What does having broad shoulders mean?
Be able to accept considerable responsibility, as in With his broad shoulders, he can easily handle both departments. [ Second half of 1300s]
WHAT CAUSES BROAD SHOULDERS? The length of the clavicle bone primarily determines the broadness of width at the shoulders. The clavicle varies in length depending on the gender of the person, with males usually having longer bones.
Wide shoulders are desirable because they can make your frame look more proportional by widening the appearance of the upper body. They create an inverted triangle shape in the upper body that's wider at the top and narrower at the waist.
adjective. having broad shoulders. synonyms: big-shouldered, square-shouldered robust.
The Mesomorph Body Type. The mesomorph is somewhere between the round endomorph and the thin ectomorph. Physically, they have the more 'desirable' body, and have: Large head, broad shoulders, and narrow waist (wedge-shaped).
Both subjects sexes rated broad shoulders as attractive in male physiques. Greater chest muscularity resulted in slightly higher attractiveness ratings; waist slimness was also judged attractive, particularly in female subjects.
Multiple studies confirm that women are more attracted to men with large, muscular shoulders — perhaps because they're indicative his status and potential to become a dad. These studies explain why men have to carry the weight of the world—well, you know where.
Yes, that's correct: Broad shoulders in a woman can help her quickly determine which men are put off by a trait that, quite frankly, should be seen as exceptionally attractive.
An Archives of Sexual Behavior study reveals that women are most attracted to muscular men whose shoulders measure 1.6 times the size of their waists. If you've ever heard of the golden ratio, this shouldn't surprise you.
As much as broad shoulders are a symbol of attractiveness, strength, and status, what these big guys have going for them the most is that they're more likely to become dads. That's because their attractiveness makes them more likely to attract mates and be more discerning about it when they do.
How do you feel feminine with broad shoulders?
Counterbalance broad shoulders and even out proportions with wide-leg pants. Create an eye-catching focal point by wearing tasteful pants patterns, like stripes or plaid. These draw attention to your lower half. For dresses, emphasize your waist to balance out your figure.
Broader, wide and symmetrical shoulders— having broader shoulders or wide clavicle width is usually an indication of good shoulder genetics. Large skeletal size and bone density— individuals with large skeletal sizes, bones, and joints tend to easily gain muscle.

Women stated that their favorite part of the male physique was their chest at 24%. This was closely followed by hair 22% and arms at 19%. For the ab crowd, 13% prefer defined upper abs and 9% prefer the v-cut. Eyes, face, and legs came in at 3%, 2%, and 1%, respectively.
A strong upper body is the most attractive body shape or type on men, research finds.
The short answer is that there isn't a most attractive body type. Guys like all female body types equally. What's going to have the biggest impact on how attractive you are isn't your body shape, it's whether you're in good shape or not. Most guys do prefer women who are strong, fit, and in good health.
They found that women were most attracted to muscles that are harder to develop, primarily the abs and biceps. Interestingly, the muscles women found most attractive were, in this order: glutes, biceps, abs, pecs, shoulders, obliques, triceps, and quads.
My family says they're broad (in a good way) but 17 and below is the average shoulder width of a woman.
Instead, broad shoulders in women are almost always caused by having too much body fat. Thus, ironically, women with broad shoulders can make them narrower by doing the same thing men do to make theirs wider—getting lean.
The average width of female shoulders is 14 inches(I'm assuming measured from the bony parts of the shoulders, not the very edge), so a width that's about 16 inches or more would probably be considered broad shoulders. Shoulders also tend to look broader if they go more straight out instead of sloping down.
18″ shoulders, if you are measuring like garment makers do, is an XXL size. It is quite possible for a woman/girl to have an XX-large frame that is excessively thin. It is also possible for the upper back to be deeply rounded/humped, making the measured shoulder width a larger number without any extra visual width.
Why do guys have broad shoulders?
Having broader shoulders is a masculine trait. During puberty, testosterone causes our shoulders to grow broader, whereas estrogen causes our hips to grow wider. Men tend to have more testosterone and less estrogen than women, so men develop more of a V-tapered physique, whereas women develop more hourglass shapes.
Broader, wide and symmetrical shoulders— having broader shoulders or wide clavicle width is usually an indication of good shoulder genetics. Large skeletal size and bone density— individuals with large skeletal sizes, bones, and joints tend to easily gain muscle.
Offset your upper body with volume below: wide-leg pants; fuller skirts. Look for details that draw the eye up and down, not across—vee or scoop necks, vertical embellishments, long scarves and necklaces. Choose soft shoulders, raglan sleeves, halters—anything that isn't crisp and squared-off.
Still, based on biacromial measurements taken in years passed and trends observed by researchers, it's probably safe to say that in the United States average shoulder width is at least 16 inches (41 cm) for men and 14 inches (36 cm) for women.
Average Female Shoulder Width
The biacromial or shoulder breadth of an average 18-year-old girl is roughly 35 cm or 14 inches. For males of the same age, the typical biacromial diameter is approximately 39 cm or 15 inches.
If you consider absolute size, then broad shoulders start at 130 cm (50–51 inch) depending on the size of the frame.