Which leg is generally longer when men and women are of the same height?
The Illusion of Longer Legs: High Heels, High-Waisted Pants, and Good Angles
This question is very interesting.
From a daily perspective, most people would think that women have longer legs.
Even if men are slightly taller than women, women still appear to have longer legs.
What is the actual situation?
Let’s look at the data directly, and the difference in leg length between the two is not significant in cases of almost equal height. [1][2][3]
So why do women’s legs always seem longer than men’s in real life?
Ultimately, it is due to “optical illusion”.
To make legs appear longer, there are three key factors: high heels, high-waisted pants, and good shooting angles.
High heels lift the muscles overall, making the legs appear slender, thereby creating the visual perception of longer legs.
The image below shows a comparison between amateur models found online, where the differences are clearly visible.
High-waisted pants raise the waistline, visually making the legs appear longer. We commonly define legs below the waist, so raising the waistline creates the illusion of longer legs.
Lastly, good shooting angles, such as shooting from top to bottom, or different poses, can also make the legs appear longer or shorter.
For example, in the image on the right, taken from a lower angle, the leg clearly appears longer than the one on the left.
In addition to the aforementioned “three treasures,” there is another method to make our legs appear longer.
The principle is similar to wearing high heels, and that is to slim down the legs.
Through exercise (aerobic + resistance training), we can change the curves and contour of our legs, not only making them slimmer but also more aesthetically pleasing.
If you are interested, you can take a look at our previous answer:
How attractive can women’s legs be?
Finally, let’s share the definition and measurement methods of leg length.
There are multiple algorithms for the broad definition of “leg length,” such as measuring only to the root of the thigh or all the way to the waist.
This is why we don’t compare leg lengths in our daily lives. Unlike height, there is no unified standard calculation (from sole to the top of the head).
Here, we introduce a standard measurement and calculation method called the “Martin trunk leg length index.” It is the most reliable and quantifiable index for exploring the leg-to-body ratio.
The formula is very simple: [(height - sitting height) / sitting height] × 100. The resulting value is the Martin trunk leg length index. The height minus the sitting height is the leg length, and the leg length data in the table above is based on this.
The key data here is the sitting height, and the measurement method for sitting height can be seen in the image below.
As an aside, the percentage of people with extremely long legs among Asians is extremely small, with supermodel Ji Xiaowen being one example.
References:
[1]. Zhang Xinghua, Zheng Lianbin, Yu Keli, Bao Jinping, Wang Zhibo, Wu Yawen, Song Guanlan. “The Relationship between Height and Sitting Height of Han Adults in Shandong.” Journal of Tianjin Normal University (Natural Science Edition), 2012, (4).
[2]. 2015 7th Korean Body Dimension Investigation Final Report_Revision
[3]. Grasgruber P, Prce S, Stračárová N, Hrazdíra E, Cacek J, Popović S, Hřebíčková S, Potpara P, Davidovič I, Kalina T. “The coast of giants: an anthropometric survey of high schoolers on the Adriatic coast of Croatia.” PeerJ. 2019 Apr 17;7:e6598. doi: 10.7717/peerj.6598. PMID: 31024758; PMCID: PMC6475134.
The “Long Legs Monster” from Victoria’s Secret, 1.12m long legs break Guinness, incredible body proportions!
Because men don’t wear belts around their chests and claim their legs are measured from the belt line downwards.
I saw a video on Douyin the other day where a woman was showing off her long legs, measuring them to be 1.2 meters long.
But when I looked closely, her skirt’s waistband was pulled up almost to her chest, and she was measuring from there with a measuring tape, claiming to be 1.72 meters tall with legs measuring 1.2 meters long.
No wonder Victoria’s Secret didn’t hire you, no wonder they’re going bankrupt.
Victoria’s Secret’s “long-legged monster” supermodel, with 1.12 meters legs breaking the Guinness World Record, has an unbelievably proportional figure!
Leg Length Comparison Between Genders
Experts studying height and leg-to-height ratio tell you:
Within the same ethnicity and region, for individuals of the same height, the average leg length of males is shorter than the average leg length of females.
The reason for using averages is obviously to avoid differences in leg-to-height ratios (leg length divided by height minus leg length) between individuals and only considering gender factors.
For individuals of the same height, men have larger heads than women and larger overall body frames, especially with regard to chest cavities, where the distance from the navel to the shoulders is also greater for males than females. Due to reproductive organs, females have larger abdominal cavities compared to males, but overall, female trunks are slightly shorter than male trunks. In addition, with larger heads, males have longer upper bodies compared to females.
Expanding further, it is evident that for the same gender, the taller the height, the longer the average leg length, and leg-to-height ratio is positively correlated with height.
If we compare across genders, for individuals in the same height range, the leg-to-height ratio of males is higher than that of females.
The concept of the same height range refers to the ranking of a certain height among all individuals of the same gender. In simple terms, we can use an average height difference of 12 centimeters between males and females for calculation. For example, a male height of 180 and a female height of 168 have the same height ranking within their respective genders, so they belong to the same height range. Similarly, a female height of 155 and a male height of 167 have the same height ranking within their genders, so they belong to the same height range.
