Body Shape Calculator

The traditional method of determining our body type is to simply look in the mirror. While that may be convenient, our judgement is not always impeccable. It is difficult to determine our true body shape accurately with just visual input and guesswork. Fortunately, you can now use our body type calculator to get precise results based on quantitative inputs and measurements.

What’s My Body Shape?

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Many people like the idea of tracking their body shapes as they can act as valuable health and fitness metrics. Many studies and pieces of research indicate that accurate assessment of body proportions and shapes can play a huge role in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of problems related to overweightness, obesity, and even eating disorders ^[1].

Beyond that, scientists have found a stark correlation between an individual’s understanding of their body and their overall health ^[2]. Based on these two findings alone, it’s clearly very important for health-conscious individuals to determine their body shape by measurements instead of guesswork. 

Note:

It’s important that you only use a body shape calculator to be more knowledgeable about your body so that you can devise workout and meal plans accordingly. The result should not be treated as a diagnosis on your own, as doing so can lead to negative body image issues and associated well-being concerns ^[3].

While tracking your shape, size, and proportions, it’s important to remember the necessity of maintaining body positivity. Such an attitude is crucial for your overall health and fitness development.

The goal should be to use the information and knowledge to lead and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

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How to Find Your Body Shape

Determining your body shape involves identifying the proportions and distribution of your body’s curves (bust, waist, and hips).

• Take measurements of your bust, waist, and hips with a soft measuring tape.
• Identify the ratio between your bust, waist, and hips, focusing on proportions rather than specific measurements.
• Consider your shoulder and hip width in relation to each other.
• Stand in front of a mirror and observe your overall body shape, noting natural curves.
• Consider observing your body in motion to gain additional insights into your natural shape.

You can easily find your true body shape by inputting your body measurements in our calculator. Following that, the tool will calculate your body shape for you.

Finding your personal body type is important as well. Doing so will tell you a lot about your genetic makeup, body proportions, and overall fat distribution ^[4].

To use your calculator, you need to input the following measurements:

• Bust Size
• Waist Size
• High Hip Size
• Hip Size

Based on your measurements, the calculator will determine your body shape.

How to Take Measurements

For the results to be accurate, you must be precise while taking your measurements. Any error in doing so will lead to incorrect and flawed outputs. Studies indicate that most self-measured outcomes are not reliable as they contain significant margins of error ^[5].

To help you with that, we have compiled a list of steps that you need to take to measure yourself correctly. Make sure that you keep recording in your preferred units after each step for maximum accuracy.

• Bust: Move your hand through your bust to locate the fullest point. After pinpointing that region, take the measurement of the fullest region with a soft tape. Proceed with caution, as you don’t want the tape to be too tight around the bust, as that can lead to skewed results.
• Waist: For this region, locate the narrowest part of the waist and take the measurement. In most cases, this section will be located just above the navel. The measuring tape should be tight around the waist, but it shouldn’t be digging into the skin. Make sure that you don’t hold your breath or pull in your stomach, either.
• Hips: For hips again, the measurement should be taken of the widest point. This region will be located just below the waist. Make sure that you take the measurement only after removing the clothing and while keeping your feet together.
• High Hip: The high hip is also a measurement of your hip, just of a different region. The high hip is located at the top of the hip bone, which is away from its widest point. For this, you need to measure the circumference of the upper curve of the hip region. You will be able to find it around the pelvis, normally located around 15-20 centimeters below the waist.

You can take the readings by using any unit of measurement as per your choosing. Our body measurement calculator can input values in centimeters as well as inches.

Also, make sure that you keep the measuring tape parallel to the ground while taking measurements. This ensures that you get the most accurate readings by not adding extra inches accidentally.

Female Body Shapes

The enigma of body shapes is particularly important to the female population. According to research, tracking body measurements is essential for the average woman because of the many variations in body shapes and the associated implications ^[6].

The metric becomes even more important when you consider factors like pregnancy and menopause, which can cause significant changes in a woman’s natural body shape and type during the long run ^[7].

There are 8 most common female body shapes that indicate different implications for an individual’s health and fitness. Let’s talk about them.

1. Hourglass

The ‘hourglass figure’ is considered to be the ideal body shape for women. It resembles the exact shape of the hourglass, which is fuller on the bust and bottom and thinner on the waist.

In this body type, fat mass is not concentrated in one area of the body. The waistline, in particular, should be slim and mostly fat-free.

Although this figure is considered to be conventionally attractive, it does not necessarily mean it is the healthiest or the fittest one. Based on where the excess fat tissues are located, health risks can still be a cause for concern.

