Mmm... I don't care if a guy dwarfs me.

I'm a pretty big, strong woman myself though, at 5"10.  My dad is only 3 inches taller.  I think I feel most comfortable with someone who's a simimlar size and shape to me, maybe a smidgeon bigger.  I think that yields the most, erm, "options"...

Yeah, total Elektra complex. I guess if you're comfortable with that realization then no big. But don't we usually strive to understand our conditioned proclivities in order to free ourselves of them?

I'm not sure whether to be pleased or disgruntled when I hear a woman list such preferences. On the one hand, maybe I should feel bad, since although I'm fortunately tall, I'm not naturally muscular, so you and the countless other women like you wouldn't be at all interested in me. On the other hand, maybe I should feel pleased, since this validates my own preference for short, fit, busty women--if women have preferred types, too, maybe I'm not a body fascist after all.

Everybody has types that they're drawn to.  I'm 6'2" and have almost invariably been involved with petite women, granted with a couple wonderful exceptions!  

I can't speak for women, but when most of my male friends and acquaintances state their preferences, or their ideals, it's almost never the sort of women I've ever seen them with.  I think actions speak louder than words.  If I weren't attracted to the petite women, I wouldn't be with them, would I?  It's not a question of settling for what's available either.  It's quite obviously who I'm attracted to, whatever the reason may be.  

And I'm pretty sure my penchant for small women would still be there if I could bench press 300 pounds, or owned a dump truck.  Call it what you will...

My experience is that at the end of the day women want a man to be a pack animal who knows how to put up shelves.........

i recently had a lovely evening with a guy that when sitting across from me was eye to eye with me and when standing next to me was a head shorter than me.   i felt really bad about it but i knew that when he stood next to me and i had to look downward, i could never be attracted to him and never date him.  I don't have a type but i must say i do find that i like tall guys who can grow facial hair.  we all have things we know we usually find attractive.  i guess we should be able to admit to ourselves when there is a physicality in someone that equals our deal breaker.  i mean maybe it's not fair but it's honest. too bad cause he is nice and smart.  

Trader Joe's in Brooklyn??? I think I need to reconsider the east coast...and work on my telephone-book-tearing skills.

I'm with you on this one. I love a big man, I am a size queen through and though. If your not over 6ft with some girth on you, don't even bother!

Zeit--I tend to be into leaner body types myself, but it takes all kinds. It would kind of suck for men if all women were only into one body type. So rock on, chubby chasers!

I don't have a particular attachment to tallness (although it is a quality I appreciate when it is present) but I can't date men that are shorter than me. It has less to do with them and more to do with me. I'm not particularly tall now (5'6'') but I was an early bloomer as a kid who towered over many of the boys and felt self-conscious and hulking. When I stand next to a guy who's shorter than me (there aren't that many), I feel like an awkward adolescent again. Nothing against you, short guys.