In the past, men were often told that women love guys who are big, strong, and masculine.

However, it’s claimed ladies are now shunning men who come with ‘toxic masculinity’ traits – and instead are loving guys who rock the ‘baby girl’ look.

According to New York Post, a man who is rocks them ‘baby girl’ vibe comes across as “sweet, charming, a bit bashful and seemingly in touch with their feminine side”. They’re also “ready to talk about their feelings or carry a handbag to brunch at any point”.

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Examples include Harry Styles, Pedro Pascal, Timothée Chalamet and Saltburn’s Jacob Elordi – who was deemed “so baby girl” during his promotion as host of “Saturday Night Live” back in January.

Talking about why women are wanting this ‘new type of man’, Kaamna Bhojwani, a Columbia University-educated sexuality expert, told The Post: “Traditionally, highlighting feminine qualities in men has been a putdown, but this doesn’t seem to be the case with ‘baby girl,’ which almost has a celebratory quality.”

It’s thought one factor in the shift could be because Gen Z are much more open and fluid when it comes to gender and sexuality than older generations have been. This encourages a ‘blurring of the lines’ around what masculine and feminine is.

Adam Cohen-Aslatei, director of Tawkify matchmaking service, also told the publication that men are more emotional these days. “Men are now more comfortable showing who they are emotionally, their authentic selves, and letting their personalities shine through instead of putting up barriers or worrying about being too emotionally expressive,” he said.

It doesn’t just encompass emotions either, with fashion included too. Styles and Elordi are often known to carry handbags, while Pascal is known to rock tiny shorts and Chalamet loves a sequin or two. These men are often celebrated over these ‘feminine’ touches – as fans are left swooning.

According to Vogue Runway’s year-end poll, gender-fluid menswear was dubbed the industry’s favourite trend last year. Bhojwani added: “The trend signals a sharp departure from the uber-masculine sex symbols of the previous generations.”

It’s also thought the change has been spurred by on women’s increased independence and well-being. Ladies are often getting degrees and buying home quicker than. A lot of women are also out-earning men and freezing their eggs to take the pressure off of rushing into being a parent.

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Cohen-Aslatei said: “Women are fiercely independent. Women don’t need men. So I think that women have priorities that are better for them.

“It used to be that the connotation of masculine was you can be a tough guy, a protector physically, and I think that the concept of, like, an emotional protector being there for you is something that’s become more important than just someone’s physical presence.”