Discover Your Body Shape

measuring-tapeWondering how to determine your body shape?

Throw your perceptions out the nearest window and pull out your trusty body shape discovery tool: a flexible measuring tape. It's your friend. Honest.

You'll be looking at how your body parts relate to each other -- not your overall size. So no cheating and trying to pull the tape too tight. ;-) We want accurate results.

You'll also need a pen and a piece of paper.

How Does Your Body Shape Measure Up?

Here are the key measurements you need to determine your body shape...

Discover Your Body Shape: Shoulders

You may want to grab a friend to help you with this one. Hold the tape at the tip of one shoulder and wrap it around you until it meets the first shoulder. Make sure it's as high on the shoulder as it can be without slipping off to ensure you measure at the widest part.

Write down your shoulder measurement.

Discover Your Body Shape: Bust

Stand tall and wrap the tape around the fullest part of your bust, so that it's taut, not tight. If the shape of your breasts starts to morph, you're pulling too tightly.

Write down your bust measurement.

Discover Your Body Shape: Waist

Wrap the measuring tape around your torso at your "natural" waist. I always had trouble with this one since I don't really have a visible natural waist. If that's you, don't worry... it should be just above your belly button.

Make sure the tape is evenly placed all around. Pulling the tape tautly will help avoid buckling and give you more accurate results.

Write down your waist measurement.

Discover Your Body Shape: Hips

Wrap the measuring tape around your hips at the fullest part, just below your hip bone. Make sure it lies flat all around your body.

Write down your hip measurement.

That's it! Now that you've got your list of vital body type stats,, it's time to see how they relate to each other. Find YOUR body shape now.


 

Quick Tip

Who Me, Measure?

You may already have an idea of what your body shape is. But I advise you to double check using the tips on this page.

Perception can be tricky.

For the longest time, I was convinced I had an inverted triangle or apple body shape.

Because I carry the bulk of my weight around my midriff and have reasonably large breasts, I assumed I was top-heavy... and therefore an apple. Turns out I was wrong.

Yep. After measuring these key areas, I discovered I actually have a rectangle body shape, because my shoulders, hips, bust, and waist are roughly the same width.

Totally different style rules for the two body shapes!

On the hit BBC television show "How to Look Good Naked," contestants are asked to rate the size of their trouble areas compared to those of a line of women in various sizes to see where they fit in on the scale.

Without fail, contestants rate themselves two or more sizes too large!

So always get the hard numbers to determine your REAL body shape.