LoveGeist 2010: What Do Female Daters Look Like In 2010?

The LoveGeist Report 2010-2011 begins with a quick overview of the modern dating community. What do contemporary daters look like? What are their likes and dislikes? What characteristics do they look for in a partner?

Let's find out.

The Female of the Species

What does the average female dater look like in 2010? A review of 75,000 female Match.com members revealed that she:

• Is between 25 and 30 years old (22% of the sample).
• Is about 5'5" tall (15%).
• Is a brunette (31%) with blue eyes (40%).
• Thinks her eyes are her best feature (53%).
• Views her body type as average (36%).
• Sees herself as easygoing (32%) and sociable (14%).
• Is intelligent (53% have a degree, compared with 13% of the general female population of the UK).
• Enjoys travel above all other activities, followed by movies, conversation, and cooking.
• Mostly likely works in the medical, dental, or veterinary field (11%).

To determine what this average female Match.com member wants from her male matches, match and the Future Foundation analyzed women's multiple choice responses. It appears that the ideal man considers his body type to be "average" (90%), and has short (97%), dark brown (89%) hair, blue eyes (84%), and an easygoing personality (86%).

• Black hair came in second (75%), followed by light brown (73%), blond (59%), and the salt and pepper look (38%). Men with cropped or shaved hair were popular (56%), and bald men found fans in 26% of Match.com's female population.
• Most women resoundingly favored an average body type, though 38% preferred slender men and 34% liked men with a few extra pounds.
• Women love men with eyes that are...well...eye-catching. 78% rate them as a man's most attractive feature, followed by "an attractive smile" (77%), "a good bum" (35%), and "good arms" (27%). Feet scored the lowest, with only 4%.
• As far as personality goes, women want easygoing men with good senses of humor (86%). "Thoughtful" men also scored highly (75%), as did those who are "sociable" (74%) and "reliable" (73%).
• In his spare time, the ideal man is fond of eating out and traveling. Younger women are most interested in men who enjoy movies and music, while the 50+ set go for men who show an interest in gardening.

Ladies and gentlemen, you know what comes next: it's the men's turn to take the spotlight!

For more information on this popular UK dating site, you can read our Match.com review.