The Role of Androgyny in Facial Aesthetics
May 26, 2025
Androgyny has always had a bit of an elusive quality. It doesn’t sit neatly in the “masculine” or “feminine” boxes — it floats somewhere in between. And in the world of facial aesthetics, that’s part of its appeal. In recent decades, androgynous beauty has captivated pop culture, high fashion, and even psychological studies. But what exactly makes a face androgynous, and why are we drawn to it?
Let’s unpack how androgyny shows up in facial features, the science behind its perceived attractiveness, and what it all means when it comes to how we see and evaluate beauty.
In basic terms, an androgynous face is one that blends features commonly associated with both male and female facial traits. Think high cheekbones, a smooth jawline, full lips, and straight brows — a mix of elements that aren’t strongly gendered. These faces tend to avoid extremes: not overly angular, not overly soft.
A few pop culture examples come to mind quickly. Tilda Swinton. David Bowie. Zendaya. Timothée Chalamet. Their faces don’t scream traditional masculinity or femininity, but they still feel striking — maybe even more so because they defy expectations.
From a scientific standpoint, facial androgyny can be measured by assessing the degree of sexual dimorphism (or difference between sexes) in facial structure. In fact, one 2009 study by Little, Jones, and DeBruine explored the appeal of sexually dimorphic versus androgynous faces and found that preferences vary depending on environmental factors, mating goals, and individual personality traits (Little et al., 2009).
From an evolutionary psychology perspective, sexual dimorphism — strong masculine or feminine traits — has often been tied to mate selection. Masculine features in men (like a broad jaw or prominent brow ridge) have been associated with dominance, health, and testosterone levels. Feminine features in women (like larger eyes or a smaller chin) signal estrogen and fertility.
So where does androgyny fit in?
In some contexts, androgyny may suggest genetic diversity, flexibility, or even emotional intelligence. A face that is less aggressively masculine or feminine might appear more approachable or trustworthy — traits that are just as important as physical strength or fertility when it comes to choosing a long-term partner.
In fact, a study published in Psychological Science (Perrett et al., 1998) found that participants rated androgynous faces as more attractive than highly masculine or feminine ones. This preference seemed to be tied to perceptions of warmth and kindness. In short: people with balanced features were seen as nicer.
So maybe we’re not just wired to seek out the strongest-looking mate. Maybe we’re looking for someone who looks like they won’t bite our head off.
Historically, beauty standards have shifted quite a bit. In the 1980s and 90s, runway models like Grace Jones and Kate Moss challenged traditional gendered aesthetics with sharper angles, minimal curves, and a “cool” detachment. In the 2010s, celebrities like Janelle Monáe or Harry Styles carried the torch, playing with gender presentation and creating their own aesthetic lane.
Fashion photographer Mario Testino once said that androgyny has a visual power — it forces people to look again. It’s a kind of aesthetic ambiguity that holds the gaze longer than something expected or obvious. That re-look, that pause, can be interpreted as beauty. Or at least fascination.
But this isn't just about fashion or media. Data backs up the idea that cultural exposure changes what people find attractive. A 2010 study published in the Journal of Evolutionary Psychology (Scott et al., 2010) showed that media exposure can shift beauty preferences — including making more androgynous faces seem appealing.
Basically, the more we see androgynous faces in ads, magazines, or movies, the more likely we are to find them attractive. Our brains are shaped by what they consume.
Here’s where things get even more interesting. Androgynous faces are often closer to “average” when compared to highly masculine or highly feminine faces. And in facial aesthetics, averageness is a big deal.
Multiple studies have shown that average faces — those that represent a blending of many different facial features — are consistently rated as more attractive. The classic study on this was done by Langlois and Roggman in 1990, where researchers morphed together multiple faces and found that the composite images were rated as more attractive than the individual ones. Why? Because average often equals familiar, and familiar tends to feel safe or pleasant.
Androgynous faces, by being a blend, often appear more symmetrical, more balanced, and closer to this composite ideal.
Think of it like a musical chord. A very deep note might feel masculine, a high one might feel feminine. But a harmonious chord — that balance of frequencies — can sound fuller, richer. Same idea with faces. Androgyny can be that chord that feels “just right.”
Let’s not ignore the elephant in the room: the rise of gender fluidity in popular culture and how it shapes our sense of beauty. As society becomes more accepting of gender diversity, what we find beautiful is expanding too.
Androgynous beauty feels modern because it matches the current moment — when rigid gender roles are being questioned and personal expression is celebrated. In a way, androgyny is the face of that freedom.
Interestingly, studies have also found that people who identify as more open-minded or creative tend to prefer more androgynous faces (Jones et al., 2007). Personality traits seem to influence aesthetic taste just as much as culture or biology.
Let’s get concrete. What features typically contribute to an androgynous look?
These traits don’t exist in isolation. It’s all about proportions and context — which is why two people with similar noses might look completely different depending on their eyes, jaw, or skin tone.
Not exactly. Beauty standards are fluid, not fixed. While androgyny is definitely having a cultural moment, especially among younger generations, it’s not replacing more traditional ideas of masculinity or femininity — it’s just joining the mix.
Think of it like music again. Sometimes people want a bass-heavy track. Sometimes they want something soft and acoustic. And sometimes they want that perfect middle ground where it all just works together.
A 2022 paper in Frontiers in Psychology even suggested that aesthetic preferences are shaped by a mix of evolutionary pressures, personal experiences, media exposure, and social norms (Germine et al., 2022). So there's no single “correct” face. Just preferences that evolve over time.
Androgyny in facial aesthetics isn’t just a trend — it’s a reflection of broader shifts in how we think about identity, expression, and beauty itself. It challenges the idea that beauty must be categorized, labeled, or pinned down to one end of a spectrum. Instead, it suggests something more nuanced: that balance, ambiguity, and blending can be just as — if not more — captivating.
It’s not that masculine or feminine features are losing value. It’s that in a world overwhelmed with extremes, there’s something refreshing about a face that feels like a quiet in-between.
And maybe that’s the takeaway: in the ever-evolving conversation about beauty, androgyny reminds us that sometimes, the most striking thing isn’t loud or obvious — it’s subtle. It’s balanced. And it makes you look twice.
