Ask Angie and all the lovely ladies here: Body shape confusion

harmonica

I've realised I need to figure out my body type before moving further on my style journey.

According to a body calculator, I am a pear, spoon or bell. What's the difference between pear, spoon and bell?

As I've understood, a pear gains weight at the outer thighes, but I gain weight mainly in the tummy area.

I also think that my tummy makes me an apple - also because I can't see a very defined waist. And I think my toso is short (having problems with dresses with zipper at the back) , but I don't know what a "normal" or long torso should look like. And my legs arn't that long either. (and what to do with my double chin?)

Hopefully, a trained eye can spot my body type better than me. I'm confused.

Hight 158 cm = 5 feet 2 inch (petite size?)
Weight 61 kg = 134 ibs

Bust 87 cm = 34,3 inch
Below bust 78 cm = 31,5 inch
Waist 80cm = 31,5 inch
Hips 97 cm = 38,2 inch

Bra size (eur) 75B

Thank you for any comment on the matter. (This is really scary for me :-S)

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12 years ago

Body Type

14 replies

Latest reply was from em

qfbrenda

Veteran

One measurement that some calculators don't take into account is your shoulders. Around here, we call someone an hour glass if their shoulders and hips are close to the same width and if they have a defined waist. I see a defined waist on you, and your shoulders are at least as wide as your hips, if not a bit wider. I'm no Angie but if I were to guess, I would say you are an hourglass and a secondary apple. Some may say you are primarily an apple and I think a case could be made for that. What I don't see is a pear.

12 years ago

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

I totally agree with Brenda - an hourglass with apple tendencies. You are also definitely petite, being 5'2". You have an adorable figure!

12 years ago

ManidipaM

Veteran

Sorry, you're all out of pears, and I'm actually not seeing a lot of apples either --- at best a tendency, but not the first thing I see about you, so not your primary body type.

I'll admit I'm not much good at this, so can't decide whether I'm looking at a slightly curvier rectangle or less-curvy hourglass, though.

Seems you're sensitive about your chin(s)? How about a shorter hairstyle that swings forward along the jaw? Or if you don't want to lose all the length, just face framing bits in front to again, just curve around and cup the jaw. That should camouflage your chin in profile!

I'm not sure how exactly one figures out torso vs leg length. Maybe one of the other ladies will have the math. I'm a fellow petite and usually figure it out by comparison to other people my height and the normal fit problems. (For example, my mother and I are the same height standing up, but I'm noticeably taller sitting down --- so clearly she has longer legs and I have a longer torso.)

12 years ago

Fruitful

Veteran

Hi Harmonica! I regard myself as a pear, and although I'm not sure what type you are, I feel pretty sure you're not a pear.

QfBrenda alluded to the fact that body types are indexed slightly differently in different places. Take that into account. For example, even though I don't have narrow shoulders I see my upper body as smaller than my lower half because my bust is small. This may be contra to how some members assess bodies but I choose this way because it represents my figure flattery priorities.

I attached some of my pear-iest pics (they were hard to find because I usually adjust my shape with my clothes). Note I am wearing a maximiser bra, so in fact I'm a really a bust size or 2 smaller than I look. Also, lately I have started carrying some abdominal weight, however my basic type is still pear. Although there are a variety of different "pears" hopefully you can see this as an example for comparison.

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12 years ago

anne

Veteran

Well I can see some pear tendencies there! Not as much as Fruitful, but a similar amount to what I have. The reason I say that is that you seem to carry most of your weight from the waist down. But you do have reasonably wide shoulders and perhaps some apple tendencies too.

What I most noticed about you though, is that you have a long torso and short legs. I suggest reading up on that as a first priority, since I think you may be between several body types to some extent.

Have a look here and at all the related posts link at the bottom as well http://youlookfab.com/2008/05/.....g-waisted/

12 years ago

Aziraphale

Veteran

Your shoulders and hips match, and you have a smaller waist. I see hourglass, with maybe slight pear tendencies. It looks to me like you have a longish torso.

