Even though Cougar Town induced ripples are yet to reach Indian shores and 30-something women here are still content just raising children and being a good wife and mother, a new survey has just revealed that a woman’s beauty peaks when she crosses the 30 mark.
Contrary to popular belief that women are at their most attractive during teens and early 20s, the survey — which took the opinions of more than 2,000 people worldwide — says that beauty is not just about good looks, but style and personality also matter a great deal.
Freelance photographer Ganesh Sundarajan says that while he hasn’t exactly narrowed down the age when a woman’s beauty peaks, he still finds older women exciting because they have a better understanding of what men want, and are also more mature and worldly wise. “They also have a greater understanding of one’s body and they have a grace and mentality that younger women can only dream of. This makes them quite alluring,” Sundarajan says. However, he’s quick to add that he would be extra cautious before dating an older woman. “I don’t really want to end up being a cougar toy, so no Mrs Robinson type situations for me. But if it’s something quite genuine, then why not,” he adds.
While all this might shatter the age-old myth that women dread touching the 30 plus tag, the women themselves say that survey results and Sex and the City be damned; they would enjoy nothing more than to be forever young. Media professional Aarti Venkataraman says she is paranoid about growing old, regardless of what surveys tell her. “Most women in our 20s feel inadequate and insecure about growing old, just because of the way we are built,” says the 23-year-old. “But once we cross 30, we are more stable career wise, and can finally focus on just being beautiful. Teenage years are not about actually being beautiful. It’s only by the time you’re 30 that you realise the power your beauty wields. That is the only explanation for such results,” she said.
Another person who disagrees with the survey’s findings is investment banker Ankush Makhija, who says he wouldn’t ever fancy dating an older woman. “Older women come with a lot of baggage; they demand different things. They might expect commitment, emotional maturity, stability et al. I am not ready for any of that. I would want to date only women my age, or slightly younger than me,” Makhija said. “It’s a nice fantasy to have occasionally, but nothing more.”