Let’s start by saying that looking and feeling attractive are intrinsic to each other.
We live in the era of body positivity, where anyone, regardless of looks, background, status, or anything other characteristic is entitled to look and feel attractive.
The important thing here is to feel attractive so you can be confident about the way you look.
You don’t want to look attractive to feel confident on the inside - if you feel confident on the inside then you’ll be confident of how others perceive you.
Confidence itself is attractive - that’s conventional wisdom, and the science backs it up. But, lots of other character and personality traits are also attractive, including trust, friendliness, humility, compassion, optimism and altruism amongst others.
So, looking and feeling attractive is definitely not all about looks. Still, there are some super-easy ‘hacks’ to help you look and feel attractive, and of course, some do focus on physical appearance. But not all of them - that is the crucial thing!
1: Smile :)
Smiling has a complex evolutionary history. Research shows that smiling makes other people happier, so they smile back, which in turn reinforces our smile. This cascade of smiles can send out a ripple - or a wave of smiles.
When you smile, you feel better. You can try it by smiling at yourself in the mirror, or smiling right now. Don’t fake it - smile!
Others perceive smiley people - particularly smiley women - as more attractive. It makes sense, smiling is a sign of warmth, optimism, happiness and positivity.
Your teeth are a big part of your smile, as are your lips. Research from the University of Leeds showed that white teeth are linked to attractiveness. Teeth whitening is pretty cheap and easy these days and is worth considering for anyone concerned about their teeth (though oral hygiene is always the first port of call.
One final point on the topic of smiling - wear red lipstick if you really want to catch people’s eyes. Red lipstick was proven to earn waitresses more tips in this study. The lips are an attractive feature and drawing attention to them rarely fails to up the ante in terms of attractiveness.
2: Wear Red
Is this a stereotype? Nope, wearing red really is a surefire way to increase your attractiveness. Research shows how people wearing red are rated as more attractive compared to the same people wearing other colours
But why is red more attractive than other colours? Researchers believe that in evolution, primates become redder when they’re sexually active, or turned on. But red is also associated with status, particularly in women.
Whatever the truth is, red is a powerful colour that is strong and eye-catching. It’s the colour of blood, passion and anger - that is why it’s compelling.
Wearing red is not just superb for looking more attractive, but it also makes people feel more confident too. It’s a win-win.
3: Accessorise, Accessorise, Accessorise
Accessories make an outfit POP! From purses to bags to hats to scarves, bracelets, bangles and watches, accessories really pull outfits together. Research shows that accessories are eye-catching and impactful, helping draw attention to the wearer.
Who What Wear points out that red accessories hit the hardest and draw the most eyes, but oddly, chewing gum has ranked as one of the most attractive ‘accessories’.
Ok, we know calling chewing gum an accessory is a bit of a stretch, but one study showed that gum chewers were perceived as more attractive, namely because they were perceived to have better social and sex lives. There is another catch, though...the study was sponsored by gum company Trident. Make of that what you will!
Whilst gum can’t hurt, decking yourself out with fashion accessories seems the less chancey or far-out option!
4: Allow your Nerdy Side to Come Out
Both women and men enjoy those that are intelligent or nerdy, and they find them attractive too. We live in a society where it’s cool to be nerdy, and people now appreciate that almost everyone has a nerdy passion or interest, despite how ‘cool’ or ‘tough’ they want to appear on the inside.
Letting your nerdy side come out is like showing something personal that belongs to you. It’s associated with vulnerability, so releasing it is a sign of trust. Once you trust someone to not make a judgement, you tend to be freer with what you tell them about yourself - your nerdy side is one such characteristic.
Talking of nerdy, women who wear glasses may be perceived as both more attractive and more trustworthy than women who don’t, according to research from the University of Vienna.
Glasses have really sprung into fashion in recent years. Sunglasses also have a similar effect, but this time it's men that are perceived by women to be stronger and more mysterious when they wear sunglasses.
5: Remind Yourself of your Self Importance
Self-importance is not to be confused with cocky levels of confidence. Everyone is important - you are important - and it’s important to remind oneself of this. Self-esteem comes from within and it’s something that many people find incredibly tricky to grasp. People who consider themselves attractive also suffer from self-esteem issues, anxiety and depression. It’s non-discriminatory.
To increase your self-esteem, it’s best to reflect on your strengths whilst letting your perceived weaknesses fall away and dissolve. Reflect on moments where you felt proud, whether through a major achievement, an act of solidarity with friends or family or in another personal event.
6: Manage Stress and Anxiety
Stress and anxiety affect the way we look and feel. We screw our faces up, hunch our shoulders, bend our backs and cock our jaws when we’re stressed.
Do people notice it? There are two sides to this. Firstly, there has been some research that shows how stress is an unattractive characteristic in both men and women. But, also, research shows that people really aren’t thinking about you as much as you probably think they are.
For example, when people walk into a gym, many are immediately thinking ‘everyone is going to look at me, this is embarrassing’. People think that others are thinking about them.
But consider this, if many people are thinking about others thinking about them, then who’s left to think about each other?
That’s a bit of a tongue twister, but the point is, people are too busy thinking about themselves to think too much about you, or at least, to think critically of you. People are generally more tolerant and accepting than we give credit.
The moral of the story here is to stop worrying so much about what others think about you. Be confident, smile, talk and empathise. This will boost your confidence, reduce your stress levels in social situations and make you look and feel more attractive. 7:
7: Get Sweaty and Diet
Working out is imperative for our general health. Those two words put a lot of people off, but you can’t avoid them: diet and exercise!
Consider the old switcheroo - completely change your diet to add foods that improve your skin, hair, body and overall mood. The Mediterranean diet is a real winner and has been proven to yield so many amazing benefits for our general health and wellbeing.
Let’s be clear though: changing your body does not instantly change your confidence levels. Yes, by perceiving that you look more attractive you will feel more confident - that much is obvious. But it’s just not the silver bullet that many people think it’ll be. However, working out stimulates endorphins which boosts our mood anyway - it’s a win-win situation.
8: Dress for Your Body Type
You may or may not know your body type. Body types range from apples and pears to hourglasses, upside-down triangles and rectangles. There are no right or wrong body types.
That said, there are some fashion ‘hacks’ that you can use to dress your body type for maximal impact. We have guides on how to dress for an apple shape and how to dress for a pear shape on the blog - check them out.
9: Use Fashion ‘Hacks’ to Stand Out
Everything from clothing to colour choice to accessories and more will help you feel and look more attractive. That is half of the point of fashion - to feel good - and to feel yourself, too.
Looking more fashionable is easier than you think. We have an excellent guide on how to look more fashionable here - check it out.
The general gist, however, is to fill your wardrobe with a diverse selection of pieces that vary between cool, calm and sophisticated numbers and bright, powerful and impactful numbers.
Take a look at Gorjus London’s shop for tons of bags and purses ranging from smart-casual Herringbone bags like Gorjus London’s affordable Herringbone range and our highly popular colourful accent purses that suit every outfit.
10: Practice Mindfulness and Meditation
Mindfulness is attractive - one study found that mindful men are more attractive to women and it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the opposite is also true. Mindfulness is also a key indicator of relationship satisfaction - it helps people resolve conflicts without intensifying the issue beyond what it’s worth.
But mindfulness is also personally beneficial too. It’s great for helping us accept who we are, our strengths and our successes. This is invaluable for feeling attractive as it helps put the concept of attractiveness into perspective.
To kickstart your mindfulness journey, check out our article on inspirational quotes to start your days off strong!