A new U.K. survey has identified the so-called “perfect” man and woman across generations from boomers to Gen Z, and the results appear notably lacking in diversity.
Experts at the CREO Clinic, a London-based plastic surgery clinic, surveyed 1,000 people in the U.K. about the physical traits they find most attractive, the Daily Mail reports. The results showed shifting ideals across generations, with preferences for the “perfect” woman evolving from light blonde among boomers to darker blonde among Gen X and brunette among millennials and Gen Z. For men, preferences shifted from blue to brown eyes, with wavier hair favored over the straight hair more often preferred for women.
“Overall, the research shows that preferences for attractiveness shift from lighter hair in Boomer women to darker hair and more athletic body types in Millennials and Gen Z,” the CREO Clinic explained. “Men are generally most attractive with inverted triangle or trapezoid-shaped builds, while the hourglass figure remains the preferred body type for women.”
CREO Clinic launched the study to explore how physical preferences evolve across different life stages. Participants were grouped into four generations—baby boomers, Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z—and asked about their ideal partner’s age, eye and hair color, facial features, height, body type, and skin tone.
“Using the most common answers from each generation, we created AI–generated images to show how these preferences might look in real life,” CREO Clinic explained.
Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, described the “perfect” man as having almond-shaped blue eyes, a button nose, full lips, and a rectangular face. Dark brown, wavy hair was preferred, while just 3% said the ideal man would have gray hair, despite many men beginning to gray in their 30s. For the “perfect” woman, respondents favored round blue eyes, a button nose, full lips, and a rounded or oval face. Light blonde, straight hair was preferred, while ideal height ranged from 5’7” to 5’9″, with an hourglass figure cited as the most desirable body type.
Among Gen X respondents (born 1965–1980), the ideal man was described as having almond-shaped brown eyes, a button nose, heart-shaped lips, dark brown hair in a short fade, and a trapezoid build, with a preferred height of 5’10” to 6’0″. For the ideal woman, Gen X favored almond-shaped brown eyes, a button nose, full lips, a round face, and straight, light blonde hair of medium length. The preferred height was 5’4” to 5’6″, with an hourglass figure ranking highest.
Preferences shifted among millennials, born between 1981 and 1996. The ideal man was described as having almond-shaped brown eyes, a button nose, full lips, an inverted triangle face, dark brown wavy hair in a short fade, an athletic build, and a height of 5’10” to 6’0″. For women, millennials favored rounded brown eyes, a button nose, full lips, and a rounded face, along with dark brown, wavy hair worn at a medium-to-long length. The preferred height was 5’4” to 5’6″, with the hourglass figure remaining the most desired body type.
Among Gen Z respondents (born 1997–2012), the ideal man was described as having almond-shaped brown eyes, a button nose, full lips, and an inverted triangle face. Dark brown, wavy hair in a short fade remained the top choice, with a preferred height of 5’7” to 5’9” and an athletic build. The ideal Gen Z woman was described as having almond-shaped brown eyes, a button nose, full lips, and a heart-shaped face. Long, straight black hair was favored—marking a shift from older generations—while the hourglass figure and a height of 5’7” to 5’9” ranked highest.
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