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What's my body type?

vesperholly

I've finally screwed up the courage to post some pics. I think I am a short-waisted 8, but I defer to the ladies of YLF. I grew up thinking that I had really wide shoulders, and always felt self-conscious of my thighs and hip shelf, so I think my body self-perception is probably not that good. I am 5'9", and find clothes shopping painful because of my bust, narrow ribcage, and high hip - most pants give me muffin top, and extra material at the back of shirts hangs down at the sides and makes me look wider. On top of this, shirts usually pull forward to show my bra, which makes me feel embarrassed and inappropriate. I would be grateful for any advice, tips or ideas that you all have. Thank you for taking the time to look!

http://imgur.com/a/tG4YT#0

Body Type

16 replies

Latest reply was from vesperholly

anne

Veteran

You are definitely an hourglass!! Possibly the 8 kind or sort of a cross between the X and 8 kind. What a tiny waist you have!

merwoman

Veteran

Congratulations VH on daring to post! It took me over a year to screw up the courage to post - and I am so glad I did - Angie and all the lovely YLFers have been instrumental in helping me on my style journey.
Not an expert on body shape by any means - but I see a beautiful hourglass figure in the pics you've posted. I concur with Anne - tiny waist! and you seem to lean towards the 8 body type. Lucky you to be 5'9!! I also see a strong shoulder line. I find it helpful to follow others with a similar body type to mine - I notice what clothes look good on them - and that helps me when I am shopping.

Tanya

Veteran

Hello, and welcome! You are an hourglass for sure, look at that tiny waist! I am not good at subtypes, that is x vs. 8 shape, but I am sure someone else will chime in on that.

Claudia

Veteran

I agree with anne's analysis. See Imogen's tips for dressing the 8 shape: http://www.insideoutstyleblog......ed/8-shape

But I think you are a very balanced cross between the X and 8 hourglass.

Scarlet

Veteran

I am not so good with figure details beyond hourglass, but I just wanted to say that you have an enviable figure and I hope you will learn to love it.

siniestra

def hourglass and a beautiful one..funny things women never are ok with their bodies...im really self-conscious about my body too specially my wide hips and i know what you mean ...with painful shopping ...but let me tell you this...I'm an 8 and even if i lose weight i look heavy from the bottom but skirts and dresses are my best friends and i tent to buy not regular shorts or jeans with in a curvy size !! and it really pays off ...hard to get them (i know) but cuffed shorts seems to help me a lot and skinnies! from forever 21 oh! and lots of trousers too!

Vildy

Veteran

Just another one chiming in to say what a gorgeous figure you have!

Anonymous

Thank you vesperholly for posting MY body - now I don't need to

Claudia - thanks for the link! In particular this video was helpful:

http://www.insideoutstyleblog......shape.html

Now I understand why dresses are so much easier for me to buy.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

Hello and welcome! I see an hourglass with secondary IT/Inverted Triangle. I can't say whether you are an 8 or an X, but I would go with your sense of things and you think that's an 8.

And I love your strong shoulder line!

Ali

I agree with hourglass - you have a great shape!

vesperholly

I feel overwhelmed by your kind words. Thank you for being so generous and warm in your encouragement (and in your welcome) - I never expected such positive words, and I truly feel that you have helped me to be more kind to myself and my body that serves me so well every day. It is wonderful to be armed with other voices to counter negative self-talk. I hope I can return the favor!

mtgirl: I'm delighted! Does this mean we're YLF twins? Paleo-experimenting 8's of the world unite. (Are you also tall?)

siniestra: I love your username. What kind of skirts do you find look best on you? I just gave away my a-line skirts, which I never wore and felt guilty about - it was strangely liberating. It felt good to realize that it wasn't my body that was wrong, they just didn't suit me. It's been a big deal for me to realize that shapes or colors that I like to look at don't necessarily look good on me, and to learn to train my eye to recognize what will. I'm enjoying the process. You mention cuffed shorts - what is it about the cuff that you find makes the difference? I'd be interested to hear more.

Re: skinny jeans, yes, a tight fit just below the hips makes such a difference for some reason - isn't it far more flattering somehow? I'm still not sure about tapered pants and worry about looking like a carrot or an ice cream cone.

