The term "body shape" generally refers to categorizing a woman's body structure by what geometric shape it most resembles. Often, this shape is used to choose better fitting clothing or to find clothing that accentuates a woman's particular shape. Stacy London, co-host of "What Not to Wear," says that women should never follow trends just to follow trends. Instead, they should wear clothing that looks most flattering on their body type. There are four to five popular shapes used to classify body shape, making it easy for anyone to figure out what shape she is.
Step 1
Learn the common body shapes. "Fashion World" lists five body shapes: apple, hourglass, pear, rectangle and strawberry. Women with the apple shape have broader shoulders with no definitive waist. Those with an hourglass shape have fuller busts and wider hips, but thinner waists. Women with a pear shape tend to be bigger in the hips, while those with a rectangle shape have busts, waists and hips that are all about the same size. Finally, the strawberry is similar to an apple shape, but the width of the woman's body is focused in the shoulders.
Step 2
Evaluate your body in the mirror. Identify the dominate parts of your torso. Determine if they include your hips, bust, waist or shoulders.
Step 3
Use a measuring tape. If you want to be more precise, or if your body image is poor, a measuring tape will provide honest numbers. Those numbers can be used to determine your body shape.
Step 4
Take pictures of yourself. Often, images in mirrors can look distorted, due to light placement or the quality of the mirror. Pictures can be flawed, as well, but they can be used in conjunction with a mirror to evaluate your body shape.
Step 5
Embrace your shape. Once you are aware of your body shape, learn how to love it by wearing clothing that works best for your type. If you have an hourglass shape, avoid baggy clothing. If you have a strawberry shape, wear slightly lower-cut tops to use skin as contrast to your shirt to make the width of your shoulders look slimmer.
Tips and Warnings
- Ideally, when looking in the mirror, taking measurements or taking photos of yourself, wear undergarments or as little clothing as possible. This ensures less distortion from fabric. If you're still uncertain about your shape, or if you do not have a mirror, taking an online quiz may help you identify your body shape. Ask employees at clothing stores for help accentuating your shape.
Things You'll Need
- Mirror
- Digital Camera (optional)
- Measuring tape (optional)
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