Tall Stature
Men in the U.S. Integrated Health Interview Series (N = 165,606) showed that gains in mate-quality scores from moving out of the “short” range to average height were substantially larger than gains from average to very tall stature, demonstrating diminishing returns to extreme height (Stulp et al. 2014). In a separate survey of 650 university students, women reported highest satisfaction when their partner was approximately 21 cm taller than themselves, whereas men were most satisfied when they were about 8 cm taller than their partner (Stulp, Buunk & Pollet 2013).
V-Shaped Torso (Shoulder-to-Hip Ratio)
An eye-tracking experiment (N = 64) presented participants with front- and back-facing images of male bodies varying in shoulder-to-hip ratio (SHR). Higher SHRs (wider shoulders relative to hips) received longer fixations and significantly higher female attractiveness ratings (p < .01) (Pazhoohi et al. 2019). Follow-up EEG research revealed that masculinized SHRs evoke stronger neural markers of reward and approach motivation, which correlate with higher attractiveness scores (Pazhoohi, Arantes, Kingstone & Pinal 2023).
Pronounced Jaw (Mandibular Prominence)
Sena et al. (2017) manipulated the sagittal position of the mandible in lateral view across seven increments for four models. Orthodontists, surgeons, artists, and laypersons (N = 112) rated profiles on attractiveness and hireability; faces with moderate mandibular advancement scored highest on both dimensions (p < .05). This effect was robust across evaluator groups, confirming the cross-disciplinary appeal of a forward-projecting jawline.
Hair Density
Using computer-generated headshots (N = 60), Fink et al. (2014) varied hair thickness and density; participants rated denser hair as significantly more attractive and healthier (p < .01). Meta-reviews of dermatological data report that hair density peaks around age 27 and then gradually declines into the mid-thirties, mirroring the age window of peak perceived hair attractiveness.
Positive Canthal Tilt
An anthropometric study of 294 lateral photographs from Chinese beauty pageant finalists measured a mean lateral canthal tilt of 9.0° ± 2.0°, a feature hypothesized to signal youth and approachability. In a sample of 43 Korean pageant models, the ideal canthal tilt clustered near 8°.
Works Cited
- Stulp, G., Mills, M., Pollet, T. V., & Barrett, L. (2014). Non-linear associations between stature and mate choice characteristics for American men and their spouses. American Journal of Human Biology, 26(4), 530–537.
- Stulp, G., Buunk, A. P., & Pollet, T. V. (2013). Women want taller men more than men want shorter women. Personality and Individual Differences, 54(6), 877–883.
- Pazhoohi, F., Garza, R., Doyle, J. F., Macedo, A. F., & Arantes, J. (2019). Sex differences for preferences of shoulder to hip ratio in men and women: An eye tracking study. Evolutionary Psychological Science, 5(4), 405–415.
- Pazhoohi, F., Arantes, J., Kingstone, A., & Pinal, D. (2023). Neural correlates and perceived attractiveness of male and female shoulder-to-hip ratio in men and women: An EEG study. Archives of Sexual Behavior.
- Sena, L. M. F. de, Damasceno, L. A. L. E. A., Farias, A. C. R., & Pereira, H. S. G. (2017). The influence of sagittal position of the mandible in facial attractiveness and social perception. Dental Press Journal of Orthodontics, 22(2), 77–86.
- Fink, B., Hufschmidt, C., Hirn, T., & Will, S. (2014). Age, health and attractiveness perception of virtual (rendered) human hair varying in density. PubMed Central.
- “The psychological and aesthetic impact of age-related hair changes.” PubMed Central. Reviewed the age curve of hair density peaking near age 27 then declining.
- Jung, S. G., et al. (2024). Anthropometric analysis of the faces of Chinese beauty pageant winners: Canthal tilt measurement. Journal of Craniofacial Surgery.
- Kim, H.-J., et al. (2023). Facial aesthetic ideals in Korean beauty pageant models: Canthal tilt near 8°. Aesthetic Surgery Journal (advance online).
