15 Surprising Physical Traits Men Subconsciously Look for In A Woman

Ask any man what he looks for in a woman and the answers will probably be somewhat similar: big boobs, nice butt, drama-free. Seems fairly simple, right? But according to a number of scientific studies, there are many other attributes that men are subconsciously seeking in women that may come as a surprise to you, and to them for that matter.

Perhaps what is most surprising of all is just how much of a role a woman's ability to bear children plays in whether or not she is desirable to men. As you read, you'll realize just how much childbearing abilities matter to the male subconscious in their quest for a sexual partner.

It's worth noting that in my research, I also uncovered a few personality traits that men subconsciously seek in their women as well, some of which are quite interesting. For example, a study by Daniel Nettle at the University of Newcastle in the UK found that men prefer women who show empathy and agreeability because our human ancestors relied heavily on women to form social alliances. Another study found that men prefer women who are moderately neurotic because that indicates that the women will worry about the welfare of their children and therefore be better mothers.

In other words, men are far more complex than we thought and are capable of deeper desires than we could have imagined. Who knew?

Read on to learn the 15 surprising physical traits men subconsciously look for in a woman.

15 Waist to hip ratio of 7:10

One of the more well-known physical attributes men prefer in females is wide hips, but it's not quite that simple. According to scientists, men specifically prefer a waist to hip ratio of 7:10. Such a ratio is believed to be the perfect one for childbearing. Less than that may signal that the women are not suited for childbirth, while bigger than that could suggest fertility issues relating to being overweight.

Of course, men do not necessarily understand this or recognize that they are specifically searching for this particular ratio. In fact, few men even realize that they are looking for women that are most capable of producing children because that is a subconscious desire that would probably terrify most men if they even considered it. Still, it's instinctive in them to go forth and procreate, whether they know it or not. They just know that they like what they see and want more of it when they're looking at Kim Kardashian and Beyonce.

14 High-pitched voices

Studies show that men prefer high-pitched voices, which are associated with higher levels of estrogen and therefore are perceived as youthful and more feminine. Research shows that high-pitched voices also suggest a smaller body size, while low-pitched voices indicate a bigger body size, which is why women prefer men with low-pitched voices. In a study by the University College London, researchers prerecorded statements from males and females and asked participants to rate the attractiveness of the voices. Researchers then changed the pitch, formant, dispersion and pitch slope of the voices and asked participants which voices were most attractive. Findings revealed that the men preferred high-pitched, breathy voices.

Scientists note that in the animal kingdom, voices and tones matter too. While a deep growl signals a larger animal, a low pure tone like a buzz from an insect indicates small size and submissiveness. Perhaps men prefer high-pitched voices for the same reason. Hmm.

13 Beautiful shiny long hair

Studies show that men prefer women with long, thick shiny hair. Science shows that men equate this type of hair with health and vitality, which also indicates… you guessed it! Fertility.

This is alluded to in the book, Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters, by Alan S. Miller and Satoshi Kanazawa, in which they write,

"One accurate indicator of health is physical attractiveness; another is hair. Healthy women have lustrous, shiny hair, whereas the hair of sickly people loses its luster. Because hair grows slowly, shoulder-length hair reveals several years of a woman's health status."

In other words, you might want to think twice before donning a pixie cut. But then again, the better advice would be to be your own person and not worry about what men think. If you want short hair, go ahead and get it. There are plenty of exceptions to this rule, I'm sure.

12 Smiling more

Did you ever hear that sweet anonymous quote that states, "Don't frown. You never know who is falling in love with your smile." The sentiment is sweet and the advice is good because smiling improves your overall health, but the fact is that there is some scientific truth to the quote as well as studies show that men find women who smile often significantly more attractive.

The obvious explanation for this is that a smiling female is by far more approachable than a frowning one. No one likes rejection and a smile is a very inviting way for a female to indicate to a male that it is safe to approach her, so of course this is something guys prefer.

A smile might also have a link to that agreeability thing that guys prefer in women. Smiling females equate to agreeable ones and are therefore more attractive. So go ahead and smile.

