# Things women do to make themselves attractive to men that don't make them attractive to men **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 27, 2012, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987 "2012-09-27T10:52:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Virgil\_Tibbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c4cdca/32.png) [@Virgil\_Tibbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Virgil_Tibbs)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/1 "2012-09-27T10:52:46Z")
Top of my list would be high heels. Are these worn for the benefit of men, or do women just wear them to be uncomfortable for no reason? I’ve read that there may be a subtle sexual motivation in that women “present” themselves to men by wearing heels. Think of a queen cat on heat. Does nothing for me - most of these shoes are simply unwearable and the women who attempt to walk in them look pretty stupid. Then there are fake eyelashes. OK, I can accept that women may think the “dark butterflies feeding on my eyes” look is aesthetically pleasing, but I would suggest that a lot of them think men like it. It’s bizarre. I can’t imagine anyone has ever thought, “She would be so much prettier if she just had a few more hairs growing out of her eyelids.” The same goes for all the pseudo-scientific mascara wands and magical formulas. Stop putting crap around your eyes! Pouting. It’s babyish, pathetic and annoying. Perhaps in her mind the woman fancies herself a sophisticated coquette inspiring rapturous desire in the most exclusive salon of 19th-century Paris, but to me she just looks like an obnoxious child asking for a slap and an early night without supper. Anyone have anything to add? ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/2 "2012-09-27T10:56:39Z")
Breast enhancement. Si ---
**Author:** ![simple\_homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@simple\_homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simple_homer)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/3 "2012-09-27T11:04:00Z")
I have heard many times that women do not dress for men, they dress for other woman. Anyway, I have to agree with high heels and breast implants. They are not appealing to me at all. Heavy makeup, very long fingernails, and fake eyebrows are also not attractive, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/4 "2012-09-27T11:09:53Z")
[This was a trend in Japan](http://emi-doll.blogspot.jp/2012/06/106-ganguaro-make-up-for-day-coming.html) a few years back. I can forgive pretty much everything else. . . ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/5 "2012-09-27T11:10:38Z")
Fake tan, especially bad fake tan, and way too much makeup. My cousin’s daughter would be gorgeous if she didn’t persist in presenting herself as an Oompa-Loompa prostitute. The girl got issues. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/6 "2012-09-27T11:27:10Z")
Have you seen the other thread on genital whitening? Um, no thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/7 "2012-09-27T11:31:57Z")
I think the issue is that women who do something that **works** , we as men don’t really “see” it. When we see it, it means _it’s not working_ IOW, a woman who really can rock a pair of high heels and does so tastefully, isn’t going to get called on them as being “unattractive” _because they **are** _ (in her particular case.) Ditto eye-lashes and makeup. When it works… it works. When it doesn’t – you get the disaster areas you’re complaining about. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/8 "2012-09-27T11:43:18Z")
Those ridiculously long fingernails. I don’t want those near me… and how do you get anything done? I haven’t seen it in a while, but there was trend which involved shaving off the eyebrows and penciling them back in… but higher, and more arched. This resulted in a permanent appearance of surprise. \*Not \*attractive. ---
**Author:** ![polar\_bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@polar\_bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/polar_bear)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/9 "2012-09-27T11:46:36Z")
High heels definitely do wonders for a girl’s behind. Another advantage is that girls are at the right hight to the kissing. I personally don’t especially ‘need’ high heels, but you can definitely see the difference. Having had quite a few talks - mayby begging them not to is a better description - with girls about possible breast enhancements, they often claim it is for themselves (allthough I still don’t really get why). ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/10 "2012-09-27T12:02:42Z")
My husband frequently requests high heels. And will willingly pay for manicures because he thinks long nails are sexy. (I don’t always do either, right now my nails are miserably short and I’m in ballet flats). Perhaps women wear these things for men who are not you (in addition for doing it for themselves or for other reasons). ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/11 "2012-09-27T12:57:21Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > And will willingly pay for manicures because he thinks long nails are sexy. Well, if women sometimes dress up for women, then the reverse can be the case here: he can get a manicure himself. But be warned: there’s a prettyboy at my game shop that claims that getting professional manicures helps in the ladies department, so it could make him irresistable to other women! ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/12 "2012-09-27T13:03:21Z")
