One and a half hands for me! I also have short arms and short neck.

Marlene, did you think you were short-waisted before you roadtested the trick?

I am one hand and a few fingers – validating what I had previously known. This is a great method (so much easier than tape measures).

Angie, you´re cracking me up!! Just the thought of hundreds of women around the globe fumbling between their bust and waist right at this moment on your command…. So funny!!!

Of course that´s what I´m doing right now, and as i thought, I´m average.

Your waist my be average, Angie, your personality definitely is outstanding!!!
Thanks for making me laugh!

Yes! I knew this before intuitively. But now I feel like I have a valid “test” for it. It never occured to me that I was short-waisted for most of my life since I am 5′ 6″ and long legged. It was like a lightbulb moment when I figured it out. I “dress” for it now so I think my proportions look better.

I seem to be right in the middle too. Nice little test, although I never paid attention to short vs. long waisted before.

Well, I can fit a bit more than two hand widths, which gos along with my previous opinion that I am long waisted.

This isn’t working for me. I can almost (maybe just) fit two hands, but I know for sure that I’m long-waisted. Not only have people been telling me this my whole life, but I always have to move beltloops on dresses, coats and long cardis down about an inch so that belts hit at my true waist. Maybe it’s not working because I’m petite overall? Or perhaps I just have abnormally wide hands.

wowee, only one hand for me… no wonder most tops are way too long for me these days. seriously, it’s so hard to find a cami that won’t end up with 5 extra inches of fabric scrunched up about my hips.

I am short-waisted according to this test! I suspected but was not sure. I always felt drawn to belts that were low-slung. I wonder if this means that I should not wear belts at my waist? Also, what if you have small or large hands?

What fun! By this test I’m slightly short-waisted, which is what I’ve always thought. When styles were tops tucked in, I didn’t like the look on myself unless I bloused the top over the waist a bit or wore a belt that matched the top.
Recently I’ve realized that I must be short in the area from bust to shoulders. Everything that fits otherwise would look better if I could just pull it up an inch or so at the top of the shoulders.

The test confirms that I am short-waisted. Glad I wasn’t just imagining it!

According to this, I am slightly short-waisted, yet I know I have a longer than average body (pear-shaped, short legs and arms). Is it possible to be short-waisted measuring from the top, but “high-waisted” from the bottom? I think my natural waist is slightly higher above my hips than most people.

I tried this last week and discovered to my amazement that I am long-waisted. I never knew for sure, but it sure does explain why so many wrap dresses are ill-fitting on me; their waist always starts much higher than mine!

I love all these kind of tests and tips; before, I wore clothes that would be camoflage my body’s flaws. Now I am looking for clothes that flatter my good parts. And I can’t know what my good parts are unless I understand the shape of my body!

No hands needed…I’ve always known I’m short-waisted. Since I’m also amply breasted, one look this hourglass can rarely handle is the belted thing. Sigh. And I gave up tucking things in a long time ago. No wonder it was never comfortable.

I’m one finger short of three hands… but I’ve known I’m lo-o-ong waisted! Proportions rarely look right on tops I buy that are not tall-sized. Thanks for providing the tip, Imogene and Angie!

mine is average…and to think, i thought i was anything but average! ^__^

btw, what are average proportions? in drawing, an average human is 6.5-7 heads tall, a superhero is 10 and i think Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Minnie and some cartoons are generaly 3 heads tall….

how does the fashion world come up with their averages….?

Aha. Quite a few pennies have dropped. Good stuff.

Ele and Greenglove, I’ve thought about how the size of your hands can make a difference. That’s why we’re road testing the trick! But there is a difference between being “long-waisted” and “short in the leg”. Perhaps Ele, you’re average in the waist but shorter in the leg? This might make you appear long in the waist. I’m not sure. I’m still happiest eyeballing it.

Okay, so let’s see: Laura is short-waisted, GG is slightly short-waisted, Tanya is long-waisted, Danja is average like me. Makes sense. That would have been my eyeball assessment too.