Training Tips:

• Focus on full-body strength training to maintain your curves.
• Focus on compound movements like squats and deadlifts.
• Include cardio for overall fitness and controlling body fat.

Style Tips:

• Accentuate your curves with high-waisted pants, wrap dresses, and belted tops.
• Wear V-necklines to emphasize your curves.
• Avoid wearing shapeless outfits that can lead to mismatched looks.
• Include bold designs, patterns, stripes, and colors for a quirky, beautiful look.

2. Top Hourglass

The top hourglass is similar to the first one but is slightly different at the top. Here, the width of the bust is slightly larger than the hips.

Moreover, the waist is even smaller or slimmer and generally more defined. In most cases, there is some curve on the hips as well.

Training Tips:

• Make sure that you focus on squats and other glute-related exercises to get a proportionate look.
• Focus on core exercises and training to maintain a slim waistline.
• Focus on strength and cardio training balance for overall wellness.

Style Tips:

• Emphasize the slim waistline by including outfits with belts.
• Wrap-around dresses will complement the overall shape of the body.
• Curve-hugging tops and bottoms like skirts and tailored dresses will go well with the body type.
• Again, make sure that you steer clear of shapeless apparel items.

3. Bottom Hourglass

Conversely, people with a bottom hourglass body shape tend to have smaller busts and wider hips.

The shoulders and waistline are usually proportionate to each other, giving a sleek upper-body appearance. The lower body, however, is slightly thicker, with full, rounded thighs and hips.

Training Tips:

• Make sure that you focus on workouts that target the lats, lateral shoulder, upper back and chest regions to achieve a more “full” hourglass figure.
• Work on your core and waist definition by including ab workouts and exercises.
• Balanced upper-body work is required to maintain the bust and waistline.

Style Tips:

• Go for structured tops with details around the bust and shoulders for a complementary look.
• Flared skirts can help accentuate your hips and thighs.
• Flare or bootcut jeans will not only accentuate your curves but also cover any mismatched proportions.

4. Rectangle or Banana or Straight

Women with rectangular body shapes tend to have similar bust, waist, and hip sizes. In most cases, such a body type is associated with female athletes who have well-rounded, straight shoulders, slightly flatter butts, and a small bust.

Training Tips:

• Include more strength training in the routine to add definition to shoulders and hips.
• Go for exercises that target the abs to get a toned and flat stomach.
• Make sure that you include cardio training as well for overall health.

Style Tips:

• Go for outfits with cinching or ruching in the waistline to create an illusion of a defined waist.
• Go for structured or layered clothes to add depth and dimension.
• Wear skirts and pants with details like ruffles or pleats to balance the proportions between the upper and lower body.

5. Inverted Triangle

The inverted triangle body shape looks exactly like the shape described in the name. Here, the body proportions are such that the shoulders and bust sizes are comparatively larger compared to the waist and the hips.

The upper body, therefore, is larger in size compared to the lower body. Mostly, people with inverted triangle body shapes have narrow waists and hips.

Training Tips:

• Focus more on lower body exercises to balance the proportions.
• Perform more exercises that target the hips and thighs.
• Avoid excessive upper-body workouts.

Style Tips:

• Wear clothes that add volume, like pants and pleat dresses, to accentuate lower body details while minimizing upper body.
• Opt for V-neck tops to take the focus away from the wide shoulders and busts.
• Wear belted bottoms or dresses that cinch at the waist.
• Go for bottoms with bold prints and bright colors to take the focus away from the proportion difference between the upper and lower body.

6. Triangle or Pear

The triangle or pear body shape is completely opposite of the inverted triangle category. Here, the shoulders and the busts are comparatively narrower. In contrast, the hips and thighs are wider and thicker.

In most cases, people with this body type have well-defined waists and rounded butts.

Training Tips:

• Work on upper-body strength to balance proportions.
• Don’t entirely ignore lower body exercises, as you need to maintain toned and defined muscles in that region.
• Include cardio exercises to keep your fat mass in control.

Style Tips:

• Go for wide and detailed tops to balance the relatively narrow shoulders and busts.
• Opt for clothes with wide necklines or off-the-shoulder designs for a complementary look.
• Tops should be of light colors, while bottoms should be of dark colors.
• Include statement accessories like necklaces, scarves, and earrings to take the focus away from upper body proportions.

7. Spoon

The spoon body shape is characterized by narrow shoulders and busts, a thin and well-defined waistline, and wider hips.