> [@polar\_bear](#): > > Having had quite a few talks - mayby begging them not to is a better description - with girls about possible breast enhancements, they often claim it is for themselves (allthough I still don’t really get why). Women getting huge titties when the men around them either don’t care for them or think she’s big enough is like men who want giant dicks assuming women want to boink baseball-bat sized sexual organs when really most men’s equipment is plenty adequate as-is (they’d be better advised to work on their technique rather than trading in for new equipment). ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/13 "2012-09-27T13:13:45Z")
Glitter makeup ::shudder:: Makes a woman look like she’s trying to emulate a 7 year old. Really, what’s the point? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/14 "2012-09-27T13:15:46Z")
First two things I thought of: High heals and long fingernails. A months back I was working with a woman whose fingernails were so long she was having trouble typing. I couldn’t imagine why she kept them. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/15 "2012-09-27T13:19:33Z")
I appreciate women my age taking the extra time to doll up. Fake boobs, fake tan, botox, most face lifts, I have no use for. I love high heels, and appreciate nice make up. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/16 "2012-09-27T13:25:14Z")
> [@polar\_bear](#): > > High heels definitely do wonders for a girl’s behind. Another advantage is that girls are at the right hight to the kissing. I personally don’t especially ‘need’ high heels, but you can definitely see the difference. The right high heels, worn properly, can be stunning. If they make you walk like a newborn foal YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG. ETA: I mention this because I was out earlier at the mall and was walking behind a woman wearing a pair of Louboutins who clearly did not know how to wear them. I kept waiting for her to pitch over forward. ---
**Author:** ![Hogfather65](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7bcc69/32.png) [@Hogfather65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hogfather65)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/17 "2012-09-27T13:26:28Z")
> [@Virgil\_Tibbs](#): > > Top of my list would be high heels. Are these worn for the benefit of men, or do women just wear them to be uncomfortable for no reason? I’ve read that there may be a subtle sexual motivation in that women “present” themselves to men by wearing heels. Think of a queen cat on heat. Does nothing for me - most of these shoes are simply unwearable and the women who attempt to walk in them look pretty stupid. > > Then there are fake eyelashes. OK, I can accept that women may think the “dark butterflies feeding on my eyes” look is aesthetically pleasing, but I would suggest that a lot of them think men like it. It’s bizarre. I can’t imagine anyone has ever thought, “She would be so much prettier if she just had a few more hairs growing out of her eyelids.” The same goes for all the pseudo-scientific mascara wands and magical formulas. Stop putting crap around your eyes! > > Pouting. It’s babyish, pathetic and annoying. Perhaps in her mind the woman fancies herself a sophisticated coquette inspiring rapturous desire in the most exclusive salon of 19th-century Paris, but to me she just looks like an obnoxious child asking for a slap and an early night without supper. > > Anyone have anything to add? No you nailed it. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/18 "2012-09-27T13:28:22Z")
I think high heels have the ability to turn some 5’s into 6’s, but also turn all 8-10s into 7s. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/19 "2012-09-27T13:38:35Z")
I think I agree with all of these with the proviso that by high heels we mean really high heels. I think they look good up to a point but I don’t know what that point is exactly. Fake tans are a new classic. A little while ago a really attractive woman passed me in a shopping center. Her skin was dyed a color that doesn’t occur in nature, some weird iridescent ochre. It was so striking and such a surprise that I spontaneously burst out laughing. Fortunately she had no idea that it had anything to do with her. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987/20 "2012-09-27T13:40:12Z")
Overly-slutty clothes and makeup. My cousin’s wife is a good looking girl, but she shows up at all family functions dressed like a prostitute. Short shorts, high heels, pink streaks in her hair, make up like she’s about to do her final-scene pop-shot close up, cleavage all over the place, and J-Lo-style sunglasses. Any one of those things can be extremely sexy on its own and in moderation, but all of them together, all the time = whore dressing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-women-do-to-make-themselves-attractive-to-men-that-dont-make-them-attractive-to-men/635987.md?page=2)