Why are We Drawn to a Man in Uniform?

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There is just something about a man in a crisp uniform that sends shivers up our spines that we cannot understand. Maybe it is the idea that they willingly put their lives on the line to serve their country, or maybe it is how their uniform commands respect and we are so eager to give it to them. Wonder no more, because the University of Southampton published the results of a study in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior that says women are more apt to find veterans more attractive than humanitarians or sports players.

Would you be surprised to learn that men also have a thing for someone in a military uniform, or any uniform for that matter? Ahh, but there is one caveat. This lust for uniforms does have a limit. In fact, when presented with a lavatory attendant or a traffic warden, not many people were lining up to get their phone numbers.

According to The Telegraph, one woman said, “I don’t say this sort of thing out loud, but I love the idea of someone who can look after himself – and me – should the situation arise. Plus there’s the ‘throw down’ aspect of being with someone who’s able to pick you up and carry you off to bed, à la Richard Gere in An Officer and a Gentleman. Mortifying to admit, but totally hot.”

So, a man in uniform automatically conjures thoughts of strength, heroism, bravery, and bad-assery that regular men (read: men who are not in the military) do not have? Maybe and maybe not.

With a military man, you know they endured extensive training, both physical and mental, in order to serve for the military—no matter the branch. The men and women who decide to join the Armed Forces are considered to be in a different class in terms of experience, maturity, and situations they have encountered. Why, how many people can say they have seen combat, or even held a gun larger than a .45?

Remember how we said both men and women have a thing for the military uniform? The 1986 film, Top Gun, has a huge following of predominately men. This could be because of the bromance and comradery between the pilots. It also doesn’t hurt that they are laden in leather.

You may be wondering, though, why men do not fawn over the military uniform as openly and easily as women. Well, the biggest thing could be because they do not want to be emasculated. For some men, when they see a woman decked out in a military uniform, they feel that, while she is sexy and powerful, perhaps she is too powerful.

A retired RAF officer confirms this belief by saying, “Given that we represented 30 per cent of the force, dating civilian boys really wasn’t something I needed to do. I had my pick of rather more impressive types. It was like shooting fish in a barrel.”