Handsome? Tick. Can provide financial security? Check. Shirt-splitting pecs? Sure, why not?
These are all obvious things a woman looks for in a man. But there’s one quality that guys often underestimate which actually turns out to be the most attractive.
According to a recent 2500-person study by clothing retailer Bad Rhino (sure, it’s not exactly Harvard), most women don’t give a damn about your looks as long as you have a confident attitude.
Beyond confidence, kindness and a killer sense of humour also made the list of the top characteristics in a man.
But why do women find confidence so sexy? According to R. Don Steele, author of Body Language Secrets: A Guide During Courtship and Dating, the desire is evolutionary.
Related: 10 Ways to Make Yourself More Attractive to Women
“Females want someone who’s not going to run from a fight, a man who is confident in his ability to provide and protect,” said Steele.
The study also quizzed female participants on what they found to be the most unattractive quality in a guy, and it’s bad news for white knights: women rated men who insist on paying the entire bill on the first date to be the biggest turn offs.
If you struggle to look women in the eye – let alone flaunting your swagger in front of them – follow these nine easy steps to build bulletproof confidence.