We spend a lot of time discussing what women want but no one really asks the question, what do men want?

I have a theory. Men like women who dress for men and I’m not just talking about the sleazy ones either. This should be obvious to us girls but I continually hear single girls complain they get plenty of compliments from other women, but not men. Why do we dress for the approval of other women? And how do we dress for men and still be comfortable and stylish?

I decided to ask the authority on the subject, a Sydney City construction worker. It all started with a red light. I was stopped on George Street watching the reaction from a group of workmen to women walking past them on the street. Could they be also a good barometer of what men want?

I did encounter the obvious first, all eyes turned when the girl with the short skirt and long legs walked past. But following, I watched the reaction to two attractive girls, both similarly dressed in corporate dress. I had my ideas on why they differed in the style ranks, so I wondered if construction workers felt the same.

I asked “Those two girls that just walked by, what was the difference, why did you look at one and not the other”?

“Sneakers” one of them immediately answered.

“It has to be the hair, I love when a girl looks like she puts effort into her hair” commented another.

Prompted for further detail:

“It’s the overall look of a girl, the first one was wearing nice clothes that looked like they were good quality. They fit her body well so we could see the good bits and ignore the rest. Her hair was done in a style, nice bag and she was wearing heels, men love heels they make the legs look good no matter how high they are”.

And the second one girl?

“Well she just looked messy. Even though she was blond, which does attract men it was messy and shoved into a hair band. Her clothes didn’t fit and looked saggy. The worst part was her shoes, (at this they all agreed vehemently) I hate when girls wear sneakers with their work clothes, can’t they find anything nice that’s comfortable to wear? It makes their legs look short and stumpy and just ruins the whole outfit no matter how nice it is”.

Well I was dumbfounded. These guys could put me out of a job. They had just pinpointed everything that was right and wrong about those girls. I had watched them both walk past the group of guys – and they didn’t just turn their heads when the brunette walked past they all stopped work!

I agreed with them fully. She didn’t look slutty, she didn’t have the most amazing body in the world and she didn’t look like she spent all morning in front of a mirror. She just had style. It was that simple. I could tell she had a wardrobe full of well made, classic staples that suited her. Instead of spending all morning working out what to wear she was able to blow dry her hair which was obviously well kept and easy to manage. Her shoes were simple kitten heeled sling-backs which are always the best option for a skirt as they show of our calves and create the illusion of well maintained pins.

I decided to take this information and create a list of what men want – or a list of simple things we can do to make ourselves more appealing to the opposite sex.

1. Black is hot

Men love everything black, dresses, lingerie, stilettos it all works. You need a cocktail dress, a sexy, slimming pencil skirt. Try Camilla & Marc, Country Road and Cue.

2. Men don’t like to see our breasts in public, but they do like to know they are there.

You need a fantastic wool jersey wrap dress, a print is great or wear black for slimming. Try Diane Von Fustenburg or Portmans for great cheap options. You could also match a well cut shirt tucked into a stretchy high waist pencil or tulip skirt. Open it to as low as you dare – three buttons is normally perfect, not too revealing but still hinting at something special underneath. Best option here is Baubridge and Kay, Herringbone or Farage. Look for quality of fabric, generous collar and cuffs and print.

3. Men like to buy lingerie.

If you are lucky enough to have someone to buy you nice knickers take advantage ladies! Once you match you never go back. Nothing makes clothes sit better than well fitting underwear and you will never feel sexier. Pleasure State is the obvious choice – their lingerie is comfortable for you, sexy for him.

4. It’s the little things that count.

Men are simple creatures, they don’t spend a lot of time analysing our outfit. We either look good or bad. You can help their opinion by putting more thought into the small details. It may seem obvious but sometimes we need to be reminded to maintain our hair cut every six to eight weeks for colour – you can sometimes lengthen time between cuts however, regrowth is never a good look. Spend more on your clothing but buy less, gradually clean out your wardrobe so it contains only the items that fit and suit you. Even if it takes several seasons it will make dressing so much easier in the long run and you will look better for it. Keep hands and feet in good condition with monthly mani’s and pedi’s. David Jones has a great nail bar. Just tell your partner you’re off for a lunchtime quickie and watch his face drop.

David Jones Nail Bar:

• Lunchtime Quickie Manicure $22
• Lunchtime Quickie Pedicure $25

5. Men don’t like makeup

This is a new concept sure to ruffle a few feathers. They want us to look good but not like we made an effort. They want us to be naturally gorgeous………easier said than done. The best way to do this is to focus on your best features and play them up. I have learnt that my husband prefers when I wear a tiny bit of concealer to disguise redness, lashings of mascara, bronzer applied sparingly and a natural glossy lipstick. They especially hate the line of foundation we get when we don’t blend properly and do notice when it doesn’t match our skin properly.

The next time you need makeup, visit a department store and spend some time choosing the correct shade and brand for your skin. Let the makeup artists assist you in trying on a foundation but make sure you step outside into natural light before you decide. This goes for all makeup – red lipsticks suddenly become plum and natural grey eye shadow becomes blue in the sun not a good look alone, disastrous together!

You can head into M.A.C, play $90 and the artists will teach you the best way to apply makeup for you. Best of all the $90 is redeemable for product yay!

6. Men like legs.

I have plenty of experience with this one. I inherited the family shortfall – big thighs short calves. I have always envied girls with long shapely legs and taken steps to even up the playing field. If you’re anything like me these steps could change your prospects in the legs department. Never wear skirts above your knees, you want to show off the slimmest part of your leg. Wear sling-backs with skirts to give the illusion of well built calves, ban clumpy shoes from your closet and never wear sneakers or thongs to work – try ballets or pointy flats instead. Keep your legs hairless and tanned – try using a tanning cream with a built in moisturiser. We have searched high and low for comfortable shoes that look good and the best we have ever found is Lou Lou Shoes. The brand is difficult to get hold of but worth it. All other brands have been slowly banished from the Melanie Moss wardrobe.

www.louloushoes.com.au

7. Grooming can be easy

Spend less time applying makeup in the morning, more time styling your hair. Keep your style maintained which makes it lighter and easier to style. Invest in a good paddle brush and learn how to blow dry straight rather than using an iron. This way hair looks more natural and stays in better condition. Lengthen the time between blow-dries by using a dry shampoo through the roots or if you are blond good old baby powder works a treat!

8. And finally, Old School Posture

Walk straight and proud, shoulders back, arms swinging. Show off those assets! Stare straight ahead and pretend you don’t notice all those admiring glances you are constantly getting!

Next time you want an opinion on how you look consider asking the men in your life – brothers, workmates, your local barman honestly what they think rather than your girlfriends. I can guarantee the two sizes too big smock you thought was totally on the fashion money will be the first thing they stare at with that quizzical look on their face. Just be prepared for the answer that’s coming next.

Picture credits

1. cue.com.au; 2. Diane Von Fustenburg available at www.net-a-porter.com; 3. Pleasure State; 4. Lou Lou Shoes