The human body is beautiful. Whatever body shape you are, it is the ideal one. Let me start with this disclaimer, before going into the different body shape types as they are generally categorized.
It is always nice to know what your particular body shape type is. Not only for health reasons ( as it says in this article) but for the sake of fashion as well – to get (buy or make) the fitting clothes that your body deserves.
Check out this post on how to find the best clothes for you depending on your body shape
How to determine your body shape
Measure yourself and compare this with the directions given below and you will know. You need to take body measurements with a tape measure – around the bust, waist, and hip.
On the bust line place the tape on the fullest part of the bust and measure the circumference. On waist place tape measure on the narrowest part and on the hip on the fullest part.
Types of body shapes
1 Ideal Body Shape
This body shape has bust, hip, and waist in correct proportion, the curves progressively sloping. This figure is shapely without being too much curvy or angular. The difference between hip round and waist round is between 9 – 12 inches. Difference between Bust round and waist round is about 4-5 inches. (The Bra cup size is usually B)
2 Hourglass Body Shape
This is the kind of figure women aspire for, because of the unnaturally thin waist, and bigger than usual hip and bust. Bust round is slightly more than or equal to the hip round with a pronounced small waist.
In this body shape the waist round could be 13 inches or more smaller than the hip round resulting in a very curvy figure.
3 Triangle body shape
In this body shape (also called Pear) lower body is broader/heavier than the upper body. This is either because the Bust round is less than hip round (by 2 inches or more ) or because the figure has a narrow shoulder and wide hip.
The difference between Waist round and bust round is less than 4 inches. If the Hip is way more heavier than bust with a narrower waist the figure is called a Spoon.
Related post: Buying clothes for a Triangle shaped body – some points.
4 Inverted Triangle body shape
This body shape has upper body bigger than the lower body. This is either because Bust round is more than the hip round (Bra cup sizes C, D, DD) or because the figure has wide/broad shoulder with a narrow hip.
Typically Waist round is more than 5 inches lesser than bust round
Related post: Dressing tips for an Inverted Triangle shaped body.
5 Rectangle body shape
Also called a Banana shape or the straight shape.
In this body figure, bust and hip are almost the same measurement and difference between hip round and the waist round measurement is not much ( less than 9 inches ) resulting in a straight columnar figure without much curves. If you have this figure you may have an athletic figure.
Learn more about this body shape and the dressing styles that suit a rectangle body shape here
6 Diamond Body shape
This body shape has a thicker waist circumference than the bust round or hip round.The stomach area may appear protruding. Some may call it an Apple when the upper body is slightly bigger than the hip.
Learn about many tricks you can use to hide a big stomach here.
7 Oval body shape
Also called a round body shape.This is a body shape with a thick waist (waist is not defined) accompanied by a thicker upper body and/or lower body. Legs and arms may or may not be slender when compared to the rest of the body.
Related post :Â Best outfits for a round body shape
Other Related posts :
Think yourself beautiful whatever body shape you are. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the mind of the person looking at the mirror. Love yourself. This article will tell you to love yourself as you are.
13 different body types (David Kibbe method);Â 6 types of Hips sizes ; How to dress for your body shape; Different types of Face shapes &Â How to take body measurements for sewing.
Interesting reading : What is the ideal female shape?.
Hey wha happened
Thank you very informative, appreciated.
I agree with you that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So perhaps it may be more fitting to refer to a “classic” body shape rather than an “ideal.” What is “ideal” is a matter of taste and preference. If we are to love ourselves as we are, what does it say when we don’t meet an “ideal?”
I have the same thought. Even though I myself am between the ‘ideal’ body shape and ‘rectangle’ I would rather call it something else. To keep the names of each figure consistent, what shape could the ‘ideal’ or ‘classic’ be classified as?
Love this
Excellent explanation of humanbody.
Thank you so much for this post. I have never been sure about my shape from other guides but you gave me the specifics I needed to distinguish the difference.