Wasted Waisted - YouLookFab Forum

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Wasted Waisted

Nicole

Veteran

How does one figure out if she is short, long, or regular waisted? Everything I have read, refers to some undisclosed average number in which to compare my measurements to. Since they don't tell me what that magic average number is, it's really not very helpful!

General

20 replies

Latest reply was from shiny

Anonymous

I consider myself long waisted and I think one way to know is that one piece swim suits are always to short and creep up in a most uncomfortable way.
I don't know about the numbers you are asking about but it seems that visually you can see if normal pants seem to ride high on your waist if you are short waisted, or low on the waist of a long waisted person.

mayapple

It's not an exact science. I'm short waisted, but most pants are short on me cause of my bum, so anything that indicates a short waist could also potentially indicate something else.

Really, I could just tell. There is no indentation indicating where my waist is, even though I don't carry my weight in the middle. Tops tend to be long on me. My inseam is very long for a petite gal and makes up 1/2 of my total height. Cinch belts ride up on me because there isn't a place on my torso where they can sit comfortably. If I could just push my hips south by an inch or two and give my torso a little more room, I would feel more proportionate. Right now my body is set up in a way that my shoulders basically go straight into my chest and then flare out into my hips. There is no breathing space in between, where most women have a waist.

AnaElizabeth

J. Crew has a measurement for bathing suits here:

http://www.jcrew.com/help.snip.....jhtml#swim

Click: "Find if you have a long torso" and it will tell you how to measure. It's probably only for their brand, but it might give you a starting point.

I think having a long/short torso has a lot to do with how proportional it is to the rest of your body. For example, I am 63.5 inches tall, and my inseam is 29. I always have to wear short length pants (and they're still too long), when some girls who are my height have a longer inseam, because their legs are longer. I think I probably have an "average" length torso, but in proportion to my legs, it seems much longer than it probably really is.

It's good that you ask this, because it's important to find out, and dress so that your body looks more in proportion. I wonder if there is some "golden ratio" that is considered ideal, like, "Your legs should account for 1/2 your body, torso should be 3/4 the length of your legs, etc."

mayapple

Wow Ana, you look so much taller in your pictures! I'm very envious. I'm 62" and I would have never guessed you're only a bit taller than I am. But this definitely illustrates a point: you're an inch and a half taller than me, but your inseam is 2 inches shorter than mine.

The J Crew thing is pretty accurate from what I can tell. According to them, a woman my size should have a 58.5" torso. Mine is only 55.5".

AnaElizabeth

Thanks, Maya, that makes me so happy! My short legs have been the bane of my existence (well, not really, but I do struggle to find pants). It goes to show what correct dress/pants length can do!

mayapple

I honestly thought you were quite tall...at least 5'5, but probably morel ike 5'8 or so. You definitely succeeded in giving yourself a long, lean frame. The dress was definitely a big contributor to that!

Nicole

Veteran

I can't beleive I'm going to post these numbers publically. But no wonder clothes never fit me right!!! Ok here goes.

I'm 64" tall
Bust 42"
Natural Waist 34"
Hips 38"
Torso (under the crotch diagonally over my shoulder) 61.5"
Inseam 29"

My Natural Waist seems VERY high to me...I would NEVER wear my pants there, but that is where I put my hands when I place them on my sides, and that is where I naturally bend when I bend over sideways. It's about 4" above my belly button.

I tried to meausre my shoulders, but that wasn't working out so well. The tape measure kept falling off me. So I measured only the front half, and that was 21". So if you were to double that, 42" and maybe an inch either way for error.

Oy!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

How are you measuring your natural waist Nicole?

Nicole

Veteran

When I stand infront of a mirror, there is a definate area where I indent. This is also the exact spot I would put my hands on if you told me to put my hands on my waist, and it's also the exact spot that creases if I were to bend to the side. I use that indentation and just use a fabric tape measure. I'm not squeezing the tape tight, but it's not loose either.

If this is not my natural waist, then I have no idea how to determine what my natural waist would be.

AnaElizabeth

Nicole, that's where I measure my natural waist as well.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Are you going over your bust or alongside your bust?

Nicole

Veteran

I don't understand the question.

I thought we were talking about measuring my waist--not my bust. I'm not trying to be cheeky--I know my bust is low...but not THAT low!

AnaElizabeth

Nicole, I laughed out loud at that last post.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Ha! Sorry about the confusion Nicole. Sometimes a natural waist measurement is form your shoulder point to your waist point, and not actually AROUND your middle. I believe that your bustline is high and pert!

Nicole

Veteran

Ok well let's not get carried way... More like low and droopy. Thank goodness for bras...which reminds me...I think my body has changed since my last bra overhaul and I'm in need of a new bra style. I am dreading the process but I know it must be done.

mayapple

I'm confused--how would measuring from your shoulder to your waist give you your waist measurement? Am I missing something?

deniserohauspenntwporg

Member

Angie. . . . you all left me hanging!!! I think I'm short waisted, but not sure, so I'm really interested in how to determine it. Thanks

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I'm sorry Denise! I cannot determine whether you are short waisted from measurements. I would need to fit clothes on your body. It’s possible that you’re not though. Are you regular height but fit into petite clothes?

shiny

Veteran

I am
I'm 60" tall
Bust 33B"
Natural Waist 26"
At the belly button 29-30
Hips 33"
Torso (under the crotch diagonally over my shoulder) 58.5"
Inseam 28"

By jcrew standards i should fit in a regular swim suit. Never tried theirs on, but I do have luck whenever I can find a size 6 and sometimes a size 4 bathing suit that's a one piece (the usual assortment is bikinis only in that size range, and I'm long past the stage where I'd be caught dead in one).

Fitting in Jcrew or any regular tops, is hit or miss for me. It may fit width wise, but since I am short from shoulder to bra band, often regular tops will dip way too low and armholes too low. A petite fits *Much* better... except sometimes the sleeves will be too short.

shiny

Veteran

I should add that, for pants, a petite is often scaled perfectly everywhere.... except the rise. I often find the pants fit perfectly but the rise is way too short and gives me camel toe!!! I can buy regular pants that fit in the rise and maybe the waist, but then would require major alteration along the side seams not just the hem.