Height perception?

Suzanne

Hello,

I am new to this forum I am Suzanne and I am 28 years old, nice to find this website. I hope I am posting in the right place

Does anyone get perceived a lot taller than their actual height? I am 5’6 and around 60kg but people usually perceive me a lot taller? I got measured recently at doctors and it came up 5’6 exactly as usual

Here is a link/post of my body, sorry that it’s not the best picture. What is it about my figure that makes me seem taller?

https://i.redd.it/jikhf13y4hxc.....b_view=ios

Sorry if this is a silly question I am just curious! I am new to the kibbe body types system, I only just heard of it!

Best wishes and thank you,

Suzanne

4 months ago

Body Type

20 replies

Latest reply was from lyn67

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

Hi Suzanne, welcome to the forum!

I think not everyone here follows Kibbe Types but you're right that height plays a big part - I know David Kibbe says you 'can't' be particular Kibbe Types if you're above or below certain height ranges. Which can make it problematic because it seems to be a very rigid system (if you follow it the way the creator David Kibbe intended). I've seen discussions about being perceived as shorter in Kibbe, but not taller.

I'm about 5ft3 but people who know me usually guess me to be at least 5ft6. They're genuinely shocked when I tell them the truth - I've been told it's because of my outspoken personality lol but I think it also has something to do with proportions:
E.g. people with bigger heads may be perceived as shorter (i.e. your head length x 5-6 = your height), but 7-8 heads tall is considered tall.
Also having long limbs (i.e. fingertips that extend past mid thigh, &/ or elbows not as waist height).
At least that was what I was taught about human anatomy in art, lol.

4 months ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Welcome to the forum, Suzanne!

(I don't follow Kibbe, but am familiar with the concept).

I'm 5ft 6 too. My legs are refgular length, and my arms are on the longer side.

Unlike Zaeobi and yourself, people tend to think of me as shorter. I think that's because I'm slight and have a dainty frame. Small head, narrow shoulders, small bones, and I never wear heels

4 months ago

Star

Veteran

Hi Suzanne and Welcome! Just a guess but I think it could be when people have long legs they are perceived as taller. For example, two people may be the same height but the one who has longer legs and a shorter torso looks taller than the one with shorter legs and a longer torso. Personally I think 5.6 is reasonably tall.

4 months ago

DonnaF

Veteran

The clothes one is wearing and their particular proportions, color and cut can also make a huge difference.

4 months ago

Suzanne

Member

I feel like my body looks somewhat proportionate, but I think it must be my arms that create a taller illusion as my elbows hit abit past my waist!

My inseam is 29 inches
My wrist size 6 inches
Shoe size EU 39 UK 6

So I guess im medium frame? Not petite

As for my head i have no idea how to perceive my head i think its not small or big in comparison to the rest of me

4 months ago

Irina

Veteran

I’m 5’3 or 160 cm, I’m a petite woman. I never thought of how people perceive me - shorter or taller. I know that I look taller in photos, probably due to having longer legs and shorter torso.

I never actually wanted to look taller and disregard all styling advice like “wear this to look taller”. Don’t see a reason for that at all.

4 months ago

Sal

Veteran

I think there are a few factors at play - posture is one, type of clothing ( you are wearing a column of colour which is elongating) and length of limbs.

I am 174 cm - 5 ft 8 - and I feel tall and people see me as tall - even though it’s not especially so. I am taller than most of my friends, the tallest sister of three - one is similar - and taller than my Dad. My husband is one inch taller. I always played defence in sport and was in the tall row in a class photo. Dresses are often a bit shorter than I would like when I try them on.

You look great - and 5 6 is a nice height for shopping for - that can be an advantage.

4 months ago

April

Veteran

I used to be 5'2" and now am probably more like 5'1". In college, Friend A was my same height but Friend B told me I came across as taller because Friend A "acted short."

I had no idea what he meant at the time but I do now. Something about acting independent.

FWIW, the average adult female height in the US is 5'4".

