Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Science of cuteness


Cute cues are those that indicate extreme youth, vulnerability, harmlessness and need, scientists say, and attending to them closely makes good Darwinian sense. As a species whose youngest members are so pathetically helpless they can't lift their heads to suckle without adult supervision, human beings must be wired to respond quickly and gamely to any and all signs of infantile desire.

From Natalie Angier's piece in the New York Times.

Among the several examples of cuteness-filled 2005, I found this:

Women's fashions opted for the cute over the sensible or glamorous, with low-slung slacks and skirts and abbreviated blouses contriving to present a customer's midriff as an adorable preschool bulge.

Do you find this cute? What would be cute in male fashion?

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Cross posted from nanopolitan 2.0.

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