Women Prefer Stubble in Men

Gentlemen may prefer blondes, but women seem to prefer stubble. That is, they prefer men who have stubble on their faces not only for sex, but for love and marriage, according to a study mentioned in the London Telegraph.

"Stubble is the way to win a woman’s heart," the article begins. "Researchers found that women are more attracted to men with stubbly chins than those with clean-shaven faces or full beards."

Women in the study consistently regarded men with stubble as "tough, mature, aggressive, dominant, and masculine," the article says. Not only that, such men were viewed as the best partners, whether that partnership was a brief fling or a long-term relationship. The study participants were British women between 18 and 44 years of age.

The study suggests that stubble may be a "signal of aggression" because it makes the lower jaw look bigger, and draws attention to the teeth as "weapons." Hmmm, but don't many British people have bad (or missing) teeth? Perhaps these stubbly men are perceived as being able to gum an assailant into submission.

Maybe Don Johnson was really ahead of his time when he cultivated that two-day beard look back in Miami Vice in the early '80s!