The myth of universal beauty

Most studies had only examined Western societies. When Isabel Scott at Brunel University, decided to cast their net wider – across communities in Asia, Africa, South America and Russia, they found a variety of preferences . In fact, it was only in the most urbanised regions that they found the strong attraction to more masculine men and more feminine women; in the smaller, more remote communities, many women actually preferred the more “feminine” looking men.

In cultures where starvation is a real risk, preferences for heavier weight in partners is expected because those individuals are most resistant to food shortages, and indeed, this does seem to be the case . When dominance is valued, meanwhile, women may also prefer men with squarer chins – and higher testosterone. It has been found that exposure to cues of male-male competition, such as seeing men fight each other, increases women’s preferences for masculine male faces.

Our attraction is also shaped by familiarity: the more people see you with a certain appearance, the more attractive it can appear. In a time when cosmetic surgery is becoming the norm, this offers an important lesson. Instead of changing your unusual looks to suit the fashions of the time, you could instead use your looks to change the fashion.