Ah Tinder. The dating app that gets somewhat mixed reviews but always makes for an interesting conversation when it comes to dating and people’s experiences!
Wanting to see the type of guy that women are mostly attracted to on Tinder, Hen Heaven and Cosmopolitan teamed up to conduct an experiment. As part of their research into the changing perception of the ‘alpha male’, the events specialist hosted a two week experiment on Tinder to see which of their male stereotypes were loved most by the female population of Brighton. Their goal was to see whether popular culture has changed what we perceive to be the ideal modern man. Do women look for a gig going ‘hipster’ over a cheeky Fred Perry wearing ‘lad’? Or is it something else entirely?
The experiment placed five profiles on Tinder with the same age and regional parameters, using the same male model throughout but dressed in each profile to recreate one of society’s five most popular social stereotypes. These were -:
The ‘Gym Buff’
The ‘Hipster’
The ‘Lad’
‘Mr Metrosexual’
The ‘Rocker’
The results showed that the ladies of Brighton were significantly more taken with the suave and sharp ‘Mr Metrosexual’, who scored an impressive 39% of the votes. Next came ‘the lad’ with 19% of the votes, while it was the ‘gym buff’ that scored bottom of the pack with just 6% of the votes. (This doesn’t surprise me as personally, those cringey torso or gym shots are enough to put me off without even knowing anything about the guy - even though I’m into fitness myself.)
So why the Metrosexual then? It’s definitely interesting how our perception of the ‘alpha male’ has evolved from that rugged James Dean sort back in the day to a guy who probably spends as much time preening, grooming and selecting an outfit as what his girlfriend does. Dating expert and matchmaker Caroline Brealey said that “with high profile celebs like David Beckham being open about using beauty products it can make them more confident and self-assured in using products themselves. Even Harry Styles from 1D is alleged to have worn lipstick to a premier!” I think it’s also that element of confidence and success that metrosexual men seem to exude that hooks us women in as well as a guy who likes to express his stylish side. In today’s world, you can still be manly but well groomed. Taking pride in your appearance can convey a great deal about your attitude to work, career and life in general - and women really do notice that.
As far as these types go, I usually go for the ‘lad’ sorts followed very closely by the ‘metrosexual’. As mentioned, the gym buff would be a swipe ‘no’ as I don’t want to be competing with a squat rack and having dated rocker sorts before, they tend to have that creative yet moody vibe about them which can be a bit of a challenge. Plus, as Caroline comments on the picture “he’s wearing glasses in both pictures you can’t see his eyes so that hinders the attraction people may feel when they look at his photo.” which is a very true point. Sunglasses in dating profile pictures (or if you’re wearing them in every photo) can seem to conceal so much about the person from a physical and psychological perspective. So men, listen up - lose the sunnies in at least one picture as we like to see your eyes!
I probably wouldn’t go for the Tinder hipster either. I briefly dated someone who I’d describe as a hipster who commented that I was a ‘cool chick’ - I would take that as a compliment in my 20’s, but I’m not so sure now! However in this experiment it was likely the cigarette that was the deal-breaker as opposed to the womens’ perceived ideas about the personality of the hipster guy. Caroline says that “smoking is a huge turn off for a lot of people. In a study we did with 400 men and women featured online at Cosmo, we found smokers breath to be the biggest turn off.”
So gents! If you are that metrosexual sort or a bit of a lad, you’ll probably do quite well with the ladies of Tinder! Of course though, this experiment was purely looks and style led (and not all men fall into these specific categories, obviously) so what we find attractive in the real world outside of Tinder when talking face to face, varies massively. Interesting stuff though!
You can see the full article on Cosmopolitan here.