It's not legs or breasts that make men go weak at the knees - to catch a fellow's eye, show a bit of arm

When it comes to seduction, short skirts and high heels have long been women�s weapons of choice.

But showing off a bit of leg isn�t the best way to catch a man�s eye, according to scientists.

Long, shapely arms, sported by the likes of Christine Bleakley, Madonna or Courtney Cox, are considered more attractive than endless legs, a study has found.

The finding was made after tests on Australian and Chinese men and women by experts at the University of New South Wales, Sydney.
During the research, volunteers were asked to watch videos of 96 women aged between 20 and 49 and then to rate each one according to her looks.


Results showed that �long-armed women� were consistently considered the most attractive.

Handy: Christine Bleakley and Courtney Cox both have  long shapely arms

Hip and waist size were also regarded as important, along with a woman�s weight and age, but the length of her leg �did not contribute significantly to the ratings�.

Professor Robert Brooks, who led the study, said: �Attractive bodies have a suite of traits in the right combination.

�The dimensions can tell observers if that person is suitable as a potential mate, a long term partner or perhaps the threat they pose as a sexual competitor.�

Prof Brokks said it showed how some features were important to evolution. But it was the overall look which mattered most.

He added that the consistency of the results amongst both Australians and Chinese suggested that the features regarded as attractive �tend to be shared across cultural divides�.

The findings are published in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology.