7 Traits Women Can"t Resist, Whether They Know It Or Not

The mysteries of attraction work both ways. Women know, to some degree, what attracts men. Men aren’t all that mysterious, although there are factors they’re not always aware men notice. 

But women tend to mystify men much more. Guys just don’t know — beyond basic common sense — what women find attractive. Volumes have been written on the topic. Movies have been made. Lots of them, starring Sandra Bullock or Hugh Grant. 

Scientists have been studying it for a while too, trying to break through that stubborn veil of attraction. 

Good news! Those intrepid researchers have come up with some results. Here are seven traits women look for in a man — not all women, of course, but in a large, very general sense:

1. Stubble

The ideal length? Ten days’ growth. Not quite peach fuzz, not quite Zach Galifiankis. According to a study by researchers at the University of Queensland, that amount of growth signals maturity and manliness. 

2. Broad shoulders

Math rules the day — while men prefer a small waist-to-hip ratio, women look for a high shoulder-to-waist or shoulder-to-hip ratio. In fact, in at least one study, broad shoulders placed first in importance — more important than, ahem, other sizes mattered.

3. A deep voice

Maybe it’s not so surprising that a deep voice attracts women — it does partly explain Barry White’s popularity. Science backs up the anecdotal evidence. A study by researchers at University College London confirmed it, with one surprising addition: that women preferred a “breathiness” with a deep voice, perhaps as a way of softening an aggressive edge. 

4. Wearing red

Seems like this is one of those rare occasions when men and women can agree: red just looks better. Researchers at the University of Rochester found that women across cultures were more attracted to men wearing red — or even just surrounded by a red border. The researchers said that women “view men in red as higher in status, more likely to make money and more likely to climb the social ladder.”