A new study reveals just how much YOU should reveal to attract men.
- Carrie Seim, BettyConfidential.com
That’s according to new scientific research from the University of Leeds, which found that women who expose exactly 40 percent of their skin attract twice as many males.
Read: True Love Underwear Test
CoCo Chanel arrived at a similar conclusion years ago when she quipped, “Fashion is architecture: it is a matter of proportions.”
But how to determine the exact proportions ideal for luring men? We’ve all spent time in front of a mirror debating between the miniskirt or the strapless top … or the miniskirt AND the strapless top. But no one’s ever conducted a cost-benefit analysis on the ratio of skin-to-cloth before.
Lucky for us, scientists in the U.K. have solved this sartorial dilemma once and for all. Four of the group’s fearless female researchers went undercover at a nightclub and observed the interplay between skin and men. They used tape recorders to note which women got asked to dance by men most frequently, according to the study, published in the journal Behaviour.
According to the researchers’ rubric, arms counted for 10 percent each, legs earned 15 percent each and naked torsos registered a whopping 50 percent. (Guess it’s OK to rock a bare midriff as long as you wear a belt to cover that extra 10 percent?)
Those women who exposed 40 percent of their skin got the most male attention. Those who covered up too much were ignored. (Poor little turtlenecked wallflowers!)
However, women who shimmied around showing too much skin were also shunned.
“Any more than 40 percent and the signal changes from 'allure' to one indicating general availability and future infidelity,” the study’s leader, psychologist Colin Hendrie, tells the Daily Mail.
"Show some leg, show some arm, but not any more than that."
Are you reading this Pamela Anderson? How about you, Miley Cyrus? Put on some pants, Lady Gaga!
So how do you pull together a look that’s 40 percent fabulous flesh – no more, no less? It gets tricky if you use the scientists’ specific rule that each arm counts for 10 percent and each leg 15 percent. The following clothing calculations will land you at 40 percent on the dot ... and also on the fashion “don’t” list!
- A sleeveless shirt and one-legged trousers. Arrrgh, matey!
- Hot pants and a top with ¾ length sleeves. Hello, 1970s stewardess!
- A “burkini.” Burka on top, bikini on the bottom.
The scientists offer one more tip for reeling in the guys. Apparently women who followed to 40 percent plan AND wore tight clothes AND engaged in “provocative dancing” lured in the most men by far, being approached by 40 men each.
Looks like we’ll all be shopping for shorts and renting Dirty Dancing this weekend. Sigh.
As Mark Twain said, “The finest clothing made is a person's skin, but, of course, society demands something more than this.”
What outfit gets you the most attention?
Carrie Seim, Betty’s L.A. Correspondent, is a writer and comedian keeping it real in L.A., New York and @ www.carrieseim.com.
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