4 months ago

Joy

Veteran

I am 5'2" now but used to be5'4" and thought of myself as taller because I reached this height early and had to stand in the back row for class pictures. I am shrinking as I get older because of osteoporosis. My legs remain long, but I can no longer reach shelves I used to reach. I often dress in a column of a color to appear taller.

4 months ago

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I think perception of height has to do with all the things mentioned here: physical proportions, personality, head size and perhaps shoulder width. I am about 5'3" and have been perceived as taller now and then. In Kibbe I think this is referred to as having a long vertical line fwiw.

4 months ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I think perception of height has to do with all the factors that have already been mentioned -- as well as the perceiver! If you are among a group of people who are taller than you, they may see you as short (even if you are not) and if you are among a group of smaller people, they might view you as tall. regardless of your actual height. I have a friend who is, objectively, relatively tall (about 5 8") but she sees herself as HUGE and galumphing because in a family of sisters, she is by far the tallest one. My own mother was always considered tall in her family (at about 5'6") because she was much taller than her sisters and her brothers were not very tall themselves.

4 months ago

Suntiger

Active Member

Yep people think I'm taller- I'm 5'3" but long legs + short torso. Ok yep if I'm not next to DH- who is 6'4"

4 months ago

Jen

Active Member

This must all explain why I seem shorter (than the 5’5” I am) to many people— big head, check; short arms and legs, check. Sometimes I think I have the proportions of a baby in adult size!

4 months ago

RobinF

Veteran

Interesting conversation. I am short, 5'2" and never really thought about how people perceive me - no one would think I am not short. But sometimes when I see a picture I am surprised at how short I actually am - haha. Maybe I am taller in my own mind.

4 months ago

Ginger

Veteran

My experience jives more with Sal's. I'm 5'9" and people perceive me as tall. I grew fast and stopped young, and used to get comments in dance class on my long legs. Sometimes I'm asked to reach things in the grocery store. Growing up all my friends were a lot shorter than me (though not now, even with older age groups). I felt pretty huge, and still do at times.

But unlike Sal and Suz's friend, I fit right in with both sides of my family.

My mom's side is "normal" tall. She's the short one at 5'7"; my two aunts are my 5'9" or 5'10"; my uncle is 6'3".

My dad's side is TALL. He's 6'8", his brother was 6'6", and his sister is 6'1". My three brothers are 6'3", 6'8", and 6'3".

I haven't felt tall at home since I was about 15 and the first brother shot past me. I feel slightly amused on the rare occasions when someone is going on about how tall I am, since "you don't know what tall is!" LOL! Human beings have so much variety!

Then I guess if anything, I'm perceived as taller than I actually am. Many people have no frame of reference for truly tall women.

4 months ago

L'Abeille

Veteran

I am often perceived as taller than people my same height, and I feel the same height as people who are taller. I think it must be due to a low forehead or something like that, because when I look straight into someone's eyes at the same level, they are usually a bit taller than me.

4 months ago

anchie

Veteran

Interesting. My daughter and me are same average height, but people often comment on her height, perceiving her as tall. She has smaller frame, but longer limbs and longer neck than me.

4 months ago

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

To calculate head size, take a normal* full-length photo of yourself & measure the length of your head. Then see how many times that length fits into your overall vertical frame. Hope I've explained that well enough, lol.

(*not angled unnaturally downwards or upwards, like in a selfie shot)

4 months ago

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

Height perception is very relative:

In the UK, I always went to the front of school photos (I knew I'd be shorter than my classmates haha).

But in South Asia, with family, I was considered tall for a girl.

Yet here in HK, the sleeves on local clothing are always too short (about bracelet length). Chinese women must have shorter limbs than me?

You just can't win, lol.

4 months ago

lyn67

Veteran

I just don't know, but haha- I never thought of Angie, being smaller! I have to say her slim frame, long neck and arms are making me perceive her person possibly even taller than she is-but I never met her in person unfortunatelly...

4 months ago

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