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

Well, not all men, of course. There are variations in the population — anomalies and outliers and what have you. 

And let’s remember, human attraction is complicated enough that scientists have studied it for generations. And, from the studies those scientists have performed on a wide and varied population of dudes, fellas, and guys, we can draw some conclusions. We might instinctively have known many of the things that attract men to women — just not why or how.

Not all the mysteries of attraction have been solved, of course. On occasion, we might see a pairing that defies explanation. “What does he see in her?” we might ask. Well, chances are he sees one or more of these seven traits.

1. A high voice

Like so many other animals, humans do have mating calls, in a fashion. The sound of a woman’s voice can provide important cues to a man. A study out of University College London showed that men associate a woman’s high-pitched voice with a young woman with a small body.

2. A small waist-to-hip ratio

As the wisdom of Shakira tells us, hips don’t lie — and science agrees. Studies have shown that a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7 signals to men that a woman will be a healthy and fertile mate — hence the term “child-bearing hips” — and it’s a phenomenon that crosses cultures. 

3. Smiling

Turning frowns upside-down can have a profound effect. A study by researchers at the University of British Columbia found that men are more attracted to happy, smiling women. Funnily enough, the same study found the reverse to be true for women — they tended to find smiling men less attractive than brooding, serious dudes.

4. Healthy hair

Women don’t have to be like Rapunzel or anything, but hair does provide an excellent indicator of overall health. Nutrition plays an important role in hair health — if a woman isn’t eating right, or eating enough, her hair will damage easily. And once again, health and fertility are attractive qualities to men.