Short answer: Social norms, evolutionary psychology, and gendered communication styles lead men to more often compliment women’s appearance. Men are socially conditioned to express attraction through comments on looks; women are socialized to be more relational and may prioritize compliments about personality, achievements, or effort. Power dynamics, objectification, and fear of awkwardness or being seen as flirtatious also reduce women’s appearance-comments toward men.

Key factors (brief):

• Sexual signaling: Men historically use visual cues and direct compliments to signal interest; appearance is a common, safe signal of attraction. (Buss, 2019)
• Socialization: Boys are encouraged to notice and comment on appearance as part of heterosexual pursuit; girls are taught to be more cautious about direct sexual signals. (Wood & Eagly, 2012)
• Gender norms and costs: Women who compliment men’s looks risk being labeled forward or flirtatious; men face fewer social penalties for complimenting women. (Goffman, 1979)
• Types of valued traits: Women are often praised for looks in culture; men receive more praise for competence, status, humor—so women’s compliments target those domains. (Eagly & Wood, 2012)
• Context and intent: Men’s compliments are more often about attraction; women may give appearance compliments privately or to close friends, and may instead use indirect praise to avoid misinterpretation.

References:

• Buss, D. M. (2019). The Evolution of Desire.
• Eagly, A. H., & Wood, W. (2012). Social Role Theory.
• Goffman, E. (1979). Gender Advertisements.Why Women Seem to Compliment Looks Less Often Than Men

Brief answer: Men more frequently compliment women’s looks because social norms, mating signals, and gendered communication patterns shape what is noticed and commented on. Complimenting appearance is a culturally accepted way for men to express attraction; women more often convey interest or social support via conversation, warmth, or nonverbal cues. Power dynamics and concerns about harassment or being perceived as sexual also make women less likely to comment on men’s looks.

Key factors (concise):

• Evolutionary/social signaling: Visible attractiveness is a common male cue of female fertility; men thus use appearance-based compliments as mating signals (Buss, 1994).
• Gender norms in communication: Women are socialized to be relational and to value emotional/qualitative attributes; they compliment abilities, personality, or effort more than appearance (Tannen, 1990).
• Risk and reputation management: Women risk being labeled sexualized or intrusive if they praise men’s looks; men face less social cost for offering such compliments.
• Power and objectification: Cultural objectification makes women’s appearance more publicly salient; men are less often reduced to looks, so there’s less social focus on complimenting male appearance.
• Context variation: Among close friends or within certain subcultures, women do compliment men’s looks more often (e.g., fashion-conscious groups).

References:

• Buss, D. M. (1994). The Evolution of Desire.
• Tannen, D. (1990). You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation.