How to determine your body type and how to live with it

Why does the same outfit look completely different on your friend and on you, even if the height and weight are the same? It's all about different body types.

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The type of figure depends on the structural features and development of bone, fat and muscle tissue. Most of it is caused by genetics, but can be corrected by diet and exercise.

Every person is beautiful and unique. Everyone's body has its own advantages and disadvantages. Knowing your body type is important in order to train more effectively and learn how to choose clothes to look most attractive.

Female body types

Based on general characteristics, five types of female figures can be distinguished: “hourglass”, “rectangle”, “triangle”, “inverted triangle” and “apple”. To determine which type you belong to, just arm yourself with a measuring tape and take three measurements.

Breast volume: over a regular bra without a push-up, at the most protruding point, keeping the centimeter parallel to the floor.
Waist circumference: along the narrowest part of the body (just above the navel), without pulling in or protruding the stomach.
Hip circumference: across the widest part of the hips, keeping the band parallel to the floor.

Now let's evaluate the results.

If your chest and hips are approximately equal in volume, and your waist is noticeably smaller (by 20–30 centimeters), then your figure type is “hourglass”.
If your chest and hips are approximately equal in volume, and your waist does not stand out much against their background, then you are a “rectangle”.
If your breasts are smaller than your hips in volume with a visible waist, then your body type is “triangle” (“pear”).
If your chest is larger than your lower body, and your shoulders are wider than your hips, then your figure is an “inverted triangle” (T-shape).
If your waist, stomach and chest stand out the most, and your legs are slender, then your body type is “circle” (“apple”).

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The main features of the “inverted triangle” figure

If, when measured, the chest turns out to be larger than the hips, and the shoulders visually look wider than the pelvis, then your structure is of the “inverted triangle” type, or T-shaped figure.

This is one of the most problematic buildings, according to the boyish type. Women with this type have an athletic build with narrow hips and broad shoulders. The more body weight a woman has, the more massive and masculine she will look.

But if you keep your weight at the lower limit of normal, you can be quite attractive. An excellent example is Angelina Jolie, whose attractiveness is not disputed by anyone, has an “inverted triangle” figure type.

Most often, the T-shaped silhouette is called sporty.

How to choose a wardrobe for an inverted triangle figure

The undeniable advantage of this figure is its slender legs. Therefore, the main thing when choosing clothes is to give preference to models that emphasize your legs and hide your massive top. To visually correct an imbalance, the top should always be dark and the bottom should be light.
Of course, models with voluminous sleeves and those that visually increase the width of the shoulders are excluded here. To visually reduce your shoulders, it is recommended to buy blouses with narrow vertical stripes.
The neckline of any top should be V-shaped or have a wide oval neckline. You can wear tops with thin straps or tops with darts at the waist.
Pants and skirts are preferably wide, flared from the hips, it is good if they have patch pockets and a slightly low waistline.

Hourglass

The notorious 90/60/90 are about this type of figure. Such ladies can be proud of their well-defined waist and prominent shoulders and hips. Moreover, such proportions will remain even with weight gain, which is good news.

The X-shaped silhouette of the female body is an unspoken ideal, glorified since Antiquity. If you are the lucky owner of this type of figure, we will rejoice. The main thing in your case is not to disturb the harmonious proportions of the chest, waist and hips.

The main task

Emphasize the curves of the figure, maintaining the harmony of top and bottom.

Will do

Almost everything. The most advantageous way to highlight your figure:

Fitted silhouettes.
Blouses, coats and raincoats with wraps and belts.
V-shaped or round neckline on blouses and dresses.
Pencil skirt, a-line or sun skirt.
High-waisted jeans and trousers.
Waist belt as an accessory.

Won't fit

Baggy clothes that hide the silhouette.
Straight cut outerwear.
Dresses or blouses with high or low waist.
Low-rise jeans or trousers.

Owners of an hourglass figure: Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Dita Von Teese, Kim Kardashian

Pear (A-type)

It is very simple to determine this type of figure by its parameters: if your hips are wider than your shoulders, then you are considered a “pear”. Otherwise, you have everything the same as the hourglass, except for the wide bottom. Your waist is narrow and, on top of everything else, pronounced and slightly low - this is due to the fact that the legs of the “pear” are shorter than the body.

If you are gaining weight, fat deposits appear more on the hips, buttocks and sides. And, unfortunately, the more weight you gain, the greater the difference between top and bottom becomes. But when you lose weight, your figure gains balance and looks more harmonious. It is worth noting that posture “for pear-shaped women” plays a very important role - you should always keep your back straight, otherwise slouching will highlight your shortcomings. If you choose dresses for this body type wisely, you will look simply flawless.

