Free body shape calculator · women & men
Body Type Calculator
Find your body shape from four tape-measure numbers. Enter your bust, waist, high hip and hips (or shoulders for men) and this body shape calculator shows your shape, how closely you match each neighbouring shape, your waist-to-hip ratio, and what to wear. It opens as a body type calculator for women, with all nine female shapes, and switches to male mode in one tap.
What is a body type calculator?
A body type calculator, also called a body shape calculator, compares the circumference of your bust (or shoulders), waist, high hip and hips and tells you which silhouette those numbers describe. Like any body shape calculator, it works on proportion, not size. A size 6 and a size 18 can both be an hourglass, and two people who wear the same jeans size can be a pear and a rectangle.
The result is useful for one practical reason: clothes are cut for proportions. Once you know whether your hips are wider than your bust, or whether your waist is sharply defined or nearly straight, you can predict which cuts will fit without alterations and which will gape, pull or hang.
The calculator does not measure weight, body fat or fitness. It also is not a judgement. Every shape on this page is common, and every one of them can be dressed well.
How to measure yourself for the calculator
The easiest way to determine your body shape is with a tape measure, and your result is only as good as your tape. Use a soft cloth or fibreglass tape, not a metal one. Measure over underwear or close-fitting clothes, stand with your feet together, and look straight ahead in a mirror so you can check the tape stays level all the way round.
- Bust. Wrap the tape around the fullest part of your bust, over a non-padded bra, keeping it parallel to the floor across your back. For men, measure the chest at its widest, just under the armpits.
- Waist. Find your natural waist, the narrowest part of your torso, usually an inch or two above the belly button. Bend to one side; the crease marks it. Breathe out normally and keep the tape snug, not tight.
- High hip. Measure 3 to 4 inches (7.5–10 cm) below your natural waist, across the top of the hip bones. This number separates a spoon from a pear and a bottom hourglass from a spoon, so it is worth taking.
- Hips. Wrap the tape around the fullest part of your seat. Check it in the mirror from the side; the tape tends to ride up at the back.
- Shoulders (men). Measure all the way around the shoulders at their widest point, arms relaxed. If you can’t do this alone, use your chest measurement instead.
Measure twice and use the second set if it feels more natural. Use the same unit for every number; the calculator converts inches and centimetres for you, but it can’t fix a mixed set. For all 12 body measurements with a diagram, see how to measure your body.
The 9 female body shapes
Most guides group female body types into five main body shape types: hourglass, pear, apple, rectangle and inverted triangle. This calculator splits them further, the way pattern makers and fit researchers do, because the extra detail changes what fits. Tap any shape for its full guide, or see all female body types compared side by side.
Male body types
Switch the calculator to Male and it compares shoulders (or chest), waist and hips instead of bust. Men’s shapes are driven by the upper frame, so the bust measurement is replaced and the high hip is dropped. For a men-only tool with fit advice, use the male body type calculator, or see all five male body types compared.
| Type | What it looks like | Fits best in |
|---|---|---|
| Trapezoid | Shoulders clearly wider than the waist, hips in proportion. The classic athletic build. | Most off-the-rack tailoring; slim and regular fits. |
| Inverted triangle | Very broad shoulders and chest, narrow waist and hips. Often called a V shape. | Athletic-fit shirts, straight or relaxed trousers to balance the top. |
| Rectangle | Shoulders, waist and hips within a few inches of each other. | Structured jackets, layering, horizontal detail at the chest. |
| Triangle | Hips wider than the shoulders. | Shoulder structure, darker trousers, straight-leg cuts. |
| Oval | Waist as wide as or wider than chest and hips. | Vertical lines, single-breasted jackets, mid-rise trousers. |
How body shapes are calculated
The female rules below follow the FFIT method (Female Figure Identification Technique) developed in fit research at North Carolina State University, which compares the differences between measurements in inches. If you enter centimetres, the calculator converts them first. Shapes are checked in the order shown; your result is the first rule you meet.
| Shape | Rule (inches) |
|---|---|
| Apple | Waist close to both bust and hips (waist ÷ hips ≥ 0.88 and waist ÷ bust ≥ 0.85) |
| Hourglass | Bust − hips ≤ 1 and hips − bust < 3.6, with bust − waist ≥ 9 or hips − waist ≥ 10 |
| Bottom hourglass | Hips − bust 3.6 to 10, hips − waist ≥ 9, high hip ÷ waist < 1.193 |
| Top hourglass | Bust − hips 1 to 10, bust − waist ≥ 9 |
| Spoon | Hips − bust > 2, hips − waist ≥ 7, high hip ÷ waist ≥ 1.193 |
| Triangle | Hips − bust ≥ 7, hips − waist < 9 |
| Pear | Hips − bust 3.6 to 7, hips − waist < 9 |
| Inverted triangle | Bust − hips ≥ 3.6, bust − waist < 9 |
| Rectangle | None of the above: bust, waist and hips within a few inches |
The “how close” bars under your result come from a second check. The calculator places your numbers on a map of all nine shapes and measures how far you sit from each one. That is why someone with 35-28-40 sees mostly bottom hourglass, with smaller shares of hourglass and spoon: real bodies sit between categories, and the bars show it.
Worked example: 35-28-40 with a 33-inch high hip
- Apple? Waist ÷ hips = 28 ÷ 40 = 0.70. That’s below 0.88, so not apple.
- Hourglass? Hips − bust = 5 in. Hourglass needs less than 3.6, so no.
- Bottom hourglass? Hips − bust is 5 (between 3.6 and 10) ✓ Hips − waist is 12 (9 or more) ✓ High hip ÷ waist = 33 ÷ 28 = 1.18 (below 1.193) ✓
Result: bottom hourglass. The match bars show 62% bottom hourglass, 16% hourglass and 11% spoon. If her high hip were 34 in instead of 33, the ratio would cross 1.193 and the result would change to spoon. That one inch is why the high hip measurement matters.
Body shape vs somatotype vs Kibbe
Three systems get mixed up online. They answer different questions, and you can be one of each at the same time: a mesomorph, an hourglass and a Kibbe Soft Natural, for example.
| System | What it describes | How it’s found | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body shape | Outline: bust or shoulders, waist, hips | Tape measurements (this calculator) | Clothing fit, sewing, shopping |
| Somatotype | Build: ectomorph (lean, narrow), mesomorph (muscular), endomorph (wider, stores fat easily) | Observation, skinfolds, Heath-Carter method | Training and fitness |
| Kibbe | Overall style essence: bone structure, softness, height (13 Kibbe body types such as Dramatic or Soft Natural) | Self-assessment quiz (Kibbe test) | Personal style lines and fabrics |
Waist to hip ratio (WHR)
Your result also shows your waist-to-hip ratio. Shape tells you how clothes will sit; WHR is a health marker that shows where your body stores fat. A higher number means more weight is carried around the middle.
WHR = waist ÷ hips
Example: 30 in ÷ 40 in = 0.75
| Lower risk | Higher risk | |
|---|---|---|
| Women | below 0.85 | 0.85 and above |
| Men | below 0.90 | 0.90 and above |
Thresholds from the World Health Organization’s 2008 expert consultation on waist circumference and waist–hip ratio.
WHR is one screening number, not a diagnosis. If yours is above the threshold, it is a reason to talk to a doctor, not a reason to worry. For a dedicated tool with more context, use the waist to hip ratio calculator.
What is the most common body shape?
The rectangle. In a widely cited North Carolina State University study of more than 6,000 American women measured by 3D body scanner, close to half had rectangle proportions. Pear came second, and the classic hourglass was the least common of the four main shapes.
Source: Devarajan & Istook, North Carolina State University, 2005. The remaining women fell into other categories. Bars drawn to scale (100% = full width ÷ 2).
If you expected an hourglass result and got rectangle, you’re in the majority. It also explains why so much ready-to-wear gapes at the waist on curvier figures: most patterns are graded for straighter proportions.
How accurate is a body shape calculator?
A measurement-based calculator is more consistent than a photo quiz, because it uses numbers instead of how you see yourself. Three things decide how far you can trust the result:
- Tape placement. Half an inch at the waist can move a result from hourglass to rectangle. Measure twice.
- The high hip. Three-measurement calculators can’t tell a spoon from a pear. Adding the high hip fixes that.
- Borderline numbers. If you sit near a cutoff, the “how close” bars will show two shapes at similar levels. Read both guides; the styling advice for neighbouring shapes overlaps.
Your shape can also change. Weight change, strength training, pregnancy, menopause and age all shift where you carry volume, so it’s worth measuring again every year or after a big change.
What to wear for your body shape
Every rule below has the same goal: balance. Draw the eye to where you’re narrower, add a little volume where you’re narrower still, and let the fabric follow your natural waist if you have one.
| Shape | Works well | Fits awkwardly |
|---|---|---|
| Hourglass | Wrap dresses, belted coats, high-rise pencil skirts | Boxy tops, drop waists |
| Top hourglass | V-necks, A-line skirts, bootcut jeans | High crew necks with skinny trousers |
| Bottom hourglass | Defined waist, structured shoulders, straight or wide leg | Very tapered trousers with plain tops |
| Pear | Boat necks, statement sleeves, A-line skirts | Pocket detail on the hips, skinny jeans with tight tops |
| Triangle | Strong shoulders, wide necklines, dark straight-leg trousers | Clingy jersey skirts |
| Spoon | Mid-rise waistbands that sit below the shelf, flared skirts | Hip-height belts, low-rise pockets |
| Apple | Empire lines, open necklines, straight-leg trousers | Waist belts, cropped tops |
| Rectangle | Peplums, belts, ruffles, or a clean column look | Shapeless shift dresses in thin fabric |
| Inverted triangle | V-necks, wide-leg trousers, full skirts | Shoulder pads, puff sleeves |
For complete looks by occasion, see the hourglass, pear, apple, rectangle and inverted triangle outfit guides, or the full guide on how to dress for your body type.
Frequently asked questions
What is my body type?
Measure your bust, natural waist, high hip and hips with a soft tape, then enter them in the calculator above. It compares the differences between them and shows which of nine female body types (or five male types) you’re closest to. If you’re a woman, the calculator is already set to female mode, so you only need your four measurements.
How do I dress for my body type?
Find your shape first, then aim for balance. Add volume or detail where you’re narrower, and follow your waist if it’s defined. The styling table lists what works for each shape, and our guide on how to dress for your body type covers every shape in detail.
What is my body type as a man?
Men are usually trapezoid, inverted triangle, rectangle, triangle or oval. Switch the calculator to Male and enter your shoulders or chest, waist and hips to see yours.
How many body types are there?
Most guides use five main female body types: hourglass, pear, apple, rectangle and inverted triangle. Fit research splits them further, which is why this calculator shows nine, plus five male types.
What is the most common body shape?
The rectangle. A North Carolina State University study of over 6,000 women found about 46% had rectangle proportions, followed by pear.
What is the rarest body shape?
Of the four main shapes in the same study, the hourglass was the rarest, at about 8% of women.
What is an hourglass figure?
Bust and hips are within about an inch of each other, and the waist is at least 9 inches smaller than the bust or 10 inches smaller than the hips.
What is a pear body shape?
Your hips are 3.6 to 7 inches wider than your bust, and your waist is moderately defined. Weight tends to sit on the hips, thighs and seat.
What is a rectangle body shape?
Your bust, waist and hips are within a few inches of each other, so the waist is only slightly defined. It’s the most common female shape.
What is an apple body shape?
Your waist is close in size to your bust and hips, and you tend to carry weight around the middle while arms and legs stay slimmer.
What is an inverted triangle body shape?
Your bust or shoulders are at least 3.6 inches wider than your hips, giving a strong upper body and narrower lower body.
What is a spoon body shape?
A spoon is like a pear, with hips wider than the bust, but with a noticeable shelf at the high hip. A calculator spots it when your high hip is at least 1.193 times your waist.
Can body shape change with age?
Yes. Your bone frame stays the same, but hormones, muscle loss, weight change and menopause can move where you carry weight, often towards the waist. Re-measure every year or after a big change.
More body shape tools
This calculator gives style and fit guidance. It doesn’t diagnose health conditions or replace advice from a doctor or a professional fitter.