Inverted Triangle, Pear, or...?

I'm on here to figure out my body type since most of the body type calculators I've tried say I'm a pear, but that doesn't fit with my wide shoulders. My shoulders measure 39", my bust is 32", waist 27", hips 37". I wear a 32A bra. The widest part of my hip is much lower than my waist and most of my hip measurement is on my backside. I do have a noticeable difference between my waist and hips when I wear fitted clothes in all the same color, but my shoulders are noticeably wider than my hips. When I measure just my outline I'm 17-1/2" across at the shoulder, 11-1/2" across at the bust, 9-1/2" at the waist, 14-1/4 hip. My best guess is that my overall shape is inverted triangle with pear tendancies. I'm not busty like an inverted triangle, but I am curvier through my hips than across my bust and have the long waist of a typical pear, though since I am tall and thin, I would never call my hips or thighs heavy (I have a thigh gap). Sometimes pants for my size don't have enough butt for me to fit into or are cut too large at the waist, leaving a big gap at my low back. Would love feedback. Thank you!

8 years ago

Caro in Oz

Veteran

It's really hard to tell without photos You do sound pearish to me but I'm not an expert. Also I think the right piece of clothing can blow away all the so called dressing rules.

Sal

It sounds like you are a mix of a couple of shapes....being tall and slim with wide shoulders means you can probably wear lots of clothes well.

I think IT is more about the shoulders and frame than the bust? but I don't know.

Welcome anyway!

Chiara

Active Member

You sound very similar to me- I have broad, angular shoulders, small bust and very slim torso, very slim waist (but less so after children), high hip (where the pelvic bones stick out, at the front) is slim, but low hip (at the top of the thigh) is at least as wide as my shoulders. This causes no end of fit problems- I have to buy so that trousers and skirts fit at the low hip, and then get adjustments made for my waist. Otherwise things that fit at the low hip always, always gape at the higher hip and waist. Thank goodness I have now found an accomplished tailor who can do this! Body typers sometimes call this width at the low hip a 'Yang hip pad' eg see here for exhaustive discussions https://www.pinterest.com/racheln/body-types/ because of the way it appears to elongate the torso

A lot of the trad recommendations for pears shapes (eg empire line) also don't work so well, due to being skinny on top. I do, however, generally look better in long straight or slim bootcut trousers, no skinnies or cropped. My fallback uniform used to be very fitted top to the high hip, and then straight or bootcut long trousers (the length is really important, as a wider low hip can appear to shorten the legs- so my trousers have to go to almost the floor when I wear flat shoes). But not I am not as toned in the tummy now, so look best in narrow, fitted tops in woven fabrics (so no cling), ending at high hip, and then the same trousers. I find structured, narrow fitted tops still work better than loose, clingy or unstructured...

Caro in Oz: My profile picture has me wearing a big bag strapped across my body, but it's a picture of me from behind in all black and you can see the width of my shoulders compared to my hips as well as the curve of my waist and hips. It seems I would be IT, but all the advice for minimizing my bust is useless, whereas the suggestions for avoiding things like shoulder pads are a given for me. I started doubting that I was a pear shape when I read I should be putting dark colors on my bottom half. I'm as likely to wear bright or bold print pants with a solid color fitted top as I am to wear a colorful bat wing top with a fitted waist and leggings. Chiara: I couldn't find an example of a "yang hip pad" based on your link or an internet search, but the bottom middle right drawing is pretty much what I look like - http://imgur.com/gallery/vZdM7Prhttp:// Kiwigal: it's a fine line. I look like a 12 year old in the wrong fit - totally shapeless, structured clothing often hit me wrong at the waist or hip, and my torso is long enough that one piece bathing suits that fit properly around my body either ride up in the seat or flatten my chest even more. Thank you for the feedback ladies!

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