Things Most Women are Attracted to

I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.
―Charlotte Brontë

Judging from the advertisements that line our email, all that women are attracted to are quick-fix facials, designer handbags for less or tarot card predictions.

Thus, inaccurate/accurate that might be, we also love walking in the rain, sunsets on a beach, chocolate fudge sundae for lunch, Roman Holiday, heritage structures, Pinterest, and hand-tossed pizzas.

Then there is stock trading, Top Gear, politeness, Discovery Channel, a good read on a summer afternoon, one of the best things about being a woman is not feeling the pressure of bowing to stereotypes, unlike men. If a woman's fascination with vintage clothing is classy, so are her smooth skills at changing car tires. Let's just look at the regular delights.

With women, things are obviously far from obvious, and when one has to talk about what attracts them, it doesn't veer very far from the S-word. Yes, even a slight mention of shopping can have the most tired woman reach out for her bag, and they're out and about in a jiffy.

Although there are a few women who go to great lengths to avoid it like the plague, most of them can happily run through a week of boss-bestowed insults or unceremonious breakups, only on the hope of a weekend shopping spree.

To those of you who question the forever-lasting novelty of shopping, here's the scientific dope - femdome's obsession with the S-word is a relic of the bygone era when the men used to be hunters and the women were foragers.

Shopping releases the very wonderful dopamine in the female brain that gives them a real high, akin to, well, a real high.

What is it with women and their crazy ambition to own a gazillion pairs of shoes?

It would be too easy to blame this obsession on Cinderella, but let's just examine what we have here. So, you slide your foot in it, the smooth satin lining inside caressing your foot as you do so. It fits you like a second skin, elevates you, and lends you that alluring strut.

What's more, it beautifies you in about five seconds, and never makes you look fat. These instant mood elevators are individually crafted for every woman, and have the power to make or break any outfit, designer or not.

Makeup is one magical thing which literally holds the power to transform a woman; whether the transformation is for better or worse can be discussed on another day.

To the uninitiated, makeup can simply be overwhelming. If you have to work hard to wear makeup that makes you look glamorous, work twice as hard to wear makeup that gives you a makeup-free look.

While the advocates of the natural look can have the luxury of reading the paper every morning, the wand brandishing divas are furiously donning layers of paint in order to get bigger eyes/shapely noses/sculpted cheeks, and what have you.

Be it men or women, the quest for looking good has been imbibed into the human psyche quite naturally.

And this is really the reason why women should never justify their need for anything that makes them look nice, be it insect venom facials or fish pedicures.

Ah! It would be a crime not to mention Marilyn Monroe's declaration about women's special friendship with diamonds right at the beginning, and the rest will be self-explanatory. Not trying to cut down on words here, but is there anything else which explains a woman's fascination with sparklers more than this song from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes?

Going further, nothing screams status for a woman other than these stones. And this is the weapon they choose to elevate their status among other women; not the Gucci handbag, not the Vivienne Westwood dress, not the Jimmy Choos on her feet.

Showing off is a joy we are all familiar with, gender notwithstanding. Guys, think of it as "my Aston Martin One-77" against "your Ferrari Enzo", and you'll get the picture.

Female vanity works in mysterious ways. Stereotypes force us to believe that the female mind feels that she can never have enough LBDs/skinny or boyfriend pants. On investigating further, one feels hard-pressed to know why the men never have to justify their obsession with cars or gadgets.

But the mere mention of a woman who skips dinner for a month to buy that Hermès scarf she so desires, raises instant outrage.

Coming back to women's clothing fixation, you can connect with the pleasurable act of preening and the desire to look good. Blame it on self-gratification, or on the desire to be noticed, flattering attire is what does it for women.

On the other hand, for every woman who's clueless about statement skirts and structured jackets, there will be another who will have these in teal and jade, with separate accessories to match for each.

It really goes without saying that every woman is different, and to classify them all as clothes hoarding loonies would be asinine.

What choice do women have? Women getting attracted to men is a major natural order, and let's stop being nasty about the hunter clan and look at reasons other than natural.

There must be a few reasons. Here they are - some women choose to blame a man's attractiveness on those fluctuating hormones, while the more serious ones claim temporary insanity.

It's so hard to pinpoint the qualities that women find striking in a man. It could range from pheromones to facial hair, from kindness to vulnerability, from salaries to inheritance, from commitment desires to openness, impossible to generalize.

It isn't a good idea to break down and dissect what is really a beautiful and natural process called 'attraction'.

When we are asked to speak of what attracts us, we tend to fall headfirst into the generalization trap. For women who nod in agreement to every obsession mentioned here, there will be other lot turning their noses away from it. As a woman or a man, it all comes down to realizing where our happiness lies, and pursuing it without any traces of inhibition.