Body Shape Calculator (What is your body type?) (2024)

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1. What does the body shape calculator do?
2. How to measure bust, waist and hip circumference
3. The four most common female body types

What does the body shape calculator do?

Given measurements for your bust, waist, and hip circumferences it will tell you what kind of body type you have, among the four main ones: hourglass, pear, rectangle, and inverted triangle. Instead of looking at yourself in the mirror, or trying to superimpose photos of yours with fruit and geometrical shapes and wondering are you an hourglass, are you a pear, etc. you can take those three measures and use our body shape calculator to learn your estimated body type.

Knowing your body shape can help you when out shopping for clothes and trying to determine if a given fashion trend is suitable for your figure. There are certain types of clothes that mitigate or bring out your shape, depending on your goal. The basic body shapes should not be treated as standards or goals to achieve through dieting, rather they are best used as a summary metric in guiding style choices.

How to measure bust, waist and hip circumference

Our calculator needs three of your measurements: bust, waist, and hips, to determine your basic body type and they are taken the same as the ones used for our other health calculators. Here is how to take the measurements, using a soft measurement tape:

• Bust: measure at the fullest part of your breast, making sure the tape is not too tight by breathing in and out (you should be able to do so freely).
• Waist: measure at the narrowest point, without pulling in your stomach.
• Hips: measure your hips at the widest point below your waist, while keeping your feet together for an accurate measurement.

You can use both centimeters and inches to record the measurement, since our body type calculator supports both with a flip of a switch. Accuracy to the nearest half inch or within 1 cm should be sufficient.

It is recommended that you wear minimal clothing during the measurement, but at the same time it is good to have your measurements taken by an assistant, since if you are taking them yourself you will not be relaxed, you may be twisting a little, which might skew the results.

The four most common female body types

There are several different ways to name the 4 most common body shapes - some prefer fruits, other geometrical forms. We prefer a mix, so do not be surprised if you see the same shape with a different name in another site or clothing store. Here are the four types described, as well as dressing styles or clothing choices recommended based on the shape.

The first type is the inverted triangle, in which the shoulders and bust are larger than your hips, with the shoulders being the widest. Recommended clothing to try if you are an inverted triangle body type: jackets with flared bottom and defined waist that are fitted at the top, as they create an illusion for larger hips to balance your broader shoulders.

Second is the rectangle body shape, in which shoulders and hips are about equal, with a waist which is almost as wide, so the waistline is not well defined. Clothing to consider: skirts that balance your upper body, like ones with ruffles, bows, pockets and other embellishments that visually increase volume in your lower body.

Third comes the pear (also called triangle) - a body type with characteristically wider hips than shoulders. Try dressing with pieces that are fitted at the top, but go wider at the bottom, like a fit-and-flare dress, to showcase your narrow shoulders, and transition nicely to the wider hips.

Finally, the body type calculator might output that you have an hourglass figure. The hourglass is famous for being almost universally preferred by men according to multiple studies on the link between waist-to-hip ratio and attractiveness ^{[1][2][3][4][5]}. When choosing your clothing as an hourglass body type aim to define the waist and lengthen the legs, but basically dress in clothes that follow the curves of the body instead of hiding them. Avoid pieces without a defined waistline.