How to correctly determine the type of figure “pear”?

Your hips are wider than your shoulders.
If you gain a couple of kilos, more fat is deposited on your sides than on your waist.
You have a flat tummy and graceful curved hips.
You have medium or small breasts.
You have a beautiful thin neck and narrow shoulders.

Kate Winslet, Christina Aguilera and pop diva Beyoncé have this body type. It must be said that many stars with an A-type figure are proud of their proportions and do not miss the opportunity to demonstrate it.

Rectangle

Women with this type of figure have breasts and hips of equal volume, and their waist is weakly expressed or not expressed at all (for example, if with a chest volume of 92 centimeters, the waist is more than 70 centimeters).

This body type is more athletic and sporty than, for example, an hourglass, and an insufficient waist curve can be visually increased. In order to emphasize the features of such a figure, you just need to maintain the harmony of the shoulders and hips, visually narrowing the waist. This effect can be achieved by creating additional volume in another part of the body.

The main task

Focus on the waist and beautiful legs, while maintaining the balance of the upper and lower body.

Will do

Fitted outerwear, coat with a belt.
Tops with thin straps, blouses with puff sleeves.
Jackets or outerwear with straight shoulders.
Dresses without straps or with a wrap.
A-line skirt, sun or with a slit.
Tight-fitting trousers or jeans with a mid or low rise.
Classic straight trousers or capris.

Won't fit

Baggy or oversized clothing.
Clothing that excessively reveals the abdominal area.
Straight styles of outerwear or dresses.
T-shirts, sleeveless or crew-neck tops, turtlenecks.
Leggings, pencil skirts.

Stars with a “rectangular” figure: Nicole Kidman, Keira Knightley, Cameron Diaz, Anna Kournikova

Rectangle (H-type)

An H-type woman has the same width at the hips and shoulders. And due to the fact that the waist is practically not expressed, the figure takes on the appearance of a rectangle. Girls with this type of figure, unfortunately, are most prone to being overweight.

As you gain weight, your figure becomes more rectangular, and your belly also protrudes. But, if you lose weight, then your body can be called perfect. Let us remind you that clothes for a “rectangle” must have a special cut.

How to determine the type of figure “rectangle”?

Your hips and shoulders are the same width.
The body can be called stocky.
You have slender beautiful legs.
Your waist doesn't really stand out.
Your hips are straight and your buttocks are flat.
You have straight legs and arms.

The “rectangle” type includes Cameron Diaz, Mila Jovovich, Keira Knightley and Lindsay Lohan.

Triangle (pear)

Owners of this body type can be proud of their graceful narrow shoulders and waist, as well as appetizing hips. It is worth considering that with such parameters, it is pointless to exhaust yourself with strict diets, trying to make the butt smaller than it can be.

The “pear” figure type remains the same even when you are overweight or overweight. It is better to draw more attention to the beautiful neck, collarbones and hands, which can easily be done with the help of suitable clothes.

The main task

Balance the hips with an emphasis on the upper body.

Will do

Fitted outerwear, trapeze coat.
Any fitted clothing with overhead shoulders (coats, jackets, jackets).
Blouses, tops and tank tops are off-the-shoulder, sleeveless or with a wide neckline.
A-line or pencil skirt.
Dark trousers or straight-fit jeans.
Trousers or jeans that flare out at the bottom.

Won't fit

Baggy outerwear, long straight-cut coats.
Crew neck tops or blouses, turtlenecks.
Bright massive belts on the hips.
Tight-fitting trousers or trousers, especially in light colors or with a bright print.
Trousers or jeans with decorative elements on pockets or waistbands, fluffy skirts, flared skirts.
Pants or skirts with a lot of weighting elements: lace, ruffles, folds.

Celebrities with a pear body type: Rihanna, Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Love Hewitt

Features of the classification of female figures by type

It has long been proven that the structural features of the female figure are inherited. All other changes may be insignificant and depend on a certain lifestyle, nutritional culture, and physical activity. You are unlikely to be able to reduce the size of your hips if you have a pear shape type and, conversely, if you have an inverted triangle shape, you are unlikely to be able to reduce the width of your shoulders.

In any case, there is no ideal female figure. In different centuries, completely different types of female figures were recognized as ideal. In the Stone Age, large-sized women were considered the standard; in the Middle Ages, preference was given to a figure with a voluminous waist. And only in recent years have ideals and stereotypes changed and ideal proportions have appeared, which are equal to 90-60-90. Many girls do not eat for months and exhaust themselves with physical activity to achieve such parameters. However, it is important to pay attention not to the parameters, but to the proportions that make up the types of figures in women.