11 White teeth

A study in the PLOS found that teeth provide a record for one's health history. Researchers examined the effects of digital manipulations of tooth color and spacing and found that the presence of yellowing or abnormal spacing negatively impacted ratings of attractiveness. The researchers also found that as teeth become yellower and darker with age, teeth on a female is of particular importance because it signals "residual reproductive value." Ah, yes, once again women are judged subconsciously by their ability to procreate healthy offspring.

Fortunately, there are tons of natural items and products on the market that can help women to achieve pearly whites, but it's not necessary for women to go overboard. The study also found that naturally white teeth were found to be equally attractive to ridiculously white teeth typically achieved with teeth-whitening products.

This seems like a fairly easy physical trait to accomplish, particularly compared to some of the others on this list which can be completely out of your control.

10 Less makeup

This one may be downright disappointing to some women who spend loads of money each month on endless makeup products and who have lost countless hours standing in front of a mirror carefully applying their makeup. The sad truth is that men actually prefer significantly less makeup than most women expect. In fact, according to a study from the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, men found women who wore less makeup more attractive than those wearing more makeup. Interestingly, the study found that men and women both seemed to agree on the same amount of makeup they found attractive, despite women believing that men preferred more makeup. It seems men prefer natural beauty because it is a good indicator of what traits may be passed on to their children.

So the good news is you might actually be able to pay off your student loans now that you can save hundreds or perhaps even thousands on those makeup products.

9 Color red

This one is so strange but apparently true. A study by Andrew Elliot and Daniela Niesta suggests that men may be biologically predisposed to be attracted to the color red. Evidence of this is underscored by the fact that the same is true for other species who use this color as a marker for mating. According to a preface to the study by Elliot and Niesta, "In many nonhuman primates, the color red enhances males' attraction to females. In 5 experiments, the authors demonstrate a parallel effect in humans." The authors of the study also found that men were unaware of this effect and that the color red did not have any effect on women's perceptions of other women.

So what does this mean for you, single ladies? Go out and buy the sexiest red dress and heels you can find. Maybe even some red lipstick, though based on men's distaste for excessive makeup (see above), you may want to forego this option.

8 Big eyes

This one may be a bit surprising but a substantial amount of research reveals that men find larger eyes to be more appealing on women. One significant reason for this is because they equate this feature with femininity. Beyond that, bigger eyes are apparently linked to long-term health and reproductive potential. How? Bigger eyes are a sign of higher levels of estrogen, and women with more estrogen have an easier time conceiving than women with lower levels.

But here is the strangest scientific reason for why men prefer big eyes. According to ZidBits.com, which obtained this information based on several university studies, large eyes are "neotenous features," which are a "characteristic of youth shared by babies and children that humans evolved to retain so they could attract quality mates with 'protective and nurturing impulses.' A mate with protective and nurturing impulses would be more likely to help raise their offspring and raise reproductive success."

In other words, women have evolved to adapt this feature so that they could attract more nurturing males. How amazing is that?!

7 Symmetry

Apparently, there is a little bit of math and science behind standards of beauty and what men consider to be attractive because facial symmetry is of prime importance. Facial symmetry is a face that is equal on both sides which indicate to the opposite sex that the person has good genes. And why pray tell, do genes matter? Because men want you to give them good babies, of course! And the hilarious thing is that they don't even know it!

Lopsidedness is connected to poor health, bad genes and one's development in the womb.

Facial symmetry is also equated with agreeability (guys really need this) and extraversion, apparently. As a side note, symmetry in female breasts is an indication of fertility as well.

To be fair, it is not just men who seek symmetry. Female swallows prefer males with symmetrical tail features because they are thought to have superior genetics.

6 Spine

Okay, so by now we all know that men tend to prefer big butts, but that is not entirely true. Research has found that men prefer big bottoms that are created by spinal curve instead of fat.

Researchers at Turkey's Bilkent University presented 300 men with photos of female silhouettes with different degrees of spine curvature and asked the men to select the women they found most attractive. The majority of the men preferred women with a curvature of 45.5 degrees, arguably because it made their butts appear bigger. Researchers concluded that men preferred this to women with excess fat and excess muscle.

