Avery Gilbert, a sensory psychologist, told Women's Health that fruity smells were found
particularly attractive, while Dr. Alan Hirsch of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research
Foundation added,
Well, there you have it.
Despite what is often said, seeing red is actually a good thing.
Not only do women fancy men in red clothing, but men, too, are more attracted to women
who wear the bold color.
Well, young women who wear red, that is.
A study conducted by researchers in Germany found that young women were perceived as more
attractive when seated against a red background than one that was white.
However, the background color didn't influence attractiveness one way or the other for older
women.
Interestingly, the study pointed out that men weren't able to consciously pinpoint why
red was such a big deal, and it seems to be completely subconscious.
The reasoning behind this phenomenon is not yet known.
Sarah E. Johns, an evolutionary anthropology professor at the School of Anthropology and
Conservation at the University of Kent in the UK, conducted another study on the color
red, but could still only give her best guess.
She told Shape,
If you're thinking that it's pretty obvious men like makeup, it's not quite that clear
cut.
As part of a study conducted by psychologists at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston,
participants were asked to view and rate female faces with three styles of makeup: minimal,
moderate, and dramatic.
The researchers found that each type had positive impacts on attractiveness, as well as likability,
competence, and trustworthiness.
However, when those same participants looked at the images for a longer amount of time,
the faces remained both attractive and competent, but started to waffle in likability and trustworthiness.
Why exactly that happens is unknown, as it hasn't been studied too much.
In another study published in the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, both men
and women had reported finding women who were wearing minimal makeup more attractive.
It seems men are not all about contouring.
Oh well.
A 2009 study revealed that men found a woman's hip-to-waist ratio as more alluring than even
the size of her breasts.
Although we'd all certainly love to see more inclusivity in men's preferences, the study
revealed that men rated women with,
Oh, remember when we said most men don't like contouring?
Well, it turns out they do.
Just not on the face.
Although there have been calls to retire bodycon dresses, the trend has remained alive and
well.
Since the bodycon dress quite literally contours to your body and shows off your hip-to-waist
ratio, it's practically the outfit to wear if you're looking to attract some male attention.
And while some dudes may prefer a "slim waist," any woman of any size can rock a bodycon while
looking downright fabulous.
Chewing gum has long been thought of as a no-no while interviewing for a job or working
in a professional setting.
In fact, Business Insider rounded up a list of small mistakes that could lead to you losing
out on a job and, you guessed it, chewing gum made the cut.
Despite it not being well-received in the workforce, gum can actually make both men
and women appear more attractive.
Well, except on a job interview, that is.
Although they may have been out to prove a point (and promote a product), the chewing
gum company Beldent set up a live art exhibition at the Buenos Aires Museum of Contemporary
Art.
The installation featured a pair of identical male twins and identical female twins.
Nearly 500 museum patrons were asked a series of questions about the twins.
During the questioning, one sibling chewed a piece of gum while the other held a neutral
expression, and a whopping 73 percent responded positively to the gum chewers.
So, while your favorite gum might not help you score a job, it might just help you score.
"I don't know if we should kiss, I mean, you're a zombie."
"But I'm kinda hot."
When The Express Tribune polled men about their favorite women's fashion staples, it
turned out that men weren't solely fans of bodycon dresses.
Another great choice, as far as men are concerned, is a little black number.
The UK company Buy T-Shirts Online further surveyed 1,000 people and discovered how they
perceived different colors.
The color black might seem a little grim, but there's a reason it's been a mainstay
for everything from interviews to first dates: Over half of those who participated in the
survey found black to be the color that exuded confidence.
A 2010 study conducted by researchers at the University of Liverpool in the UK and Charles
University in the Czech Republic also found that when men assessed women's attractiveness,
two colors, red and black, made the biggest impressions.
You may love your sunglasses, but it turns out your partner might love them even more.
Vanessa Brown, a professor of art and design at Nottingham Trent University in the UK,
researched the link between sunglasses and people's perception of "cool."
The expert found that sunglasses work not only to block out the sun, but to also make
a person's face more symmetrical.
And, since symmetry is conventionally beautiful, well, our glasses up our attractiveness factor
without us even having to try.
Sunglasses also make a person's face look more defined.
Not only that, but wearing a pair of shades pretty much makes us instantly mysterious,
even if we're really not.
Brown explained,
When sunglasses first became mainstream, they were thought of as "daring and thoroughly
modern," according to Brown.
Although they're no longer anything new or unusual, their edgy "cool" factor lingers.
Eyeglasses don't produce the same enigmatic effect as sunglasses do, but men still find
some women who wear them attractive.
Much of the attraction actually depends on the glasses, according to what researchers
at the University of Vienna in Austria discovered.
As part of a study on eyewear and attractiveness, they found that those wearing full-rim glasses
were rated as less attractive and more intelligent than those without glasses.
However, faces wearing rimless glasses did not lose any attractiveness points.
Instead, their attractiveness remained the same and they were also thought of as both
more intelligent and trustworthy than faces without glasses.
Of course, whether you decide to wear chunky frames, rimless eyewear, or anything in between
is totally up to you.
It doesn't have to come down to what men consider to be attractive, and it's really all about
how you feel when you put something on.
It's also worth noting that what's hot in eyewear today may change tomorrow, so picking
a style you genuinely like is your best bet.
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