Therefore, not only in absolute terms, but also in relative terms, the legs of a male at 180 are longer than those of a female at 168; in terms of leg-to-height ratio, the leg-to-height ratio of a male at 180 is also better than that of a female at 168. This comparison applies to the leg length and leg-to-height ratio of males and females in the same height range.
Why is it often the case in reality that many females believe that men much taller than them do not have longer legs? For example, a female at 168 may have a shorter leg-to-height ratio compared to a male at 180, but she may consider her proportion to be better than that of the male. This is due to differences in clothing and visual perception.
Females typically prefer to wear clothes and pants that give the illusion of longer legs, and the visual effect of high-heeled shoes can greatly enhance the leg-to-height ratio. Males, on the other hand, are the opposite, and moreover, there are special organs occupying space below their crotch, which visually reduces the length of their legs.
Long Rectangle and Square Pants!
A square and a rectangle, assuming that the sides of the square are the same length as the length of the rectangle, it definitely looks like the rectangle is longer.
These two pants are perfect for slimming legs and making them look longer~
You must have them!
First item
A pair of velvet pants for 69 RMB.
Clothes that can be brought home for just a few tens of dollars can still bring out your presence!
Hahaha~ Let’s take a closer look~
This pair of pants makes you look taller. I’m 165cm/98lbs, and my classmate said that when I wear these pants, I instantly look 170cm. And the quality is really great!
The material of the pants is excellent, very warm and comfortable to wear. It feels like there’s extra lining, so wearing just one pair of them throughout the winter is enough. It doesn’t easily wrinkle, and I really like this fabric because it is warm and the effect is amazing.
If you like them, you can go and take a look. Shipping is free!
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Second item
Let’s take a look at these pants that make your legs look super long~
They are designed to slim down and cover up your thighs, and they don’t make your hips look wide at all. I was really impressed. The color is a textured blue that creates a great atmosphere, and the small details are well-designed. The fabric doesn’t deform or bulge, and it fits really well!
The quality is really good, it enhances the shape of your legs, and the fabric is also very soft. It’s really beautiful~
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Third item
Now, let’s talk about the underwear that girls wear!
These underwear styles are chosen right, not to mention their comfort, the main thing is that they can highlight your figure, just like this!
If you want a cartoon-like butt, you can’t miss this high-waisted shaping underwear!
There is quite a big difference when wearing shaping underwear that flattens the tummy and lifts the butt, compared to not wearing it!
Especially, the butt becomes rounder and perkier, the lines from the side and back are so attractive~
Wearing them makes you look like a hot mama~
These shaping underwear can be worn directly as panties or underneath a skirt. The crotch is made of pure cotton, which is hygienic, so it’s convenient to wear them directly!
The cost performance is really high~
I’ll put the link to this underwear below↓↓↓
Leg Length Comparison between Men and Women
Roughly the same length.
The length of a boy’s shoulder to chest is roughly the same as the length of a girl’s abdomen to chest. If we take height into account, the difference is minimal.
I am 175 cm tall with a normal physique. I used to have a girlfriend who was 168 cm tall. She had a well-proportioned body and long legs, which everyone agreed on. She insisted that her legs were longer than mine. Later, we had a fair comparison in a hotel bathroom, and it turned out that her legs were only a few centimeters shorter than mine.
I also had a part-time model ex-girlfriend who was 178 cm tall. As we got to know each other better, she mocked my proportions, but when we compared, she only ended up being three or four centimeters taller than me, not as much as she imagined.
However, whether it was classmates, friends, or themselves, they all believed that their legs were longer than mine or longer than they actually were. Why is that?
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The crotch of women’s pants is generally higher than that of men’s pants. Men have an extra mass of flesh, which makes the crotch lower, giving the illusion of shorter legs.
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Men have more leg muscles, making their legs thicker. Men’s pants tend to be looser, while women’s pants are tighter, or they wear skirts or stockings, which make their legs appear longer.
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Most young men wear regular sneakers with low heels. As for women, let’s not even talk about high heels. Even wedge heels that don’t appear high have several centimeters of height. Many models of women’s sneakers come with a slight increase in height, which improves the visual effect of their legs.
If we exclude these factors, the actual length of the legs for men and women of the same height should be almost the same.
Longer legs for men.
Notes: No height restriction. If same height, man may be short or woman may be tall. Confusing. My personal observation:
Regardless of height, it appears that men tend to have longer legs (in proportion).
If they are the same height, it means either the man is relatively short, or the woman is relatively tall, or both are present, that really confuses me.
Males are definitely taller under the same height conditions.
I don’t know about this, and I can’t compare either, but what I do know is that under equal height conditions, male Kun is definitely longer.
Legs Longer in Photos: Female or Editing?
In photos, the ones with long legs are definitely girls, all skillfully retouched.
Long legs of a woman.
Long Legs of Women
Female leg length discrepancy
It should be that women have long legs.
I am a man, my height is 180cm. I once measured from the heel to the perineum, and my leg length is 89cm, which can barely be considered half.
I have seen several times where women, ranging from 161cm to 168cm, claim to have leg lengths of 1 meter.
If they were 180cm tall, their leg length would be around 110cm, which is more than 20 centimeters longer than mine.
Such a big difference is enough to show that women have longer legs.