‘Cool’ is down to a science, according to a new study

We're all idolising the same it-girls

Apparently, ‘cool’ isn’t that elusive at all, researchers have determined the six traits our icons all share.

Charli XCX, Dua Lipa, Gracie Abrams, Zoe Kravitz, Sofia Richie Grainge – aside from great hair, style and talent, they all have one thing in common - a degree of coolness that can’t be questioned. 

All notably different, it can be hard to pinpoint the je ne sais quoi they all possess that makes their coolness so enviably undeniable.

People spend thousands of dollars, overhaul their wardrobes, beauty bags, behaviour, and entire personalities trying to achieve what they seem to do so effortlessly, yet so many simply aren’t authentically cool. Perhaps their chase is the thing to rob them of the title. 

The elusive determinant of coolness has long been theorised, from the size of one’s friend group, to their lack of care and air of nonchalance, but researchers believe coolness is actually just down to a science. 

In their new study, drawing on data from 5,943 people in 12 countries, the team tried to pinpoint what made people cool.

Asking participants from different areas, age groups, genders, education and income levels to identify someone who is cool, and another uncool, good and not good, before measuring 15 traits in these people, just over a handful of key features stood out in those awarded the title. 

Cool people share traits of extroversion, power, autonomy, hedonism, adventure and openness. Image: Getty

Author Caleb Warren has researched consumer psychology for twenty years, and said, “what blew my mind was the fact that it was pretty much the same result everywhere,” as per The New York Times. 

The six perceived traits of cool people? 

Extroversion, power, autonomy, hedonism, adventure and openness. 

People saw good people as more conforming, traditional, secure, warm, agreeable, universalistic, conscientious, and calm. Image: Getty

While many of the other attributes linked to cool people were also seen as traits of good people, coolness and goodness are different.

People saw good people as more conforming, traditional, secure, warm, agreeable, universalistic, conscientious, and calm.

Not exactly widely studied, the researchers theorised that the globalisation of the fashion, music and film industries could be behind our shared understanding of who’s cool and who’s not. 

“Coolness has definitely evolved over time"

They also think the slight differences in ideas of coolness in some countries could be a result of a focus on formal hierarchies and conformity compared to individualism.

Co-lead researcher Todd Pezzuti said, “The concept of coolness started in small, rebellious subcultures, including Black jazz musicians in the 1940s and the beatniks in the 1950s. As society moves faster and puts more value on creativity and change, cool people are more essential than ever.”

“Coolness has definitely evolved over time but I don’t think it has lost its edge. It’s just become more functional”, he emphasised.

Originally published as ‘Cool’ is down to a science, according to a new study