Phoebe, there’s nothing like a bit of irregular Monday morning activity to get the week rolling off to a good start

I measure just a little over 2 hands, but I seem to be more of an extreme long waist than that. Maybe the extra in my torso is from waist to bottom- or I just have wide hands.

I am @ 3 hand widths and I’m only 5′1″! So I am long-waisted. I knew this before the test. Mostly because my legs are so short (26″ inseam!) My husband is only 5′6″ish but has long legs and a short torso, sitting down we are the same height. Our daughter has long legs and a long torso so every one thinks she is tall for her age when really she is one of the shortest in her class!

I sew a lot of my clothes because of being long-waisted, having a high bust, and high hips. I am not just short all over. In RTW, I would need to shorten from the shoulder to the bust point, add back the length below the bust point, and shorten the waist to hip area differently front and back.

High hips is another key fit point like long or short waist. My hips start @ 2″ below my waist. Most RTW and the pattern companies work with more like 7-9″ below the waist being the fullest part of you hips. If you are the envy of your friends because you have no “saddle bags” odds are you have high hips too. Odds are you carry your weight in your torso though.

No surprise that I am short-waisted. Using Imogen’s measurement I think I’m about 1 1/3-1 1/2 hand widths between underbust and natural waist.

Kristen and I have similar issues with wrap dresses even though she is long-waisted. The waist line on most wrap dresses comes too low on me and accentuates my wide, high hips instead of the narrow part of my waist. (I notice this with a lot of dresses, actually, but I’ve heard so many times that wrap dresses are “foolproof” for my body type, but never found that to be the case.)

thank you Angie!

I needed this post!

One hand and a few fingers. I’m short waisted.

I always knew something about my proportions was off, but couldn’t place what it was. Even at my thinnest, I could never wear belts or tuck. At 95 pounds, my waist was 25 inches, which is small, but not as small as I think one would expect at that weight–especially in comparison to my 34″ hips at the time. Now my waist and hips have exactly a 10″ difference but it still doesn’t really look that way because my waist is such a small part of my actual overall torso.

I also noticed that even though I am 5′2, petite sizes are often too short for me. Depending on a few variables, I take a 30″ or 31″ inseam. My arms are not petite either. My arms and legs are relatively thin since they are so long, while my torso is where all my weight is. That’s another thing I learned from Imogen: you will gain your weight most where you are shortest. It certainly seems to be true. A short waisted pretty pear and a long waisted apple are hard to find.

Anyway, I’m not sure about how to use this calculator. Perhaps Imogen will pop in. Being busty means that measuring from the bust isn’t an exact science. The bottom of my bust can mean lots of things depending on if I’m wearing a bra or not, or if I’m measuring from the crease or the bottom of the breast. I think having a big bust and a short waist is really one of the things I struggle most with, and end up being frustrated with most frequently. It means my entire upper half is nothing but boobs. It amazed me to see how much extra torso length I got when I did this measurement from the crease, but of course visually this makes no difference. It’s incredibly frustrating because the boniest, narrowest part of my torso is being covered up by boobs, and no bra in the world is going to change that.

Exactly two hand-widths for me, too! Average all around, that’s me.

Oh I am so glad you wrote this entry! I have always wondered this very thing. Turns out I am very short waisted – one hand width is all I have! now the question becomes – how do we short-waisted gals dress? If you haven’t already done a post on this topic, hope to see one shortly (hint hint)

I can fit one and a half hands, so this means I’m short waisted, right? I thought I was short waisted. Angie, does this agree with your eyeball assessment? I have trouble fitting blazers partly because the waist is usually too low and my arms and shoulders are not petite at all.

Maya and Imogen, I do not gain weight where I’m the shortest. I’m a pretty pear and it mostly goes into my lower half.

I think this method will work for some people, specially if the “bust effect” is important. If not it can be misleading. I can fit exactly 2 hands but I appear shortwaisted because my legs are very long. When I am seating I look much shorter. So much that I have surprised people that met me seated in a bar or at work, when they have seen me standing after. As Angie says, she looks to a person and she knows because she addresses the whole proportion. For a less trained eye, best is to measure.