Dr. David Lewis at Turkey's Bilkent University observes, "Men who think they like big bottoms may actually be more into spines. Men may be directing their attention to the butt and obtaining information about women's spines, even if they are unaware that that is what their minds are doing."

5 Energy levels

According to A Level Psychology Through Diagrams by Grahame Hill, men are interested in women who have characteristics that make them appear youthful, so it makes sense that high energy levels would be important since energy and youth seem to go hand-in-hand.

High energy is related to overall health and youthfulness, so a high energy female would obviously be a good contender for reproduction, and as we've already established, that is of prime importance for men, despite what they'd like to believe.

So ladies, if you're on the lazier side, you may want to kick things up a notch and exert some energy so that you exude youthfulness. Join a gym, go on a hike, rally for a cause, etc. And don't just think of this as a means to an end. Exercise and staying active are things that will not only give you the appearance of youth but will actually keep you young and healthy.

4 Average looks

Most women aim to be above average, but according to several studies, average is exactly what men are seeking.

Evolutionary biologists have determined that women with "mathematically average" features display a more diverse set of genes and are therefore more desirable subconsciously.

"Basically what our brain does is we go around in our environment, picking up people's faces and making the average out of these faces we see on a daily basis," Dr. Kang Lee, a psychologist at the University of Toronto.

“And because of that, then, we actually have in our head… a representation of the average of the face. So there's something we have genetically that's driving us to prefer to look at something that's average."

Similarly, researchers at the University of California found that men find women in groups more attractive than women who are alone because they tend to "average out" faces in a group.

A study from Spain shows men prefer women with average features, meaning how closely the size, color, and shapes of their face resemble the population.

3 Scent

Men use scent to choose women who have better immune systems than they do.

Huh?

Most of us known about pheromones, which are chemical signals emitted from our bodies, but did you know that men use pheromones "sniff out" (pun intended) the most genetically compatible partners.

Studies found that pheromones can give away all sorts of information about people, including the health of their immune system. Men will seek out women who are immune system matches based on pheromones. Can you guess why? Of course, it's because they want to produce the healthiest babies.

It's worth noting that females do exactly the same thing. They use pheromones, subconsciously, of course, to detect the best partner. Pheromones for women are used to indicate high levels of testosterone, especially when they are at peak fertility.

Based on this article, it seems that women at peak fertility are virtually the ideal women for men.

2 Long arms

This is one of those physical attributes that you either have or you don't and there's not much you can do if you're in the latter category. But strangely enough, studies show that men find long arms attractive.

According to a study in Evolutionary Biology Volume 23 in which men were asked to review body images of women wearing form-fitting skin-colored lycra leotards, the men preferred the taller women with longer arms.

This might be good news for, say, the ladies of the WNBA, whose long arms are a major asset.

Another study in Australia surprisingly showed that women with long arms were considered more attractive than women with long legs.

For those of us on the shorter side, this is an absolute relief. Does this mean that we can ditch those painful heels that give the illusion of long legs and opt for the comfy flats? Because that would be swell.

1 Whether she is ovulating

We always knew it would come down to this. As we've previously stated, despite what men may believe about their desires to have children, there remains a powerful evolutionary instinct within them to seek out the best female for procreation. As such, they will subconsciously be more attracted to females who have features that indicate childbearing abilities.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise to you that men are more attracted to women when they are ovulating, shows an abundance of research. A lot of this is affected by pheromones, which we've already discussed, but there are other bodily chemicals involved that signal to the male when a woman is ovulating.

According to a 2009 study by Saul Miller and Jon Maner in which men were asked to sniff the dirty t-shirts of women in different phases of their menstrual cycle, the men who smelled the shirts of ovulating women were found to have higher testosterone levels than men who sniffed the shirts of non-ovulating women.

So the next time you're at the gym during ovulation, be sure to steer clear of any guy whose attention you are not interested in getting.