Body Language

Advertisers regularly use this rolling gesture in their campaigns to sell their

products. Women want to be like the model and men want to have her. Either

way creates increased product awareness, which is all the advertiser cares

about.

If you’re a man, you swagger, which makes you look strong and domineering.

You swing your arms across your body, elbows bent, hands at waist height,

and turn your arms inward showing just how manly you are.

Filling the space

Men adopt dominant positions by sitting with their legs apart and their arms

opened to show they need lots of space for their frames to fit into. They shift

their bodies, change their positions, and use their hands frequently to

emphasise what they’re saying.

Women accentuate their femininity by moving slowly and pulling their ges-

tures towards themselves. They give the appearance of needing less space,

not more. Submissive gestures like tilting their heads, crossing their ankles

and legs as well as touching their hair and face indicate that they’re ready,

willing, and able.

If a man and woman find each other attractive their bodies lean towards each

another.

Other stuff

The clothes you wear and the way you wear them advertise your sexual avail-

ability. How much of your body you show and which parts are on display, as

well as your facial expressions, also send signals as to your attraction and

willingness to move forward:

218 Part IV: Putting the Body into Social and Business Context

Is she hobbling or flirting?

Women wear high heels to make themselves

appear more feminine. The higher the heel,

the more vulnerable the look. In order to balance

themselves, women wearing high heels uncon-

sciously arch their backs and push out their

bottoms, creating a wiggle to their walk which

men inevitably notice. Marilyn Monroe is pur-

ported to have chopped three-quarters of an

inch off the heel of her left shoe to create her

famous wiggle.