I am way less than 2 hands, closer to 1, which confirms my short-waisted assessment. I agree with others, I think being short-waisted does also explain why supposed fool-proof items don’t always work on me either (e.g. wrap dresses, I am an hourglass). And I also agree, being a short-waisted, amply breasted person is a serious wardrobe challenge. With this in mind, I took 3 items to the tailor this morning to be taken in for a better fit!!

Lena, I just looked at your body type picture over on the forum and you do indeed look short waisted. I guess it isn’t an exact science. Consider yourself a special pretty pear

I totally agree with Angie about just eyeballing it. It seems to be the surest method. There are definitely exceptions to these rules. I have come to learn that nothing about body types is scientific and everyone is unique. These methods are just general guidelines and a starting point but hardly the final word.

I’m long waisted (about 2-1/2+ hand widths). I’ve always known that I had a long torso though. I grew up with my mom constantly telling me to wear longer shirts, which was pretty near impossible in the 90s when the rage was shorter cropped tops. A regular shirt on me would leave at least an inch (if not more) gap between the bottom of the shirt and the top of my pants. I also have a hard time wearing most dresses because the distance from the shoulder to the bust is too long, but the distance from the bust to the hips is too short. The hips on the dress always hit me near my waist, making the dress look horrible.

I’ve been loving the trend of the longer tops though. I can actually find some that fit properly, even if they’re meant to be super long on everyone else!

I guess I am one of those unique types like Maya just mentioned. I am both short-waisted AND short-legged. It’s perplexing to me because overall, I’m not that short (5′ 4″). It’s a struggle to find clothes that work for me, and most articles suggest that short-waisted women have long legs, etc. It can get very discouraging.

One hand and a finger for me which just confirms what I knew – I am short waisted! I never tuck (except when wearing a suit with a button down for an interview), never wear belts and struggle to find tops that are short enough for me (even in petite sizing). I have seriously considered taking some sewing classes because nearly ever single top (mostly petite sizing) that I own would probably benefit from having an inch or two taken off the hem.

Good point, Olar. Your leg line can make you appear short or long-waisted when in fact you’re just average.

Wrap dresses are NOT flop proof. Mock wraps are usually better.

Maya, you are 100% short-waisted. I don’t think you should take where you place your hands *too* seriously. Go to the middle of your torso, place your first hand right under the middle of the bust. That’s it. This is the same hand position for everyone regardless of the size of their bust. Imogen has a larger bust line and the picture in which she is demonstrating the trick is helpful.

LE, you are long-waisted for sure, and Lena, you are very leggy and short in the waist. Spot on.

Shana, you are also in line with my eyeballing assessment.

I can fit two hand widths and a finger or two, so I guess I am average. Does that seem right? I had no idea whether I was short or long waisted and was going to ask, so this post was right on time. Thanks Angie!

I think I’m short-waisted, but long torso-ed. Based on this little trick, I can fit about 1 hand and two fingers between underbust and waist. But then my legs are short too–my husband is much taller than me…except when we sit down. Is there some defined term for someone with a super-long waist to bum measurement (I think in sewing its called crotch depth….)

I have always thought I was very long waisted because I cannot wear a one piece swimsuit and the waist line on RTW is always too high. This test shows me to be short waisted, so I must be long from the waist to the bottom of the torso. Another factor is that I am long from the bust to the shoulder so my starting point for this test is low. My bra straps must always be extended all of the way out.
Would a more accutate term for me be high waisted rather than short waisted. My torso is not short.

It’s kind of hard to tell with a baby in the way, but my two hands end about a finger below my belly button which I think makes me a bit short waisted. I’ve never really thought about it before. So I don’t know if I’ve just been compensating for it without naming it for what it is or I’m close enough to average (with my shorter height) for it not to really matter. (I’m wearing a wide waist belt right under my bust today. Hee hee hee.)

