4. “It looks good on you!”
A Japanese woman in her 20s gave us a logical rationale for why Japanese women like this compliment: “The word ‘cute’ doesn’t clarify if he’s just talking about the outfit or if he wants to say I look cute because I look good in my outfit.” Our survey respondents also tended to think that this compliment shows that a guy approves of the woman’s overall look. A woman in her 20s explained, “This tells me that he approves of my style.” Another woman in her 20s said, “I’m particular about the way I dress, so it’s important that he appreciates my style.”