Personal style is just that: personal. And no one person or rule can really tell you what suits you. If you're lucky, you just get a feeling and can run with it. But we all have those moments of uncertainty and a guiding factor towards a reliable clothing choice can lie in the question we sometimes find ourselves pondering, "What body shape am I?"
Forget size—this isn't about that and never should be. Instead, there is a nifty little way to understand your body shape, and it's thanks to our brilliant co-founder Hillary Kerr, who let us know that we can find which pieces show off our figures best by simply understanding our body shapes a little better, and dressing accordingly (be safe in the knowledge this still leaves you with so many options). Instead of panicking and buying in on every fashion trend, try dressing to show off your figure with the help of our body shape calculator. Trust us—it'll ensure you’re comfortable and confident in the clothes you choose to wear every day.
So how do we use it? Rather than comparing yourself to pictures of celebrities or fruit shapes (which can leave you feeling unsure if you’ve arrived at the right conclusion), we’re using Oprah’s fashion expert Bradley Bayou’s foolproof technique. Bayou’s system uses maths—it is a little intense, but we’ll walk you through it—to double-check that you’ve found your real figure.
We’re limiting this article to four common types for simplicity’s sake, but for a more in-depth look at every shape and size, check out Bayou’sThe Science of Sexy, where he gives tips on how to dress 48 different figures. Also, keep in mind that no matter whatyour size is, you can have any of the below four outlines; it’s more about how your weight (whatever it may be) is distributed.
With that said, get out your tape measure and scroll down for the brilliant body shape calculator to discover what body shape you are once and for all.
Now that you have your measurements, you’ll use those numbers to calculateyour body shape. You’ll notice the equations below allow you to use your bust or shoulder measurements interchangeably. Doing this accounts for those who have especially big or small busts or especially narrow or broad shoulders.
You may find that doing the equation with your shoulders versus your bust places you in two different body type categories. This means your body type may actually encompass more than one category. For example, you may find you’re more of a pear shape when using your bust measurement and more of an hourglass when using your shoulder measurement. If this is the case, you should consider both body types when shopping and ultimately make purchases by seeing whatfeels best on you. And remember—these are just indicators, not hard-and-fast concepts to live by. You will find, after experimenting and developing your style over the years, that there are exceptions to the rules and that many varied and wonderful items will look fabulous on you.
Scroll down to see which shape description matches your body the best, and then use Bayou’s equations to validate that you’ve found your true shape.
