A study from Wayo Women's University suggests that a woman's waist-to-bust ratio is a more significant driver of perceived beauty than the traditional waist-to-hip measurement. Researchers found that 398 Japanese men preferred silhouettes with a ratio between 0.6 and 0.7.
The 0.6 to 0.7 waist-to-bust ratio preference
Researchers at Wayo Women's University discovered that the most appealing figures featured a waist-to-bust ratio ranging from 0.6 to 0.7. To reach this conclusion, the team presented 398 Japanese men, aged 20 to 59, with computer-generated silhouettes where proportions were varied while other physical features remained constant. According to the report, these men consistently rated women with larger breasts relative to their waists as more attractive.
The study suggests that this preference may be rooted in biological signaling. The researchers wrote in the journal Japanese Psychological Research that a larger bust may serve as a sexual signal, potentially indicating reproductive health or fertility to the observer.
Challenging the waist-to-hip 'hourglass' standard
For decades, the "hourglass" figure—defined primarily by a specific waist-to-hip ratio—has been viewed as the gold standard of female attractiveness. However, as reported in the study, changes in the waist-to-hip ratio had very little effect on the preferences of the men involved in this specific experiment.
This finding suggests that previous scientific literature may have overestimated the importance of hips. The Wayo Women's University team argues that because women with larger breasts often possess waists that appear smaller by comparison, earlier studies likely confused the influence of the bust with that of the hips.
The 'distorted' reality of the Wayo Women's University ideal
While the 0.6 to 0.7 ratio was the most popular among participants, the researchers noted that such proportions are extremely rare in the general population. The study points to celebrities like Sydney Sweeney, Sabrina Carpenter, and Katy Perry as examples of those who fit this specific silhouette, but emphasizes that few women naturally possess these exact measurements.
The scientists expressed concern that these standards may be artificial.. They suggested that exposure to biased media images may have distorted the participants' perceptions of beauty, leading them to prefer a body type that is uncommon in real life.
The narrow scope of 398 Japanese male participants
Despite the clear findings, the study contains significant gaps that leave several questions unanswered. Lead author Tomohiro Suzuki told PsyPost that ideal beauty is largely shaped by cultural context, meaning the preferences of 398 Japanese men may not translate to other global populations. It remains unknown whether women or men from different cultural backgrounds would prioritize the bust ratio over the hip ratio.
Additionally, the Wayo Women's University research only utilized silhouettes within an average weight range. This leaves a critical open question: would the attractiveness ratings shift if the silhouettes depicted significantly heavier or thinner body types? Because the study was limited to a specific weight bracket, the universality of the waist-to-bust preference remains unverified .
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