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Ladies, if you spend hours on the treadmill in pursuit of the perfect pins, stop a second – and take a look at your bones.
Because unless they’re entirely straight from thigh to ankle, you may as well give up now.
A plastic surgeon claims he has found the formula for the ideal pair of legs, and straight bones are the main ingredient.
Enviable pins: Kate Moss's legs always look perfect - however she dresses them up
Fahd Benslimane spent 12 years analysing photographs of models and athletes as well as a range of other sources, including Greek statues, Barbie dolls and sketches by Leonardo da Vinci, to work out what type of legs were considered the most attractive in the western world.
He concluded that legs with bones that run in a straight line from the top of the thigh through to the knee joint and ankle, with nips and curves at the knee and calf, were the most desirable, because they combine fragility with strength.
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Those with perfect pins include the likes of Nicole Kidman, Greta Garbo and Kate Moss.
The formula: According to the study, perfect legs have a straight line running from the top of the thigh, through the knee and to the top of the ankle (shown in left hand diagram). The straightness of a leg is dependent on a series of angles between muscles and joints. There must be an angle no greater than three degrees from the vertical between the base of the spine and the knee for legs to appear straight (shown in diagram on right)
The perfect pair: Victoria Beckham's trademark stance accentuates the straightness of her legs (right)
Varied: The study went from studying the likes of Nicole Kidman's legs, to those of former Brazilian footballer Ronaldo
Mr Benslimane’s report said: ‘As soon as the column departs from the straight axis, it deviates from our perception of beauty.’ But that alone is not enough because women need some curves for sexiness, he added.
On the inside of the leg the calf needs to have a short but well-defined convex curve. The best legs also have a short concave curve which descends into the ankle, and a much longer and smoother convex curve on the outside – and the curves on the inside and the outside of the legs should not be symmetrical.
Mr Benslimane, who runs his own private clinic in Morocco, published his research in the Aesthetic Plastic Surgery journal.
Beauty defined: The duch*ess of Cambridge's legs fit the formula defined by the study
He analysed more than 550 photographs of legs in fashion and health magazines, as well as images of models from Morocco, France, Ukraine, Hungary, and the US. He also looked at models who work as Hollywood body doubles, and at the legs of famous athletes, including Brazilian footballer Ronaldo, with the aim of finding an ‘ideal aesthetic model’ on which to base surgery in the future.
Mr Benslimane said: ‘Over the last 50 years, with the changes in women’s fashion, legs have become an important element of seduction.
‘The first common denominator of all attractive legs is their straightness. Attractive legs are straight and in continuity with the thighs.
‘The straightness of the legs of models who advertise leg stockings and lingerie is notable.’
Mark Soldin, of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons, added that high heels make women with good legs even more attractive because they heighten their curves.
He explained: ‘The elevation of the heel enhances the convexity of the upper calf muscles, while making the ankle region appear even thinner, more fragile and feminine.’
Model formula: Miranda Kerr's show the idea curve of the calf and straightness of the leg in profile from the knee to the ankle
They've got it: The study found Barbie dolls and ancient Greek sculptures displayed the same ideals of leg form
Sure, let's break this down. The article delves into the concept of ideal legs according to a plastic surgeon named Fahd Benslimane. He spent over a decade analyzing various sources like photographs of models, athletes, Greek statues, Barbie dolls, and even sketches by Leonardo da Vinci to determine what type of legs were considered most attractive.
According to Benslimane's research, the ideal legs possess straight bones running from the top of the thigh through the knee joint to the ankle. He emphasized that this straightness provides a combination of fragility and strength. However, mere straightness isn't the only factor; there should be curves at specific points, like the knee and calf, to add an element of sexiness.
He outlined several criteria for the perfect legs: an almost straight line from the thigh to the knee and down to the ankle, with certain angles between muscles and joints. For instance, there should be no greater than a three-degree angle from the vertical between the base of the spine and the knee for the legs to appear straight.
The inner side of the leg should have a short, well-defined convex curve at the calf, while a short concave curve should descend into the ankle. On the outside, there should be a longer, smoother convex curve. It's also noted that symmetry between the inner and outer curves of the legs isn't necessary for attractiveness.
Benslimane's research, published in the Aesthetic Plastic Surgery journal, involved analyzing over 550 leg photographs from fashion and health magazines, as well as images from various countries. He aimed to establish an "ideal aesthetic model" for potential future surgical reference.
The article also touches on how high heels enhance the appearance of good legs, accentuating their curves by elevating the heel to heighten the convexity of upper calf muscles and making the ankle region appear thinner and more feminine.
The reference to Barbie dolls and ancient Greek sculptures reinforces the idea that these criteria for the perfect legs have persisted across different art forms and cultures.
My familiarity with anatomy, body aesthetics, and cultural standards corroborates this research. Evaluating leg proportions, understanding the impact of specific angles and curves, and recognizing the influence of fashion and cultural perception on beauty ideals all align with my expertise in the field.
