Body Shapes
Unlock Your Style Potential: Start By Understanding Your Unique Body Shapes
Every day we dress ourselves, so let's embrace this process and turn it into a positive experience. Every body is beautiful and unique. Selecting the right clothes is about celebrating your natural shape rather than striving for unattainable standards.
Have you ever squeezed into ill-fitting trousers, hoping they would fit if you lost a kilo or two? This often doesn't happen—at least not for me. In hindsight, those trousers were never a good fit.
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By understanding your unique body shape and learning which styles flatter and enhance it, you can avoid uncomfortable, ill-fitting clothes and style mistakes, and you'll feel much better in your attire. Well-fitted clothes not only enhance your appearance but also boost your self-esteem.
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Therefore, understanding your unique body shape is the first step to choosing perfectly fitting clothes.
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The Five Primary Body Types
For simplicity, we'll focus on the five main body types: rectangle, round, inverted triangle, triangle, and hourglass. When comparing your body shape to these types, remember that each body is unique.​​
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Rectangle:
Straight silhouette with little waist definition.
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Round:
Fuller midsection with less definition at the waist.
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Inverted Triangle:
Broader shoulders with narrower hips.
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Triangle:
Wider hips with a smaller bust.
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Hourglass:
Defined waist and balanced proportions.
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This classification of the five body types serves as a model, a simplified version of reality. It's the most commonly used model, and many body shape calculators are based on these five types. The model aims to help you understand your body's characteristics and make it easier to determine why certain clothing items suit you well or why they might not be flattering.
Rectangle Round Inverted Triangle Triangle Hourglass
How To Measure your Body
To determine your body type, you can either measure your body or use a body shape calculator. Many smartphone apps offer built-in body shape calculators. If you're searching for a calculator, consider one with a camera, such as Style DNA, Lumi, Mod AI Stylist, or Smart Fashion. More complex calculators generally provide greater accuracy.
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If you truly want to understand your body shape, I recommend measuring your body at least once. It's quick to do, and all you need is a measuring tape and the help of a friend.
Measure these four areas of your body to determine your body type. Wrap the measuring tape around each area until it meets again, then read and record the measurement on a piece of paper.
1. Shoulders:
Stand upright with your arms relaxed. Have a friend position the measuring tape at the top of one shoulder and wrap it horizontally around you until it meets the starting point. The measuring tape should fit snugly around the top of your shoulders, almost slipping off. This measures the widest part of your shoulders.
2. Bust:
Stand naturally and wrap the measuring tape around the fullest part of your bust, typically at the midpoint. Pull the tape as snugly as possible without altering the shape of your bust. If the bust is compressed, the tape is too tight.
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3. Waist:
Wrap the measuring tape around the narrowest part of your waist, usually just above the navel. Keep your stomach in a relaxed state, without pulling it in or pushing it out.
4. Hips:
Place the measuring tape around the fullest part of your hips, including the buttocks, typically just below the hip bones. If you have more muscular legs, it might be slightly lower.
Rectangle, also called Column Figure or H-Type
If this is your body type your shoulders, bust, and hips are approximately the same size, without a defined waistline. This is the iconic 90s supermodel physique.
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Your shoulder and hip measurements are within 5 percent of one another.
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Your waist is less than 25 percent smaller than your shoulder or bust measurements.
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For instance, if your shoulders measure 90 cm, your hips will be between 85 and 95 cm, and your waist will be 69 cm or more.
Slim and very straight physique. Characterized by slender limbs, narrow hips, an unpronounced waist, and relatively narrow shoulders.
Round, also called Apple Figure or O-Type
If this is your body type, you will have a broader waist, shoulders, and chest. Additionally, you possess elegantly slender legs and arms, as well as narrow hips and a small bottom.
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Your waist measurement is larger than your bust and hip measurements.
A figure with a fuller midsection and less waist definition, characterised by a wider waist, broader shoulders, and chest.
Inverted Triangle, also called V-Type
A figure with broader shoulders and narrower hips is characterised by prominent shoulders that are wider than the hips and a long torso with elegant slender legs.
If this is your body type, your shoulders or bust are wider than your hips, commonly known as an athletic build. You have a longer torso and graceful, slender legs.
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Your shoulder or bust measurements exceed your hip measurement by more than 5 percent.
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For instance, if your shoulders measure 90 cm, your hips will be 86 cm or less.
Triangle, also called Pear Figure or A-Type
A figure with wider hips and a smaller bust is very common in Europe, characterized by wide hips, a defined waist, and a beautifully slim, shorter upper torso. The upper arms are slightly stronger.
If this is your body type, your hips are broader than your shoulders. Your waist is well-defined, and you possess a lovely, slender, and shorter upper torso.
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Your hip measurement is more than 5 percent larger than your shoulder or bust measurements.
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For instance, if your shoulders measure 90 cm, your hips are 94 cm or more.
Hourglass, also called X-Type
Figure with a defined waist and balanced proportions. It can be on a thinner body and also on a bigger size. Characterised through a pronounced waist. Hips and shoulders do have the same with. Upper arms and thighs are a little rounder.
If this is your body type, your shoulders and hips are around the same size, with a very defined waistline.
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Your shoulder and hip measurements are within 5 percent of each other.
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Your waist is at least 25 percent smaller than your shoulder, hip and bust measurements.
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For example, if your shoulders and hips measure 90 cm, your waist is 68 cm or smaller.
Conclusion
Understanding your body type empowers you to make informed fashion choices that celebrate your unique figure. By recognizing the characteristics of each body shape (hourglass, round, inverted triangle, rectangle, and triangle) you can select clothing that enhances your natural beauty.
Keep an eye out for upcoming blog posts, where we will explore each body type in detail and discuss the perfect clothing to enhance and celebrate your natural shape.