Body Type Calculator

How this body type calculator works

This body type calculator, also called a body shape calculator or female body shape calculator, compares four measurements: bust, waist, high hip, and hips. It uses the Female Figure Identification Technique (FFIT), developed at North Carolina State University to sort women's figures into seven shapes for clothing design, and also works out your waist–hip ratio. Measurements can be in inches or centimeters.

Your body shape is a description for finding clothes that fit and flatter, not a measure of health or an ideal to aim for. The waist–hip ratio says more about health.

How to measure

Stand straight with your arms at your sides and keep the tape level and snug, but not so tight that it presses into the skin. Measure the bust at its fullest point, the waist at its narrowest, the high hip across the top of the hip bones, and the hips at their widest.

The WHO measures the waist midway between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone, which can read slightly larger than the narrowest point. For the WHO comparison, you can measure there instead, though that number may change your body shape result.

What is my body shape? The seven FFIT shapes

Differences are in inches (1 in = 2.54 cm). Measurements can meet more than one rule.

• Hourglass: bust − hips ≤ 1 in and hips − bust < 3.6 in, and either bust − waist ≥ 9 in or hips − waist ≥ 10 in.
• Bottom hourglass: hips − bust from 3.6 in to under 10 in, hips − waist ≥ 9 in, and high hip ÷ waist < 1.193.
• Top hourglass: bust − hips more than 1 in and under 10 in, and bust − waist ≥ 9 in.
• Spoon: hips − bust more than 2 in, hips − waist ≥ 7 in, and high hip ÷ waist ≥ 1.193.
• Triangle (pear): hips − bust ≥ 3.6 in and hips − waist < 9 in.
• Inverted triangle (apple): bust − hips ≥ 3.6 in and bust − waist < 9 in.
• Rectangle (banana): bust and hips within 3.6 in of each other, bust − waist < 9 in, and hips − waist < 10 in.

In the fashion industry these are often grouped into four: apple (inverted triangle), banana (rectangle), pear (triangle and spoon), and hourglass. In the SizeUSA and SizeKorea body scan data that FFIT was used on, rectangle was the most common shape in both countries.

Waist to hip ratio calculator

The waist–hip ratio is your waist divided by your hips. A 30 in waist and 40 in hips give 30 ÷ 40 = 0.75. Fat carried around the waist is linked to a higher risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes than fat carried on the hips, and the World Health Organization treats a ratio of 0.85 or more in women (0.90 or more in men) as a sign of substantially increased risk. The scale in the results shows where your ratio falls.

Frequently asked questions

What is my body type if no shape matches?

Some combinations of measurements fall outside all seven rules, for example a bust 10 in or more larger than the hips with a waist much narrower than the bust. That is normal. Use the shape whose description fits you best, or check that each measurement was taken at the right spot.

Why do I get two body shapes?

The FFIT rules overlap in places, so measurements near a boundary, such as hips a little larger than the bust with a defined waist, can meet the rules for both hourglass and spoon. Both shapes describe you, and clothing advice for either will usually work.

Is this a body type quiz?

No. A body type quiz asks how you see yourself; this body shape calculator uses your actual measurements and fixed rules, so the same numbers always give the same shape.

Does this work for men?

The seven shapes were developed for women's clothing. The waist–hip ratio works for anyone, but the WHO cut-off for men is 0.90, not the 0.85 used for women in the results.

Limitations

Body shapes are cultural and fashion categories with wide ranges of sizes inside each one, and many bodies sit between them. The waist–hip ratio is a screening measure, not a diagnosis. It does not account for age, ethnicity, or overall body size, so talk to a doctor about what it means for you.