Body types have been classified based on female body proportions. To determine your body type, it is important to take into account the ratio of the parameters of the shoulders, waist and hips. Currently, there are a large number of different classifications of female figures. There is a classic classification based on the similarity of the figure to geometric shapes or fruits. You can also distinguish the classification by wrist and the metabolic system of body types. You can also identify several new different types of figures that have appeared in connection with changes in the characteristics of the female body: broccoli, eggplant, butternut squash.

Inverted triangle (T-shape)

This body type is characterized by wide shoulders and relatively narrow hips (for example, 95 and 90 centimeters, respectively). Often, the owners of this figure have longer and slimmer legs than other women, for which they can be congratulated.

To add more harmony to the “inverted triangle”, we will use the tricks of stylists. With the help of suitable clothes, we will visually reduce our shoulders, increase our hips and emphasize our waist. For this, a straight cut is most suitable, with a minimum number of details in the chest area, and a maximum on the hips.

The main task

Balance the top and bottom, not forgetting the waist.

Will do

A-line coat.
Square, V- or U-shaped necklines on dresses, tops or blouses.
Low-rise trousers or jeans.
Dresses or tops with a peplum (a frill below the waist).
Wide massive belts on the hips.
A-line skirts, wraparound, with pleats or voluminous pockets.

Won't fit

Long straight coats, baggy outerwear.
Tops or blouses with a wide boat neckline.
Bright voluminous sweaters or jumpers.
Clothes with padded shoulders.
Blouses or jackets with puffy sleeves.
Dark straight trousers or jeans, leggings.
Pencil skirt or ankle length.

Famous “inverted triangles”: Angelina Jolie, Demi Moore, Katharine McPhee, Kate Bosworth

Outfits for a “Rectangular” figure

This option is easy to recognize by the almost identical volume of all three zones (waist, hips and chest). For example, if my waist is more than 75 centimeters, my chest will be about 92 centimeters - this is a rectangle. Most often, this silhouette is observed in thin women.

For such a figure you need to choose a special wardrobe, the best ones are:

loose-fitting outfits;
things with belts and belts;
fluffy short skirts;
smell models and so on.

It is worth giving up fitted outfits and baggy clothes.

Circle (apple)

Owners of this body type have a straight silhouette without a pronounced waist, but with protruding breasts. The bulk of the figure's volume is in the upper body (but the legs remain slim the longest).

“Apple” women should carefully monitor excess weight: it tends to be deposited on the stomach.

Main goals

Visually elongate the figure, define the waist and emphasize the beautiful neckline and legs.

Will do

A-line coat, outerwear with an A-line silhouette (narrow at the chest and widening at the bottom).
V-neck blouses or tops.
Dresses with A-line or wrap.
Flared trousers and jeans with voluminous pockets.
Clothes with large details (ruffles, patterns, draperies) below the hip line.
Plain clothes with vertical darts.

Won't fit

Very tight or baggy clothing.
Sleeveless tops and blouses with a crew neck or ties at the neck.
Turtlenecks, short tops.
Clothes with bright prints, frills, and decorative elements on the shoulders and stomach.
Skinny trousers, trousers and jeans without pockets or low rise.
Tight skirts, pencil skirt.

Popular “apples”: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Britney Spears, Jessica Jones, Amy Schumer
Any figure is beautiful and attractive, especially if it is emphasized. How do you dress to look even better?

Triangle (Y-type)

Often, those with a triangle body type are athletic women who have broad shoulders and rather narrow hips. The upper body is often massive and slightly shorter than the lower body. But the legs of Y-type women are very slender and long, such that one can only envy. The waist is usually wide and not pronounced.

If you are gaining weight, then the extra pounds are mainly deposited in the upper part of the body (back, arms, chest), and the legs remain slender and thin all the time. You can find out how to choose clothes for your body type here.

How to determine a woman’s “triangle” body type:

Your shoulders are noticeably wider than your hips.
You have a narrow pelvis and flat buttocks.
Legs are slender and thin (especially below the knee).
When you gain weight, it is first noticeable in the shoulder girdle area.

Y-types include Renee Zellweger, Demi Moore, Cher and Sienna Miller.

What suits “Grushki”

This type of female figure is characterized by the following parameters: large buttocks and small breasts, thin waist. This body type is a trendsetter among Brazilian women.

To make your body more proportional, you need to increase the upper torso with open-shoulder items, a blazer or a jacket with shoulder pads. You can also make your hips visually smaller by wearing a fitted skirt or straight-cut trousers.

Jeans and skirts with embroidery and sequins, massive belts, as well as all sorts of styles with flares in the buttocks or tapered hems are not the best things to wear.