The top nightclubs in the world urge their promoters to bring tall women to their venues. Some, like New York City’s Provocateur have a speculative “five-eight” rule where women must be 5’8″ or taller to get in at the doorman’s discretion. The reason is simple, taller women attract larger higher spending individuals and ultimately higher bar sales. The important question is, why does this happen?
Height is a massive indication of fitness for a few reasons. First of all, it shows that you possess the genes to grow to that size. Second of all, it shows that you were raised in the environment with the proper nutrition- in order to take advantage of your genetics. These further imply that you grew up in either an environment full of resources, or genetically you were able enough to find your own resources. All in all, height is the most major indication of fitness and most desirable trait cross-culturally by members of the opposite sex [wikipedia].
A nightclub is perfect “mating” environment and so by emphasizing certain characteristics in the ecosystem you they produce better results. Countless studies show that women rate height as one of the top characteristics in men when choosing a potential mate. Typically, taller men are stronger – it’s physics. They normally have more muscle attached to their bones and can lift heavier. They have a better vantage point on the world and can more quickly adapt to predators and ensure safety. Strength is an obvious indication of fitness that is hardwired to our brains.
The same applies to women for a variety of reasons. Men desire tall women because it increases the likelihood of taller (and more fit) children. This is in addition to the fact that we are already biased to perceiving them as healthier, stronger, more assertive or more successful. But men and women mate for different reasons, which wil be explored further in other articles.
Runway models are all between 5’9″ and 5’11″ and if you are too short or too tall, then it is highly unlikely that you will be on the catwalk. The clothing is made to fit women of that height, because it was naturally the most attractive. The fashion industry is in the business of making money, and through trial and error they know that women in this height interval sell more than those outside it.
The average height of men and women in the United States is 1.71m or 5’7.25″ [wikipedia]. Human beings are not attracted to average nearly as much as they are attracted to above average. However, going to far to the right (too tall) or to far to the left (too short) of a normative distribution actually reduces fitness. Human height is a Fisherian Runaway Process which explains why people are getting taller, on average every year [scientific american].
By creating a room full of tall individuals, you are employing natural human bias to let the crowd know that everyone in there is, “rich, important, successful, healthy.” This sets a wildly different atmosphere to a place without a doorman. This mood is one of a variety of factors that leads to increased spending as well as risk-taking particularly from men.
Ever notice why ladies are always wearing heels at these events? More information on the psychology of shoes and high heels coming soon.