This body shape calculator names your natural proportions from three simple tape measurements, your bust, your waist and your hips, so you can dress the shape you actually have. Shape is about proportion rather than size, and the same shape can appear at any dress size. Once you know yours, shopping becomes calmer, because you can spot the cuts that follow your lines and skip the ones that fight them. This page sets out the exact rules the tool uses, a worked example, and then a dressing guide for each of the five shapes.

How the Body Shape Calculator Works

First, the tool compares your bust and hips, because the balance between them sets the basic frame. Next, it checks how much smaller your waist is than your bust and hips, since waist definition separates the curved shapes from the straighter ones. The rules then run in a fixed order, and the first rule that fits names your shape. An apple shape comes first in the order: your waist is at least 95 percent of your hips and at least 85 percent of your bust. Then comes hourglass: bust and hips within 5 percent of each other, with a waist at least 25 percent smaller than both. After that, pear means hips at least 5 percent larger than bust, while inverted triangle means bust at least 5 percent larger than hips. Finally, everything else is a rectangle, with bust and hips close and a waist less than 25 percent smaller.

Body Shape Calculator Example: Bust 96, Waist 70, Hips 98

Say a woman measures 96 cm at the bust, 70 cm at the waist and 98 cm at the hips. First, check the apple rule: her waist is 70 divided by 98, which is about 71 percent of her hips, so the apple rule does not fit. Next, check the hourglass rule: her bust and hips differ by 2 cm, which is about 2 percent, well inside the 5 percent limit. Then check her waist: it is 27.1 percent smaller than her bust and 28.6 percent smaller than her hips, so it clears the 25 percent mark against both. As a result, this body shape calculator names her shape hourglass, with balanced bust and hips and a clearly defined waist.

Dressing for Each Body Shape

Hourglass figures suit clothes that keep the waist visible, such as wrap dresses, belted coats and high waisted trousers. Pear figures shine when the eye travels upward, so brighter tops, boat necks and detailed sleeves work well over darker, straight bottoms. Apple figures suit long, clean lines, including V necks, empire lines, open layers and straight leg trousers that show the legs. Rectangle figures can create curves with belts, peplum tops, layers and A line skirts, or they can enjoy sleek, simple tailoring instead. Inverted triangle figures balance best with volume below the waist, such as A line skirts, wide leg trousers and prints on the bottom half. Above all, treat these ideas as starting points, because comfort and your own taste always outrank any rule.

How to Measure Yourself Properly

Stand straight with your feet together, and keep the tape level and snug without squeezing. Measure your bust around its fullest part, over a well fitting, unpadded bra. Measure your waist at its narrowest point, which usually sits just above the belly button, and breathe out normally before you read the tape. Then measure your hips around the fullest part of your hips and seat. If a reading lands close to a border between two shapes, do not worry, because real bodies often share tips from both shapes. Measure again on another day if you want a second check.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my body shape change with weight?

Your basic frame stays the same, although the named shape can shift if weight changes your proportions a lot. For example, weight gained mostly at the waist can move a rectangle closer to apple. Re-measure after any large change, and use the new result for shopping.

Is one body shape better than another?

No, because shape describes proportion, not health, worth or beauty. Every shape has cuts that flatter it and cuts that fight it. This body shape calculator simply helps you find the first group faster, so dressing feels easier.

Should I measure in centimetres or inches?

Either unit works, because the rules compare percentages and ratios rather than fixed sizes. Just use the same unit for all three measurements. Mixing units would break the ratios, so pick one and stay with it.

What if my result sits between two shapes?

That is common, and it is useful information rather than a problem. Read the dressing tips for both shapes, and try one idea from each. Your mirror and your comfort will quickly show which set of tips suits you better.

Can I use this during or after pregnancy?

You can, although pregnancy and the early months after birth change waist measurements quickly. For a steadier result, wait until your shape settles, and then measure again. In the meantime, soft, wrap style clothing adapts gently to a changing waist.

Related Tools

• BMI Calculator
• Waist to Hip Ratio Calculator
• Ideal Body Weight Calculator
• Body Fat Percentage Calculator
• Lean Body Mass Calculator

Sources

The percentage rules on this page follow the transparent classification used by published body shape calculators, where an apple waist reaches at least 95 percent of the hips, an hourglass waist sits at least 25 percent below balanced bust and hips, and a 5 percent difference decides pear and inverted triangle shapes. Shape names and styling guidance also follow the five classic silhouettes used across the apparel and styling literature: hourglass, pear, apple, rectangle and inverted triangle.