I quickly learned about body shape, but as humans are all fearfully and wonderfully made, our shapes can be complex. I've frustrated myself silly trying to discover exactly what I am (thankfully I know now, so I can pick out clothes in peace... mostly)! So to know your general shape, take your shoulder, bust, waist, and hip measurements exactly how I explain them. NOTE: Taking your shoulder measurement is not up for debate; to properly figure out your shape, you MUST take it. Most women do not know this and pears, cones and rulers quite often mistake themselves for hourglasses (see Kim Kardashian and Katy Perry).
1. Place measuring tape on the tip of your shoulders like a shawl, so it almost slips off. Write down the inches.
2. Standing up straight, measure around your back and the fullest part of your breasts, usually the middle of them, and as tautly as you can without smushing them. Write down the inches.
3. Wrap the tape around your torso, right where your waist is the smallest (wherever that may be, although it does need to be above your belly button). Write down the inches.
4. Hold the tape at one hip, below the hip bone, at the smallest part of your hip. Then, keeping the tape flat, wrap it around the largest part of your butt (and do NOT cheat!), your other hip, and bring it back to the meeting point.
Cone/Apple/Inverted Triangle: Your shoulders and/or bust are larger than your hips. You may or may not have a defined waist.
Just to be sure, check the numbers: Your shoulder or bust measurements are more than 5% bigger than your hip measurement.
For example: If your shoulders measure 36'' your hips will be 34 1/2'' or smaller.
Ruler/Rectangle: Your shoulders, bust, and hips are around the same size, with no defined waist.
Just to be sure, check the numbers: Your shoulder, bust, and hip measurements are within 5% of each other. Your waist is less than 25% smaller than your shoulder or bust measurements.
For example: If your shoulders measure 36'' your waist will be 27'' or more.
NOTE: most women have this shape! You may have a small waist or big breasts but that does not make you an hourglass, cone, or pear Do not try to convince yourself or anyone that you are one if you are not when you already have a great shape, the one God chose just for you.
Pear/Spoon/Triangle: Your hips are wider than your shoulders.
Just to be sure, check the numbers: Your hip measurement is more than 5% bigger than your shoulder or bust measurements.
For example: If your shoulders measure 36'' your hips are 37 3/4'' or larger.
Hourglass: Your shoulders and hips are around the same size, with a defined waistline.
Just to be sure, check the numbers: Your shoulder and hip measurements are within 5% ofeach other.
For example: If your shoulders and hips measure 36'' your waist is 27'' or smaller.
Helpful or what? Now, here's some celebrities (some mentioned by Bayou in his book), for both reference and so you can find yourself a body role model should you so choose to have one (NOT a personality/lifestyle role model, mind you! Also, even if you have the same shape, you don't have to look exactly like these women; you are fine as you are).
Cone Shaped Women:
Ruler:
Pear:
Hourglass:
So, as you can see, the human body, especially the female one, comes in many, many various shapes and sizes. Hourglasses can be skinny, pears can be tall and toned, rulers can have large chests, cones can be fat. It's the beauty of human appearances: we never look exactly the same as each other, nor should we ever try to!
Also, to clear something up- contrary to VERY popular opinion, hourglass shapes are neither of the following: 1) being overweight at all and 2) having large breasts/thighs/etc. An hourglass figure is exactly as I described it, and exactly like all the other shapes, it cames in many, many various weights and heights with many different cup sizes and such. In fact, the majority of hourglass-shaped women ARE skinny. I am not sure who the genius who started the "anyone with small boobs, especially if they are skinny, is incapable of having an hourglass figure" or "ruler shapes all look like little boys" but people, I AM hourglass shape (my build and shape are almost exactly the same as Candice's, I was shocked to find out) and people have called me a "twig"! Not to mention, aside from the fact that the vast majority of women in the world are ruler shaped (followed by pear, then some cones, then very few hourglasses), but a lot, such as the ones mentioned above, can have large breasts, thighs, etc., and even if they didn't, it would sound ridiculous to say they look exactly like little boys, and people who say that have obviously been looking too much at little boys since they see them everywhere.