According to Psychology Today, the word most often used to describe sex appeal is confidence. However, the way that confidence makes someone sexy goes a little deeper than just strutting down the street or pushing to the front of the que. Psychology Today have this to say:
It’s actually a naturalness that rides along with the confidence, a lack of artifice or efforts to try to be sexy. Those individuals others find sexy don’t seem to care if you or anyone think they’re sexy – it’s like an afterthought or an inadvertent consequence. No, confidence isn’t the secret ingredient, because many men and women are confident but others don’t necessarily want to slip in the sack with them.
The ultimate secret behind ‘sexy’ is being happy enough with yourself that don’t seek the approval – or sexual attraction – of anyone. In other words, others can tell that you don’t need it and, as a has-been celebrity used to say, “that’s hot.”
Confidence that exudes sex appeal is therefore different from day-to-day confidence in business or in life. You can be confident in your job but give off no sex appeal. Yet, if you have a confidence that offers sex appeal, you’re likely to be confident in your job.
For our money, Emma Peel is a character that oozes sex appeal based solely on this notion of confidence. The Emma Peel character (played by Diana Rigg) gives off precisely this idea of confidence that results in sex appeal. Here is why we think so:
- She is physically attractive. Diana Rigg is a beautiful woman, however, the way Frederick Starke dressed her gave her an iconic mode-meets-go-go chic that pushed her attractiveness over the edge.
- Emma Peel is a certified genius, however, what we love about her the most is that she only does things she is good at. You never see her raise a child or bake cookies for the entire family because this is not the kind of woman she is. She does what she does well and nothing else.
- Physically fit. This isn’t the same as number 1. You can be beautiful but not fit. Emma Peel is very fit and we love this about her.
- Emma is hard to get. Just ask Steed. She’s married to a man who may or may not be dead, but she never puts out. She just sex-flirts her way into everyone’s fantasy.
- Emma is witty. So witty.
