I always assumed that the reason women don’t feel cold on nights out was because they eventually get too plastered to care, but according to a recent study, the true reason is more psychological.
The study published in the British Journal of Social Psychology is named “When looking ‘hot’ means not feeling cold: Evidence that self-objectification inhibits feelings of being cold” and claims to have finally solved the mystery once and for all.
The paper says:
From corsets to shapewear, from foot binding to stilettos, standards for women’s appearance have prioritized beauty over comfort.
Today, a prominent example of enduring discomfort for the sake of fashion is seen in cities around the world, where even on winter nights, many women expose more of their body than they cover when out for an evening of fun.
Prompting the question, ‘Aren’t they cold?’ Given that women are not naturally immune to cold weather, we considered whether this phenomenon has a psychological explanation.
Roxanne Felig, one of the study authors, claimed on TikTok that when someone is highly focused on how they look, their basic needs come second. She says that women are too focused on how they look to feel the cold.
When women are in a state of objectification, they are less aware of how hungry they are, their heartbeat.
They are just less able to recognise their internal states.
In a sexually objectifying culture, for many women, looking ‘hot’ means not feeling cold.
Have to say – I’m not sure I buy that explanation. It might explain why some women endure the cold rather than not feel it. After all, women who are out clubbing moan about the cold all the time! If they eventually do manage to block it out, it’s because of my original theory – that they get too drunk and coked up to care. The old liquid jacket. Doesn’t take a scientist to work that one out, does it?
Anyway, I’m sure there’s a better way for women to look both fashionable and desirable without having to freeze to death, so hopefully someone figures it out.
In the meantime, enjoy this video of Gucci Man loving life in an Icelandic lagoon. The cold doesn’t bother him in the slightest.