(I sort of feel that 8s need a pants-buying support group....)

Thank you for the comments on my strong shoulder line! I'm looking forward to checking out the Inverted Triangle recommendations and learning something new. I want to hug you all!

vesperholly

P.s. What does a "defined waist" mean? Is it a v-shaped torso? I ask because my ribcage is pretty much the same width all the way down, no tapering to the waist, and I wonder if this makes a difference for belt placement, etc.... does anyone else have this? (mtgirl? :))

siniestra

Hey thanx for the compliment! siniestra actually means sinester lol which i love

Skirts: some are cool and sometimes total nightme
showing of your body in a good way: Bodycons, pencil skirt ,wrap skirt, tulip skirt REASON: im a bit flat from behind so i need things to fit my hips and don't look flat at all ...it accentuates and make celebrate my figuere...bodycons are bit racy but for work you can use the pencil skirt ...try get strechy fabrics that's what i tend to do
concealing: A line skirts ...i would try to get a full one
some of the reasons i rarely use non strechy band with button is cuz fit in my body but don't closes the buttor or i have to pull the skirt up...and if i add a size up the fit in the waist but baggy on the skirts
get maxis you will look lovely you are tall and can pull it off...
its mattes of proportions too
Dresses: pintucked ones, wrap dresses!
http://pinterest.com/siniestra.....hourglass/ that one of my inspiration boards
shorts: cuffed shorts for me is because im a bit flat and help shape my figure from behind if you have a nice bottom then just go for curvy size!
Jeans: big issues over here... i love skinnies reason it show my figure...but what i do to not look like a carrot is wearing high heels and throw a oversize shirt to balance or something semifitted that hits my below my hips to conceal
...i have read amazing stuff for this bootcut jeans sold in target is the DENIZEN i think is like 30 bucks but curvy girls love it ...you should give it a try! one again i mostly use the fitted trousers and a bit loose on the legs wear a bit in dark color ...and colors don't really matter if you balance it with the top! you are not overweight to no issues there!

Avoiding: stripes! horizontal ones...make you look wide but not all of them.
mmm... hi-low skirt, empire waist dresses, boxy shirts! turtle necks!

Get: hi-low shirts but semi fit ones ...it really help me with my skinnies!
peplum tops
V necks tops
hope it helps!

Joy

Veteran

Welcome, vesperholly. You have a lovely shape. Angie's guidelines for hourglass and inverted triangles (IT) should be a good starting place for you.

Beth Ann

Veteran

Nice to meet you VH! I concur with the other helpful posters. An hourglass is a lovely, feminine body type, and yours is very well balanced. As for pants and muffin tops, I'm waiting for high waist pants to become fashionable again!

vesperholly

Good morning from the Southern Hemisphere. Beth Ann and Joy, so nice to meet you! I had a look at the Inverted Triangle guidelines for the first time, and am excited by the new suggestions - I can also confirm that a lot of things listed do already work for me, like cowl necks, draped tops (probably my favorite), any kind of top with vertical seaming like princess seams, etc. I also love and wear turtlenecks, which is usually a no-no for full busts, but for some reason they work on me. (I have a long neck, so maybe that's why?) I've never considered "perfect" shirt length, but now I'm looking forward to playing around with it! (Any advice welcome!)

mtgirl/any other undiscovered body twins: I emailed Imogen from InsideOut Style with pics, and she said I am definitely an 8 and not an X, if that helps anyone. She says it is common for the high hip and low hip both to be wider or the same visually.

siniestra: This makes your name even better, as far as I'm concerned. Thank you for the amazing and detailed suggestions! I bought several cute little cotton pencil/minis a few months ago and have worn them more than any skirt I've ever had, so you are totally right about that. Yes to pintucked dresses! However, I haven't found a wrap dress that works for me yet, they usually wrap too far down, but will keep an eye out for that. I'm glad you understand the carrot fear and have taken steps to combat it Jeanswise, I sort of wish that we could buy maternity-style jeans where the waistband is an elastic swathe... wouldn't it be amazing? No more muffin top, and forgiving if you gain a few.

I loathe hi-low skirts. I'll try on some hi-low tops now, though, if I can find a fitted-ish one!

As far as I'm concerned, I could wear a peplum every day of my life. LOVE. THESE.