What Body Shape Am I?

The 5 Most Common Body Types

“What body shape am I?” Below I’m sharing the five main body types and how to know what your body shape is. Knowing your body shape can help you make better decisions when looking to add things to your wardrobe. Learning what your body shape is can be useful with your personal style and knowing what works for you.

With regards to body shapes, it doesn’t matter what size you are. You can be a size 0, 10, or 16. Your body type is determined by the proportions of your shoulders or bust to your waist to your hips. Every body type has different sizes within that shape.

Your body shape can also fluctuate slightly as you go through different phases of your life. In your 20s your body shape may be different from your body shape in your 30s, 40s, 50s, or beyond. It doesn’t matter what your body shape is but knowing how to dress for your body type and feeling great is an important key to your confidence and style.

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Twenty percent of women have a pear or triangle shape. The pear shape is typically larger on the bottom and smaller on the top while having narrow shoulders. Hips are the largest part of the body for someone that is a pear shape. This doesn’t mean that every pear shape has a smaller bust but the proportions are what’s important here. So if your bust in proportion is smaller than your hips then you may very well be a pear shape.

Another easy way to determine whether you are a pear shape is that your tops tend to be a smaller size than your bottoms. When a pear shape gains weight, they tend to gain weight from the waist down. If they end up gaining weight after childbirth or menopause, they tend to gain weight in their middle and then they might start to move towards more of an apple shape. But, what you want to think about is if your proportions are still smaller on top in relation to your hips then you’re still probably a pear shape.

Some famous pear-shaped celebrities include Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce, Katie Holmes, Michelle Obama, Jennifer Aniston, and Kristen Davis.

2. Inverted Triangle Or Carrot.

how to know what your body shape is — Amal Clooney, Jennifer Garner, Naomi Campbell

The inverted triangle shape has wider shoulders with a defined waist and narrow hips. This body shape tends to be more toned and more muscular. They’re able to build muscle easier than most of the other body types. It also tends to be a more athletic body shape in general. Again it’s not about your size. An inverted triangle can be a size 0, 10, or 20. It’s about the proportions of the body.

The inverted triangle’s legs and arms tend to be toned, long, and slender. Typically they have a small flatter bottom and a smaller bust. However, some inverted triangles do have a bigger bust but again it’s about proportions. So even if they have a bigger bust, think about it in proportion to hips and waist.

If this body type gains weight they usually gain it in their middle or in their upper body, not on the hip area. An inverted triangle type also tends to wear a bigger size on top and a smaller size on the bottom. It can be a struggle to find something that fits their chest and their bust but then also fits their waist. Tailoring is key here. Think about purchasing the size that fits your largest part. If your shoulders are your widest part go up a size so the item fits your shoulders even if it’s big in the waist and have your waist taken in.

Some famous inverted triangle body shapes include Amal Clooney, Angelina Jolie, Naomi Campbell, Jennifer Garner, and Charlize Theron.

3. Rectangle Or Straight.

body types, what body shape am I — Nicole Kidman, Kendall Jenner, Victoria Beckham

Out of a study of 6,000 women’s body types, 46% fell into the straight or rectangle-shaped body. The defining characteristics are the measurements of the shoulders, waist, and hips are very close together. The rectangle body type has more of a straight shape from the shoulders down to the hips. It’s not your size that determines if you are a rectangle. Instead, it’s the proportions of the body.

When a rectangle shape gains weight they tend to gain it proportionally. They’ll gain it in the bust area as well as in the waist and in the hips. This is different from a pear shape which gains it in the bottom and different from an inverted triangle shape which gains it in the upper body.

It’s said that this body type is the easiest to shop for off the rack. Part of that is because a rectangle shape wears the same size on top as they do on the bottom. In general, a straight shape does not have many curves. They usually have a smaller bust. However, there are some rectangle shapes that have a fuller bust and hips but their waist is almost the same width as their bust and hips.

Some famous celebrities that have a rectangle shape are Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Victoria Beckham, and Nicole Kidman.

4. Apple Or “O”.

stylist blog — Rebel Wilson, Drew Barrymore, Reese Witherspoon

The defining characteristic of someone with an apple shape is that their bust tends to be their largest measurement. While the bust is larger than the waist and hips, the waist and hip measurements are not that much smaller giving the appearance of an apple shape. An apple shape tends to have a shorter torso and their overall body is curvy and soft. Apple shapes usually have a flatter bottom and the bust can range from full to very full.

When an apple type gains weight they usually gain weight in their mid-section while their arms and legs stay slim. An apple shape wears a larger size on top and a smaller size on the bottom. When they’re buying items, they want to make sure it fits their largest part which is most likely the bust. They may need to purchase pieces that are a size or two bigger to fit the bust and then have the item tailored to fit the waist and hips.

One of the myths about an apple shape is that they are only large or plus-size women. There are also “slim apple shapes”. Again it’s not what size someone is but what shape the body is.

Celebrity apple shapes include Reese Witherspoon, Drew Barrymore, Kate Winslet, Mindy Kaling, Rebel Wilson, and Kate Upton.

5. Hourglass.

how to dress for your body type — Salma Hayek, Kim Kardashian, Christina Hendricks

A recent study shows only 8% of women fall into an hourglass body shape. The defining characteristic of the hourglass type is having a fuller bust and hip with a defined waist. The waist is narrow in proportion to the bust and hips giving the appearance of an hourglass shape. If you’re an hourglass your waist tends to be 25% smaller than your bust and hips. Traditionally, this is the more curvy type.

An hourglass shape has soft, slender arms and legs. If an hourglass gains weight, they first gain it in the bust and then in the hip area. Hourglass shapes tend to wear the same size on top as they do on the bottom.

Some famous hourglass shapes are Salma Hayek, Scarlett Johansson, Christina Hendricks, Sophia Vergara, and Kim Kardashian.

You may not fit perfectly into one of these shapes, or you may have been one of these shapes more clearly a few years ago and now your body has moved towards a different shape. Consider what your body shape is now because knowing that will help you know how to dress for your body type so that you feel great in your clothes.