I always thought I was short-waisted, but according to this test, I’m average. I never tuck in my shirts, since it makes my upper torso look strangely short compared to the rest of my body. I think I may have the same issue as Olar.

If I’m doing this right, I can fit 1 hand and 3 fingers. Slightly or definitely short-waisted? I guess this in line with my fairly new experience with belts. Days when my tummy is feeling normal, I have no problems wearing a belt all day long. But on days like today when TOM is here and I am feeling bloated, a belt is darn uncomfortable. I just chucked mine for the day. Also, mos times the waist line on wrap dresses is usually in place with petite sizing.

I am an average waisted girl with 2 hands worth of space, which is where I thought I was. I did stand up to measure properly. My office’s outside wall to the general area is glass from top to bottom and I did laugh a little thinking people would wonder what I was doing, or maybe think I was having a stomach ache!

Oh I see now. I wasn’t placing it from the center but from the side where my bust is um, “lowest.” Well, I had no doubts that I was short waisted so either way I guess I’m not learning anything new about myself. I don’t know how I managed to miss Imogen’s post AND miss your link to it.

2 and 1/2 hands. And I already know I’m long-waisted. I confirmed this a few years ago, when I was measuring myself to order some dance leotards and swimsuits on line.

My mom is a few inches shorter than me and also long-waisted. She would always shop in the petite section for bottoms, but she could never wear petite jackets b/c they would be too short on her.

Thanks for this testing trick. I always thought I was rather short waisted because I feel like tucked in shirts cut me off in a strange way. I guess it is in my head because I am two hands perfectly. Guess I am actually average.

Only one hand! Which confirms what I already knew, that I’m very short waisted. As Maya said, this combined with a larger bust makes finding flattering tops a real challenge. And is why petite bottoms are usually too short, even though I’m only 5′2″.

How does this factor in with having a long or short torso? Is it the same thing? I always thought I was short waist-ed and have joked that I have “just chin, boobs, belly button, and bottom, with nothing in between”. However I can fit both hands and a couple fingers?

I always thought I was short-waisted, but I can fit exactly two hands under my bust to the narrowest part of my waist. Maybe it’s just my large ribcage that throws the proportion off?

Another short-waister. No surprise to me!! I only have a 2 inch difference between circumference of bust, waist and height. No curves here!!

I turned out to be short-waisted… interesting.. I think it explains why I like to tuck my button-down shirts into low rise pants and wear a belt at the loops. It gives me a longer torso. But I thought I looked good when I wore my belts at my natural waist as well. hmmm… food for thought….

As I have always know, I’m definitely short-waisted (1 1/2 hands).

There’s another easy test to tell if you’re short-waisted – if the shoulders on fitted dresses sit inches above your real shoulders! Heh.

Ooh what an interesting test. I am one hand. Empire line is my friend…..

Short waisted. That was simple…wished I had known this little trick years ago.:)

According to the test, I guess I have an “average” length waist. I’ve never had a problem finding tops that are the right length, so that makes sense (maybe that’s why I like buying tops so much). I guess I am just “short in the leg,” which always seemed to make my waist look really long in comparison. My legs aren’t petite, just short, which is why I have to buy “regular” sized pants and just hem them 3-5 inches.

Thanks Angie and Imogen, interesting post!

according to this, i am average…BUT i have a very hard time fitting into a one piece bathing suit ( which is what i wear) because i find that they are never long enough in the torso…so i think that i am long waisted – or at least i am in the swim department.

I’d say this is a valid test! I figured out in my 20’s that I was short-waisted when I could never find a dress that fit me right. One hand and two fingers with this test.

And now passer-by co-workers are asking if I’m feeling alright. Fine, fine, just gripping my tummy in the interest of fashion-science.

Ahh yes! Another affirmation telling me I’m perfect LOL! (just kidding)

Thanks for the link Angie!

Hand size – our proportions relate to our own hands – so no point in a 6′ person with large hands measuring a petite person – your hands, your body.

