What body shape am I? Two numbers answer it: your bust divided by your hips, and your waist divided by your hips. Add one look in the mirror at your shoulders, and you can place yourself among the five shapes in the table below. Most people sit close to one shape and near a second, which is normal and useful.
If you have a tape measure handy, the Body Shape Calculator does the division and ranks all five shapes in one step.
The five body shapes in one table
| Shape | Letter | Bust ÷ hips | Waist ÷ hips | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourglass | X | 1.00 | 0.70 | Bust and hips close in size, waist clearly defined |
| Pear (triangle) | A | 0.88 | 0.74 | Hips wider than bust, defined waist |
| Rectangle | H | 1.00 | 0.82 | Bust and hips balanced, waist gently defined |
| Inverted triangle | V | 1.12 | 0.80 | Bust and shoulders wider than hips |
| Apple (round) | O | 1.02 | 0.95 | Waist close to or wider than hips |
The ratios are the calculator’s reference values: the point where each shape is most typical. They are not cut-offs. Your measurements score against every row by distance, so a bust-to-hip ratio of 0.94 is partly hourglass and partly pear rather than one or the other.
Three patterns are worth seeing in the table:
- Rectangle and hourglass share a bust-to-hip ratio. Only the waist separates them.
- Pear and inverted triangle are mirror images. The first column decides them, and the shoulder check moves the result between them.
- Apple is the only shape defined by a waist near the hips. Its bust can be anything.
None of the five is a better shape, and none is a size. These are fitting categories, the same kind apparel researchers use to grade patterns, and they describe how clothes will hang on you.
How to find yours
There are three ways to check, and they are not equally reliable.
The tape. Bust, natural waist and hips, tape level and snug, waist measured at the end of a normal breath out. The measuring guide has the full protocol. This is the most reliable method because it gives numbers rather than impressions. Its limit: a tape around the bust measures the chest, not the width of the bones above it.
The mirror. Close-fitting clothes, feet together, arms slightly away from your body. Compare the outer edge of your shoulders with the outer edge of your hips. This is the one thing the tape cannot tell you, and the calculator asks for it. Its limit: mirrors exaggerate whatever you already worry about, so use the mirror for shoulders only.
A photo. Have someone photograph you straight on, from a few meters away, with the camera at waist height. Up close, a phone lens makes the middle of the frame look wider. A photo is useful for the shoulder check and for seeing proportion without the mirror’s bias; it cannot replace the tape.
Use the tape for bust, waist and hips, and the mirror only for shoulders.
Reading your result
Divide, then find the row your numbers sit nearest to. A worked example: bust 94 cm, waist 76 cm, hips 92 cm gives 1.02 and 0.83, close to the rectangle row on both counts; the calculator scores it 95% rectangle.
If your numbers fall between two rows, look at which column separates them:
- Between hourglass and pear, the bust-to-hip ratio decides. The hourglass vs pear guide works through it.
- Between hourglass and rectangle, the waist decides; around 0.76 you are halfway.
- Between rectangle and apple, the waist decides again. See apple vs rectangle.
- Between rectangle and inverted triangle, your shoulders decide. See inverted triangle vs rectangle vs hourglass.
The calculator shows a percentage for every shape and adds a note when the top two are within ten points. In that case, read the advice for both. The waist-to-hip ratio guide explains how the scoring works if you want the details.
Why other charts show more shapes
You will find charts with seven, nine or more shapes. They are not wrong; they split the same space more finely. The FFIT system, developed for apparel sizing from body scans, uses nine: hourglass, top hourglass, bottom hourglass, rectangle, triangle, inverted triangle, oval, diamond and spoon. Several of these are in-between cases of the five here. A bottom hourglass sits between hourglass and pear, for example.
Kibbe body types are a different system entirely. They mix bone structure, flesh and facial features into style identities, so two people with the same body shape can land in different Kibbe types. The body shape vs Kibbe guide lays the systems side by side.
Your shape also covers only width. Whether your torso or your legs are longer is a separate question, answered in long torso or long legs.
Where to go next
Open the guide for your top-ranked shape from the table, then the one for your second place. Each covers dresses, tops, trousers, jackets and swimwear, and links to the detailed guides for jeans, swimsuits and wedding guest dresses. If you would rather question the whole idea first, start with the honest guide to dressing for your body type.