It resembles the shape of a spoon, which is narrow on the top and tapers wide as we move to the bottom. People with this body type tend to have thick thighs and wide, well-rounded butts.

Training Tips:

• Build upper-body strength to balance out proportions.
• Focus on core exercises to keep the waistline well-defined.
• Combine strength training with cardiovascular exercises to maintain overall health and fitness.

Style Tips:

• Go for bottoms like flared jeans and pants that accentuate lower body curves.
• Make use of blazers and jackets to create structured/layered outfits.
• Go for belted dresses or outfits that stick to the waist.
• Opt for tops with wide necklines.

8. Apple or Round

Finally, the apple body shape is characterized by wide shoulders, large busts, and even wider hips. It is similar to the inverted triangle body shape, but the waistline is larger than the shoulders.

In most cases, people with this kind of body shape tend to carry some extra weight or fat mass around the midsection.

Training Tips:

• Include a lot of cardio exercises to burn more calories and fat mass.
• Focus equally on strength training for building lean muscle mass and boosting metabolism.
• Incorporate core exercises to get a slimmer and more defined waistline.

Style Tips:

• Opt for tailored pants or above-the-knee skirts that lengthen your body appearance and take the focus away from the round midsection.
• Dresses with A-Line Silhouette tend to complement apple body shapes well.
• Steer clear from high-waisted pants, jeans, and skirts.
• Use layers by wearing jackets or coats to take the attention away from the waistline.
• Get a well-fitted bra to support your bust.

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Body Shape Formula

Our calculator uses a well-defined formula that calculates body type by measurements in inches or centimeters.

The formulae used are as follows:

• Body Shape is Hourglass IF: (Bust – Hips) ≤ 1-Inch AND (Hips – Bust) < 3.6-Inches AND (Bust – Waist) ≥ 9-Inches OR (Hips – Waist) ≥ 10-Inches
• Body Shape is Top Hourglass IF: (Bust – Hips) > 1-Inch AND (Bust – Hips) < 10-Inches AND (Bust – Waist) ≥ 9-Inches
• Body Shape is Bottom Hourglass IF: (Hips – Bust) ≥ 3.6-Inches AND (Hips – Bust) < 10-Inches AND (Hips – Waist) ≥ 9-Inches AND (High High/Waist) < 1.193
• Body Shape is Rectangle IF: (Hips – Bust) < 3.6-Inches AND (Bust – Hips) < 3.6-Inches AND (Bust – Waist) < 9-Inches AND (Hips – Waist) < 10-Inches
• Body Shape is Inverted Triangle IF: (Bust – Hips) ≥ 3.6-Inches AND (Bust – Waist) < 9-Inches
• Body Shape is Triangle IF: (Hips – Bust) ≥ 3.6-Inches AND (Hips – Waist) < 9-Inches
• Body Shape is Spoon IF: (Hips – Bust) > 2-Inches AND (Hips – Waist) ≥ 7-Inches AND (High Hip/Waist) ≥ 1.193
• Body Shape is Apple or Round IF: (Waist/Hip) > 1 or (Waist – Bust) > 5% of Bust Size AND (Bust – Hip) ≤ 5% of Bust or 5% of Waist

Which Female Body Shape is the Most Common?

According to sample research, the most common body shape among women is the rectangle, with over 46% of women having a waist around 9 inches smaller than the hips or the bust.

The second most common body shape is the triangle (pear), which is characterized by busts that are narrower compared to the hip and the waist. According to the estimate, around 20% of women have this body shape, with hips that are around 2 inches larger than the busts.

Other most common body shapes among females include the inverted triangle, with around 14% of women having this shape ^[8]. 

What is the Rarest Female Body Type?

The hourglass figure, also deemed the ideal body type, is the rarest among females. According to research, only around 8% of the female population now exhibit hourglass figures identical to the ones boasted by 1950s film superstars like Sophia Loren ^[8].

The hourglass figure is characterized by a large bust, a slim (well-defined) waistline, and wider hips.

Many women tend to devise workout plans designed especially for achieving the hourglass figure.

What is the Ideal Body Shape for a Woman?

Generally, the hourglass figure is considered to be the ideal body shape for a woman. It is seen as “conventionally attractive” and is also associated with low-fat mass in the belly region.

However, the ideal body shape can vary from one woman to another. For example, athletes would perform better with a rectangular body shape as they need to be well-proportioned for performing certain physical activities and having balanced upper-body/lower-body strength.

Can You Change Your Body Shape?

Yes, it is possible to change your body shape. However, it becomes very difficult after hitting puberty. That’s because your bone structure and body proportions are already defined by this stage.

