Body Shape Calculator
Classify your body shape from bust, waist and hip measurements — the categories clothing sizing uses.
Body shape here is a proportion, not a health measure.
How the body shape calculator works
Body shape here is a proportion, not a health measure. The categories come from the FFIT (Female Figure Identification Technique) work at North Carolina State University, which analysed body-scan data to define the shapes clothing patterns are actually drafted for.
The rules compare three circumferences. An hourglass has bust and hips within a few centimetres of each other and a clearly smaller waist; a rectangle has little difference anywhere; a pear (triangle) has hips notably larger than bust; an inverted triangle the reverse; an apple carries the largest measurement at the waist.
One caution worth stating plainly: shape is about proportion and says nothing about health. Waist-to-height ratio is the measurement that carries health information, and there is a separate page for it.
Formula: compares bust, waist and hip; hourglass needs |bust − hip| small and waist at least 25% smaller
Worked examples
| Inputs | Body shape | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 92 / 72 / 98 cm | Bottom hourglass (pear) | hourglass |
| Hips much larger | Bottom hourglass (pear) | pear |
| Little difference anywhere | Rectangle (straight) | rectangle |
FAQFrequently asked questions
What are the body shape types?
Hourglass, pear (triangle), inverted triangle, rectangle and apple — the categories clothing patterns are drafted around.
How do I measure for this?
Bust at the fullest point, waist at the narrowest, hips at the widest — with the tape level and snug but not tight.
Does body shape say anything about health?
No. It is a proportion. Waist-to-height ratio is the measurement that carries health information.
Can my shape change?
Proportions shift with weight change, training and age, but the underlying skeletal frame does not.
What if I am between two shapes?
Very common — the boundaries are conventions with thresholds, not natural categories. Use whichever fits better for clothing.
Where these figures come from
- Mifflin MD et al., "A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals", Am J Clin Nutr 1990 — the BMR equation used here
- World Health Organization — Waist circumference and waist–hip ratio (2008 expert consultation) — waist-to-hip cut-offs
- Tanaka H, Monahan KD, Seals DR, "Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited", J Am Coll Cardiol 2001 — 208 − 0.7 × age
- Nathan DM et al., "Translating the A1C assay into estimated average glucose values" (ADAG), Diabetes Care 2008 — eAG = 28.7 × A1c − 46.7
- Mosteller RD, "Simplified calculation of body-surface area", N Engl J Med 1987 — BSA = √(height × weight / 3600)
- NHS — national health guidance
Last checked: September 2026. The equations are fixed by their published papers and do not change with tax years or regulations; the thresholds quoted in verdicts name the body that set them.