12 years ago

harmonica

Veteran

@ qfbrenda: thank you for informing me about the shoulder measurement. I'd forgot about that. For my sake, how do I measure my shoulders, all around or from shoulder to shoulder across the back, or another way??

@Transcona Shannon: Thank you for beeing so nice! When mentioning petite size, I got to think that maybe it is my size that makes zippers etc in the back too long, and not that I have a short torso.

@ManidipaM: Funny that you mention rectangle, because that has also been an option for body type, though I actually think that belongs more to my past (10-15 year ago) We all have our hangups, and one of mine is my chin. It doesn't really bother me that much, but if I can find a way to dress to make it less visible, I'd like to learn about that. And I havn't come across anything very useful. I used to have a bob that stopped just below my ears, but I got tired of it, so now I like it longer. :- )

@Fruitful: Interesting what you say about proportions and how you perceive yourself. I always thought my shoulders where normal or narrow (not IT) because they are sloping (another hangup). And as my bust is small, I think of my upper body as smaller than the rest. Thank you for adding the photoes, it makes it easier to understand the individual variations of the body type concept!!!

@anne: aha - I always thought one should fit into one body type and that made me confused and not sure at all. http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....ehourglass

@elisabeth: Thank you for answer. I just got to think how I often try to make my legs look longer by wearing a mid or high waist skirt, and that might be an indicator of longer torso/shorter leg?

12 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Welcome to the forum, harmonica!

I see an apple shaped body type, with a hint of hourglass. No pear shaped tendencies.

I am excited to see more of your style

12 years ago

harmonica

Veteran

Thank you so much for lending me your trained eyes!

Hopefully I will be able to play with and describe my style more precicely as I take baby steps into this great fashion/style forum

12 years ago

carillee

Member

Can some help me with my shape. Some body shape calculators say I am a bell and others say that I am a hourglass. I say that I am a apple with a big butt hips and breast I do have a round tummy. Measurements are 37.5 natural waist 31.5 and hips 41.5 around belly button is 34 inches and I am 5 foot 2

8 years ago

Minaa

Member

Nicee

7 years ago

Marina

Active Member

Hi, Harmonica

First: no, you don't have to be a single body type. Most women aren't. It is quite common to be in-between two types or to have a primary and a secondary types blending together to the point it turns confusing. I used to struggle with this a lot too since most internet descriptions are quite dogmatic. The way I see it now, apples and pears are women whose upper/lower imbalance is dominant feature. If you do have an imbalance but it is not your dominant feature you still have apple/pear tendencies and some of their tips may be useful, but not all of them will work for you (even if you are a apple or pear maybe not all their tips will work for you anyway). Also, apples and pears may or may not have a defined waist and knowing where their imbalance comes from is just as important as knowing what shape it is. Larger shoulders will create imbalance as much as a extra-heavy chest/bust, but they will do that in different ways.
From your measurements, sounds like you have a heavier bottom, small bust-waist difference and average bust so you can do good use of most pear tips, but since your smallest portion is not you waist -your underbust is - some of those tips will need adaptation. As a pear-ish type, keeping your bottom simple/darker, avoiding voluminous bottoms and using blouses with details/colors/patterns are good ideas, but avoid any tops with details around your waist. Details and belts marking your smallest point, ie, your underbust, will be a lot more flattering. Since there is a reasonable difference between bust and underbust but you underbust is smaller then your waist, you can make your body look more "hourglass-ish" using clothes with horizontal lines on your shoulders area while marking your underbust. Always make sure your shoulder line width is a good match for your hips width when doing this. Using a short jacket ending around you underbust, belting blouses and dresses or wraping shirts around your underbust and using empire waist dresses/blouses with sleeves will do exactly that. Some things you probably don't want: trapeze-shaped tops in stiff fabrics augmenting your belly;

trapeze-shaped dresses in stiff fabrics augmenting your bottom imbalance;
details and accessories on your waist line/belly area. Hope this is useful.

7 years ago

Liz

Veteran

Note that Harmonica first posted this four years ago -- the thread has been revived a couple of times. Perhaps other posters will find the information in the thread helpful.

7 years ago

Active Member

This post has made me hungry for a fruit compote. Or an apple tarte.

7 years ago

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