There’s something about American beauty standards that makes them weirdly specific, and as it turns out, we prefer certain looks that people in other countries don’t.
The ultra-bright smile
White teeth are one thing, and practically everyone loves them. But our love for white teeth is something else. Yes, numerous studies have found that Americans have a strong preference for straight, very light teeth.
We don’t like a natural kind of whiteness, but rather, the kind of whiteness you get from bleaching. People in other countries do find lighter teeth attractive. The difference is, Americans have a preference for very white teeth, and it sets us apart.
A smile that looks designed
That’s not all for teeth. While it’s true that perfectly even teeth may look too perfect sometimes, it doesn’t seem to bother Americans. In fact, we prefer it, especially veneers. They make your teeth wider and more even, as well as almost identical from one side of the mouth to the other.
We don’t want veneers to look fake or anything. It’s more that we like veneers to give us a very finished smile, even though the work behind them can be pretty obvious.
More width through the face
One research study compared how Americans and Japanese people judge faces. Turns out, American women had much more of a preference for broader facial shapes than the Japanese participants did. This was especially true for male faces.Â
It wasn’t a huge difference, but still, the difference was there. It seems that we Americans might love the broader look more than other people do.
More mouth in the picture
The same study also looked at how Americans and Japanese people view mouths. We prefer large ones, apparently. The Japanese participants were more likely to find smaller mouths on female faces attractive, while American women felt the opposite.
That wasn’t the only study on this, either. Earlier facial-measurement research has found that Americans have more of a preference for wider mouths than Chinese people do. That’s not to say we love cartoonishly huge lips here, just a mouth that takes up more of the face.
Brows with more horizontal space
Most people think only about thickness when it comes to eyebrows, but width matters too. Studies show that American women prefer wider eyebrows on female faces.
It’s not like anyone’s checking how wide someone’s eyebrows are, of course.
Yet the data shows a brow going farther across the eye area can change how attractive someone is. For Americans, the wider, the better.
Definition rather than simple thinness
Just looking thin isn’t enough, at least according to some studies. Many Americans find women with more muscle attractive, especially those who have low body fat and visible tone. The muscles around a woman’s stomach, legs, and arms are most important, supposedly.
One study involved researchers speaking to 366 women. These women said they thought the ideal female form was thin and muscular, rather than just thin. It doesn’t mean everyone needs to have bodybuilder-level muscle, but it seems some muscular definition is important.
Strength that reads immediately
It’s a similar story with men. We tend to prefer men with broad shoulders and noticeable muscle, along with visible abs. In fact, one study compared American and South Korean male ideals, finding that Americans prefer the traits linked with strength and athletic ability.Â
There were some South Koreans who liked muscularity as well, but they mostly preferred thinner bodies. The more boyish look is more popular there than the muscular type that we generally like.
Less hair below the neck
The thing with chest hair is that our feelings towards it have changed a lot. There was a time when the hairy look was most popular, but it seems that younger Americans don’t feel that way. One study spoke to both male and female college students.
Both groups rated hairless male bodies as being the most attractive. It wasn’t only chest hair, either, as these groups found hairless stomachs, backs, and other areas more attractive, too.
Work that doesn’t have to stay secret
Cosmetic work is a funny one. People in many other countries are a bit more negative about it, but here in America, it’s a lot more accepted. So accepted, in fact, that we seem to prefer cosmetic surgery that’s obvious.
One international study found that Americans were generally less negative about people who’d had cosmetic surgery than other groups. That included people in Japan and Hong Kong. Another experiment found that, when they told American participants someone had had facial plastic surgery, they didn’t lower the person’s attractiveness ratings.
A tip with more rotation
Let’s be honest, most people aren’t trying to figure out a person’s nose angle. But it seems to be something we pay attention to, especially in women. North American studies have found that most of the public finds female noses with a 105-degree nasolabial angle attractive.
That sounds complicated, but put it this way. Americans prefer a nose with a tip that clearly goes upward, rather than one pointing straight ahead or downward. It’s a tiny difference, sure. Yet it’s one that really matters to us.
Ears that stay out of the frame
Ears were another thing that made the list. Research has found that, when comparing ears, Americans generally prefer women who have smaller ears. They weren’t the only factor, as larger mouths and wider-set eyes were also important.
No, we don’t hate people with huge ears. It’s just that we seem to prefer ears that don’t pull the attention away from the face, simple as that. It’s not something that most people would be able to explain either.
A jaw that looks clearly defined
Jawlines count a lot, and one study looked into how Americans and South Koreans feel about them. The American participants had a strong preference for a defined jaw, along with obvious muscle and broad shoulders.
As for the South Korean participants, they were a lot less sold on the jaw part. They preferred men who groomed well and had clear skin. They liked long legs, too. It seems that a feature that’s almost mandatory in American movie posters isn’t nearly as important for them.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
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