BodyTypes
Shapes, Sizes,and What to Wear to Look Great
Women’s bodies come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and most can be put into one of five categories. Some pattern companies list which body shapes each pattern is best-suited to. In fashion, the key to looking your best is to identify your body shape and learn which styles best flatter that shape.
The five basic body shapes are: the Hourglass, the Triangle, the Inverted Triangle, the Slim Rectangle, and the Wide Rectangle.
Hourglass
- You’d describe your body as curvy
- You have a well-defined waist
- Your bust and hip measurements are roughly even
- You may have fuller bust, hips, and thighs
Pear
- Your waist is wider than your bust
- You consider yourself to have fuller hips
- You have narrower shoulders in comparison to your hips
- You have a fuller rear
Athletic or Rectangle
- You’re not particularly curvy
- Your shoulders and hip measurements are nearly the same
- Your waist isn’t very small or well-defined, but rather straight up and down
- Your weight is fairly evenly distributed throughout your body
Diamond or Inverted Triangle or Apple
- You are generally well-proportioned
- Your shoulders are broader than your hips
- You are not necessarily as curvy through your hips
- You don’t have a well-defined waistline (If you do, you’re likely an hourglass!)