Body Type Calculator
- Updated
- Imperial and metric
- Free, no sign-up
Results
Body shape: Hourglass. Bust and hips are similar, with a clearly smaller waist.
| Shape | Rule | Matches? |
|---|---|---|
| Apple (round) | B − W < 2 and H − W < 2 (added rule, not part of FFIT) | No |
| Hourglass | B − H ≤ 1 and H − B < 3.6, and B − W ≥ 9 or H − W ≥ 10 | Yes (used) |
| Bottom hourglass | 3.6 ≤ H − B < 10, H − W ≥ 9 and HH ÷ W < 1.193 | No |
| Top hourglass | 1 < B − H < 10 and B − W ≥ 9 | No |
| Spoon | H − B > 2, H − W ≥ 7 and HH ÷ W ≥ 1.193 | No |
| Triangle | H − B ≥ 3.6 and H − W < 9 | No |
| Inverted triangle | B − H ≥ 3.6 and B − W < 9 | No |
| Rectangle | H − B < 3.6, B − H < 3.6, B − W < 9 and H − W < 10 | No |
Body shapes are descriptive clothing-fit categories, not health measures, and no shape is better than another. Most people sit near a boundary, so treat the result as a starting point for finding cuts that fit.
This is an estimate from published rules, not medical advice. For health questions about weight or waist size, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian.
How to use the body type calculator
- Measure over light clothing or bare skin with a soft tape, keeping it level and snug but not tight.
- Enter the bust or chest (fullest part), natural waist (narrowest part), high hip (top of the hip bones) and hips (widest part).
- Read your shape and the differences behind it. The table under the result shows which rules matched; the first one wins.
How the shape is worked out
Compare B − H, H − B, B − W, H − W and HH ÷ W against fixed thresholds
Rules are checked in order: apple, hourglass, bottom hourglass, top hourglass, spoon, triangle, inverted triangle, rectangle
Our rules adapt the Female Figure Identification Technique (FFIT) for Apparel, developed at North Carolina State University from 3D body scans to help clothing makers size garments (Simmons, Istook and Devarajan, 2004; Lee and colleagues, 2007). FFIT names shapes from the differences between bust, waist and hip measurements in inches, and uses the ratio of high hip to waist to tell a spoon shape from a bottom hourglass. FFIT has no category for a waist that is as large as the bust and hips, so we added an "apple" rule and check it first. We also group FFIT's sub-shapes into five families.
Worked example
With a 36 in bust, 28 in waist, 34 in high hip and 38 in hips: the bust is 2 in smaller than the hips (within the 1 in and 3.6 in limits), and the hips are 10 in larger than the waist, so the hourglass rule matches. The result is Hourglass: bust and hips are similar, with a clearly smaller waist.
The rules we use
| Order | Shape | Family | Rule (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple (round) | Apple (round) | B − W < 2 and H − W < 2 (added rule, not part of FFIT) |
| 2 | Hourglass | Hourglass | B − H ≤ 1 and H − B < 3.6, and B − W ≥ 9 or H − W ≥ 10 |
| 3 | Bottom hourglass | Hourglass | 3.6 ≤ H − B < 10, H − W ≥ 9 and HH ÷ W < 1.193 |
| 4 | Top hourglass | Hourglass | 1 < B − H < 10 and B − W ≥ 9 |
| 5 | Spoon | Pear (triangle) | H − B > 2, H − W ≥ 7 and HH ÷ W ≥ 1.193 |
| 6 | Triangle | Pear (triangle) | H − B ≥ 3.6 and H − W < 9 |
| 7 | Inverted triangle | Inverted triangle | B − H ≥ 3.6 and B − W < 9 |
| 8 | Rectangle | Rectangle | H − B < 3.6, B − H < 3.6, B − W < 9 and H − W < 10 |
If no rule matches, the calculator says the measurements sit between shapes. Thresholds in inches are exact; in centimeters, multiply by 2.54.
Example measurements
Each row was classified by the calculator's engine.
| Bust | Waist | High hip | Hips | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 in | 40 in | 41 in | 41 in | Apple (round) |
| 36 in | 26 in | 33 in | 37 in | Hourglass |
| 34 in | 28 in | 32 in | 40 in | Hourglass (bottom hourglass) |
| 40 in | 30 in | 34 in | 36 in | Hourglass (top hourglass) |
| 34 in | 28 in | 34 in | 40 in | Pear (triangle) (spoon) |
| 34 in | 32 in | 36 in | 40 in | Pear (triangle) (triangle) |
| 40 in | 33 in | 35 in | 35 in | Inverted triangle |
| 35 in | 30 in | 33 in | 36 in | Rectangle |
The five shapes
- Hourglass. Bust and hips are similar, with a clearly smaller waist.
- Pear (triangle). Hips are wider than the bust or chest.
- Inverted triangle. Bust or chest is wider than the hips.
- Rectangle. Bust, waist and hips are fairly similar, with a less defined waist.
- Apple (round). The waist is about as wide as, or wider than, the bust and hips.
These are descriptive categories for choosing clothes, not health measures, and no shape is better or worse than another. Research on FFIT found that small differences in where people place the tape can move a body into a neighboring shape, so if you are near a boundary, both shapes' fit advice may suit you.
If you want a health-related measure of waist size, use the waist-to-height ratio in the overweight calculator; for body composition, the body fat calculator. This is not medical advice; talk to a doctor or registered dietitian.
Sources
- Simmons K, Istook CL, Devarajan P. Female figure identification technique (FFIT) for apparel, parts I and II. Journal of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management 2004;4(1).
- Lee JY, Istook CL, Nam YJ, Park SM. Comparison of body shape between USA and Korean women. International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology 2007;19(5).
- Assessing the female figure identification technique's reliability as a body shape classification system. Ergonomics (Manchester Metropolitan University).
Frequently asked questions
How do I find my body shape?
Measure your bust or chest, natural waist, high hip and hips, then compare the differences. With a 36 in bust, 28 in waist, 34 in high hip and 38 in hips, the bust and hips are within 3.6 in of each other and the hips are 10 in larger than the waist, which the rules class as an hourglass.
What are the five main body shapes?
Hourglass (bust and hips similar with a smaller waist), pear or triangle (hips wider than the bust), inverted triangle (bust or shoulders wider than the hips), rectangle (similar measurements with a less defined waist) and apple or round (waist about as wide as, or wider than, bust and hips).
Is body shape a health measure?
No. Body shape here is a clothing-fit description and says nothing about health; no shape is better than another. If you are interested in health risk from waist size, waist-to-height ratio is the measure health guidance uses.
What is the high hip measurement?
It is taken around the top of the hip bones, a few inches below the natural waist. It separates a spoon shape, where the hips flare high, from a bottom hourglass: if high hip divided by waist is 1.193 or more, the rules call it a spoon.
Does this body type calculator work for men?
The rules come from research on women’s clothing sizes, but the comparisons work for anyone. Men most often come out as rectangle, inverted triangle or apple, because the chest is usually wider than the hips and the waist less defined.