The Student Room Group

attractiveness

What actually determines if someone is attractive or not? For example is it possible for a really attractive girl to make herself look ugly? Or will people see the attractiveness whatever she is wearing? I have a theory that if everyone was naked and had the same hairstyle most people would be around the same level of attractivess, Ive always found that people either make themselves look attractive or unatractive, so its nurture rather than what nature gives them. Then there is the fact that some people are attractive to some but not to others but I think there is a general idea of what attractive is.

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Reply 1
Well your height can help make you more attractive, which would still be seen if everyone was naked. And things like facial structure, size & colour of your eyes make you more attractive.
Reply 2
A bad personality on a beautiful person can make them seem ugly.
I think that every single person has the potential to be attractive in some way, but some people just don't wash/let their eyebrows stay feral/don't clean their teeth etc. etc.

That being said, I think the VERY attractive people do the work and have a lucky bone structure.
Reply 4
It's pretty subjective - and not always entirely (if at all) based on physical attraction (like I said, it varies).
Most girls will ruin their attractiveness if they shaved their head imo.

Although Natalie Portman didn't ruin herself totally in V For Vendetta...

...Britney, on the other hand...
Society will always have the norms on what they deem to be attractive, but different people have completely different views. For example, I personally think Brad Pitt looks like a monkey but it seems half the population is in love with him :s-smilie:
I think to an extent you're right but I do think there are some people who are naturally a lot more attractive than others. To use a fairly good example, on Beauty and the Geek all the guys are dressed badly with terrible hair etc but some are still better looking than others.
You're right in that it's subjective though.
AsphyxiateD
Most girls will ruin their attractiveness if they shaved their head imo.

Although Natalie Portman didn't ruin herself totally in V For Vendetta...

...Britney, on the other hand...


Again, some people are born with lucky head shapes :p:
I agree that a lot of people look more attractive than they are because they make effort with hair, makeup etc, and that some good looking look bad because they style themselves in an unflattering way. But some people are naturally attractive and some are ugly despite how they style themselves. For example, IMO, Nicola from Girls Aloud will never be as pretty as Cheryl no matter how well they do her makeup and hair.
Reply 10
no there is generic attractiveness. if everyone was nude with no makeup or hair, still a guy with features, bone structure and body like brad pitt or shah rukh khan would still be more beautiful than say a short fat round guy with sunken features and crooked teeth. ever heard of the golden ratio?

clothing and makup and hair can improve your attractiveness only to a degree. but if there was a girl with a bald head but full lips, well spaced eyes and well defined cheekbones, and very fine skin then even if she was nude she would be attractie - look at naomi campbell or alex wek or kate moss before they were famous.

and not all the most fashionable girls are necessarily the most beautiful. perhaps eg pamala anderson when she was younger would look beautiful in a bin bag and bald head.
Jennifer_l85
IMO, Nicola from Girls Aloud will never be as pretty as Cheryl no matter how well they do her makeup and hair.


I think Nicola's gorgeous. Two opinions - proves that attractiveness is entirely subjective. :smile:
Symmetry innit.
Fjarskafinn
Again, some people are born with lucky head shapes :p:


lol, fair point.
Reply 14
Fjarskafinn
I think Nicola's gorgeous. Two opinions - proves that attractiveness is entirely subjective. :smile:


Yea Nicola is the most attractive out of girls aloud Id say, fair skin, ginger and nice slim figure.
Reply 15
saturn
What actually determines if someone is attractive or not? For example is it possible for a really attractive girl to make herself look ugly? Or will people see the attractiveness whatever she is wearing? I have a theory that if everyone was naked and had the same hairstyle most people would be around the same level of attractivess, Ive always found that people either make themselves look attractive or unatractive, so its nurture rather than what nature gives them. Then there is the fact that some people are attractive to some but not to others but I think there is a general idea of what attractive is.

so you're saying everyone is on similar level of attractiveness as for example, a naked John prescott?
Reply 16
There's no doubt both men and women can enhance there looks to make themselves look much better but some people are certainly more 'blessed' than others. It does still take hard work to bring out those features, fitness, style etc.
I don't think there is a definition of attractive, everyone has their own idea of it so it's hard to say what makes a person attractive in general.
Reply 18
saturn
Yea Nicola is the most attractive out of girls aloud Id say, fair skin, ginger and nice slim figure.



I wouldn't say she's the most attractive, she will never take Sarah's crown, but she does have a certain something about her. I think she's got a bit of look that you could actually meet someone like her on a night out. She also looks mucky.:wink:
I think Nicola's gorgeous. Two opinions - proves that attractiveness is entirely subjective.


I definately agree that it's subjective, but I'm sure that if Nicola had the best makeup/hair specialists working on her for hours, and Cheryl was wearing no make-up and had made no effort with her hair, the general consensus would still be that Cheryl is prettier.