So, our cultural obsession with Ryan Gosling isn't actually our fault. A new study from
The Evolution of Human Behavior
says that men are their most attractive with a ten-day stubble rather than being clean-shaven or fully bearded. Researchers had 350 women and 177 heterosexual men rate ten guys on their masculinity, parenting skills, health, and overall attractiveness based on images showing the four stages of their beard growth: clean-shaven, five-day (light) stubble, ten-day (heavy) stubble, and a full beard. Dudes may not enjoy the itchiness of stubble, but the study shows men with heavy stubble performed the best. Light stubble ranked the lowest in all four categories, while fully bearded men were perceived to be the best parents. "Stubble conveys maturity and manliness," the study says, "with less of the macho aggressiveness implied by a full beard." Basically, the heavy stubble is the groomed lumberjack — the Maine Boyfriend meets GQ if you will. We're into it, just so long as the bead isn't ZZ Top or even Brad Pitt status (sorry, buddy).
Image: via Business Insider.