However, proper exercise and diet routines can be followed to either gain or lose fat in various areas to change the size of your buttocks, thighs, and hips. Moreover, it’s common to see shifts in body shapes and types in menopausal or pregnant women.

What Does 36 24 36 Figure Mean?

The 36-24-36 figure refers to the Hourglass Body Shape. These numbers are measurements taken in inches. The first one measures the bust, the second one is for the waist, and the third one is for the hips.

As you can see, the bust and the hips are larger than the waist, which indicates that it is an hourglass figure.

What is a Size Zero Figure?

A size zero is a body shape that fits the measurement of 30-22-32 inches (measuring bust, waist, and hips respectively).

While many women tend to be attracted toward the idea of having a zero figure, most of these cases are associated with anorexia and being underweight, which require a doctor’s intervention.

What is the Healthiest Waist Size for a Woman?

Generally, the ideal waist size for a woman should depend on their height. However, many health organizations state that having a waist size greater than 35 inches or 88 centimeters indicates a risk of obesity.

Does Your Body Shape Change When You Lose Weight?

Yes, your body shape will tend to change naturally if you lose weight in a drastic manner. Women store most of their weight in their buttocks, thighs, and hips due to the presence of estrogen. So when they lose weight, these areas become slimmer.

This ultimately leads to a change in body proportions and body shapes.

Does Your Body Shape Change When You Gain Weight?

Yes, as women gain weight, they tend to get larger hips, thicker thighs, and fuller buttocks. As such, the body proportions might change, leading to an overall change in their body shape.

Does Your Body Shape Change As You Age?

Yes, many studies indicate that women’s body shapes change as they age. The first change occurs at puberty, with a change in hormone levels and body structure. After that, stages like pregnancy and menopause can cause a great shift in their body proportions.

These changes lead to shifts in body types and shapes.

Winding Up

Understanding and tracking your body shape can be a valuable tool for personalized fitness and fashion choices. Utilizing accurate measurements through a reliable body shape calculator allows individuals to tailor workout and meal plans.

However, it’s crucial to maintain a positive body image and use this information to promote a healthy lifestyle. Remember, everyone’s body is unique, and the ultimate goal is to embrace individuality and well-being.

References

1. Maalin, N., Mohamed, S., Kramer, R. S. S., Cornelissen, P. L., Martín, D., & Tovée, M. J. (2020). Beyond BMI for self-estimates of body size and shape: A new method for developing stimuli correctly calibrated for body composition. Behavior Research Methods, 53(3), 1308–1321. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-020-01494-1
2. Brierley, M., Brooks, K. R., Mond, J., Stevenson, R. J., & Stephen, I. D. (2016). The body and the beautiful: Health, attractiveness and body composition in men’s and women’s bodies. PLOS ONE, 11(6), e0156722. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0156722
3. Rodgers, R. F., Laveway, K., Campos, P., & De Carvalho, P. H. (2023). Body image as a global mental health concern. Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health, 10. https://doi.org/10.1017/gmh.2023.2
4. Livshits, G., Roset, A., Yakovenko, K., Trofimov, S., & Kobyliansky, E. (2002). Genetics of human body size and shape: body proportions and indices. Annals of Human Biology, 29(3), 271–289. https://doi.org/10.1080/03014460110085322
5. Barrios, P., Martin‐Biggers, J., Quick, V., & Byrd‐Bredbenner, C. (2016). Reliability and criterion validity of self-measured waist, hip, and neck circumferences. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-016-0150-2
6. Winkler, T., Justice, A. E., Graff, M., Barata, L., Feitosa, M. F., Chu, S. H., Czajkowski, J., Esko, T., Fall, T., Kilpeläinen, T. O., Lu, Y., Mägi, R., Mihailov, E., Pers, T. H., Rüeger, S., Teumer, A., Ehret, G., Ferreira, T., Heard‐Costa, N. L., . . . Loos, R. J. F. (2015). The Influence of Age and Sex on Genetic Associations with Adult Body Size and Shape: A Large-Scale Genome-Wide Interaction Study. PLOS Genetics, 11(10), e1005378. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1005378
7. Fenton, A. (2021). Weight, shape, and body composition changes at menopause. Journal of Mid-life Health, 12(3), 187. https://doi.org/10.4103/jmh.jmh_123_21
8. Monge, & Maria, C. (n.d.). Body Shape Perception and Apparel Fit Satisfaction among Young Women. (Under the direction of Dr. Katherine Annett-Hitchcock). North Carolina Library Repository.