I do the measurement with a good bra on. Hands go just under the bust where the underwire sits.

A large bust can make you more short waisted just because of it’s size – by the time fabric goes out and in space is gone.

You can still have a long torso but short waist – you may have a long rise (that’s the crotch to waist measurement), but the waist is high.

Petite sizes are actually made to fit a 5′4″ so many petites still have to have garments taken up.

Hmm. I always thought I was short waisted, but this would indicate I’m pretty average. Oh boy, there goes my excuse for not having a waist!

I can fit one hand and 1 finger as per this test.I have been a regular reader of this website from the past 1 yr,but only 4 months ago that it clicked me that I am shortwaisted.And the test has confirmed the same.I always knew that something was amiss when I tried to fit into my elder sister’s clothes.Now I know that I am shortwaisted and she is longwaisted.Thanks Angie for showing this simple test to find out whether someone is shortwaisted or not.

One hand three fingers here.

Lets also talk about crotch/rise proportions. Because yes, one can be short waisted and short legged, because their crotch may be L-O-N-G.

I am short waisted, but have a relatively long crotch, thus pants used to really be an issue, finding the right length of rise (I’m thankful for somewhat long legs too). I guess it makes for a long arse. I never knew that about my backside until I had a daughter who had the same proportion!!

Apparently I am average too!!! What are the implications of your waist length for selecting clothes? Which styles and cuts fit best? This would be an interesting topic for the future.

I saw this over at Imogen’s blog also and was intrigued. No surprises in my result – 2 and 1/2 hands fit into that area confirming as I already knew that I was long waisted. Have had years of the waist on tops being too high.

Oh, I know I’m short waisted, as is my mom and as was my grandmother. But the test is nifty. 1 1/3 or so hands.

My biggest frustration is everything is so low cut on me. If my shoulders were a few inches higher everything would hit me in the right place. However, since the area between waist and shoulders is short, everything slinks down and the neckline ends up lower than it should be. Pair that with a big chest and I struggle every day at work to hide my cleavage. Oy!

Please help! I am one of the people Imogen mentioned in her comment. I am very short waisted…I could only fit a hand and a few fingers, but I am very long in the stride which still makes me long in the waist. Since I am a rectangle shape and do not have much of a waist, which rules do I follow? Thanks in advance for any help!!

2 hands! No wonder I couldn’t decide whether I was short or long waisted–I am average.

I never really understood the whole concept of short/long waist/rise etc (however, just recently started reading here and haven’t really been thinking about such issues before!), but now I’m getting closer to understanding! Thank you Angie and Imogen!

According to this test I’m short waisted – 1 hand and 1-2 fingers. However, I must have a long rise, since I’ve always seen myself as having a long torso – normal length tops are usually too short for me. At the same time I think I have quite short legs (or what is 30 inches inseam in relation to my total of 5′ 6″?) Angie, how does this correspond with your eyeballing?

For those of us who are short-waisted where are some good places to buy pants? I know BR was mentioned but where else? I am short waisted and long-legged so it’s always a problem.

Sorry, maybe it’s a good idea to link some photos when asking for advice! My nick here is KarinSwe, here are some body photos: http://s646.photobucket.com/albums/uu190/KarinSwe/. Would really appreciate any comments!

LOL, read the post at work and have to run to ladies room to measure right away!!! i m about two hand but still not sure…

’cause my large bust sit low and i have long crotch/rise (i think..) at 5’7”, long torso swimwear seem too long and regular seem a bit short. belt loop usually sit above my waist and its hard to find cami that’s long enough to tuck in.

Should I consider myself average or Long waist?

I can fit 2 1/2 hand widths but this is because I am tall rather than because I am long-waisted. My proportions are actually average according to the calculations I’ve seen in sewing books and the like.

Sigh…one hand for me. But I’d been accessed has being short waisted by the instructor of a sewing class I took a couple of years ago, so this method just confirmed it. Love this method…quick and easy!