What woman want
We’ve been saying it all along—a well-dressed man always makes a great first impression, especially as it pertains to women. And a new retail/vendor survey conducted by MR magazine reveals just how important women think clothes are to a guy’s overall appeal.
When 100 professional women between the ages of 25–50 were polled about how important clothes are to a guy’s attractiveness, the average response was seven on a scale of 0–10. And unsurprisingly, the female panel gave a broad range of responses when asked what it notices first about how a guy is dressed. About 60 percent noted that a guy’s overall style (neat or sloppy, traditional or contemporary) is more important than any specific item of clothing. Tops matter—30 percent said they notice the shirt before anything else, taking in color, pattern and fit. Another 30 percent pay attention to shoes because “they reflect a guy’s overall style and the care he puts into his possessions.” About 20 percent are most concerned about fit.
In fact, when asked what attracts these ladies to a guy in the first place, the majority of responses involved fit, comfort and/or confidence. “I’m attracted if the guy looks like he’s given it some thought,” noted one respondent. “I go for well-groomed and confident,” another said. And from a third respondent who knows what she likes: “I love rolled up sleeves revealing some tattoos—very sexy!”
But in most cases, respondents were far more certain about what they dislike than what they like. Fashion turn-offs, as listed by participants, included clothes that are: dirty, sloppy, wrinkled, too baggy, too tight, stained, too beige, too polished. Other definite turn-offs? Man buns, flashy logos, graphic tees, short shorts, pleats, dyed hair and “anything that looks more feminine that what I’m wearing…” That’s fair.
On the other hand, the jury was evenly split on guys wearing shorts and sandals in the office, as well as ripped jeans, long hair and facial hair. Dyed hair, however, was a “no thanks” among 60 percent of the ladies, while 70 percent of the group gave a resounding “yes” to suits and ties at work.
What would make a perfect date night outfit? The women mentioned a button-down shirt tucked in, fitted pants, a tailored suit (“pocket square and tie bar nice touches”), a blazer, nice shoes, dress pants and nice jeans as items they’d like to see their date sporting. For weekends, women like plain tees, cool sneakers, jeans (preferably dark and fitted and preferably not ripped) and maybe a hat, vintage tee and some facial hair. One respondent summed it up nicely: “There is no perfect outfit. Guys should experiment and find a look that reflects their personality.”
Other survey insights we found intriguing:
** “Clothes are important: You’re telling the world how you’d like to be treated…”
** “The nicer someone is, the more I like how he dresses…”
** “The most important thing is confidence: If a guy feels most confident in T-shirts and jeans, then that’s when he looks most attractive.”
** “Guys should not wear sandals and black socks with Michigan basketball shorts. But since that’s how my husband dresses, I probably shouldn’t be taking this survey!”
