It’s The Shape That Matters, Not Size

As a stylist, I often come across women who are unable to appreciate their features because they are so confused about their bodies. From trying to strike a balance between the top half and the bottom half to their belly dictating how they dress, it usually ends up making dressing up especially for work a conundrum.

We’d like to tell all you lovely ladies reading this, that there is no perfect size to make you look and feel fabulous. But an understanding of your body shape surely does. A pear-shaped person can just as easily be a size S as she can be a size XXL. To us at FableStreet, each woman is unique & beautiful and this blog, the first in the series, is written to help you ladies understand your bodies and along the way, we’ll be sharing some tools to help you dress according to your shape and not your size.

First things first. What is your body type? The assured way to figure this out is by taking four body measurements: Shoulders, bust, waist and hips. The relationship among these measurements will reveal the shape of your body. So, grab your measuring tape, strip down to your innerwear and let’s get started.

	SHOULDERS Place the measuring tape on top of the shoulders. Measure from the edge of the left shoulder across to the edge of the right shoulder.
	BUST Take the tape and put it around the fullest part of your bust. Make sure the tape is levelled properly. Do not tighten the tape or breathe in while doing so.
	NATURAL WAIST To identify your natural waist, bend sideways and put a thumb to figure out where your waist creases. Do the same for the other side. Once these two points are identified, level the tape around them to get the right measurement of your natural waist.
	HIPS Measure only the fullest, most protruding part of your bottom—it could be from the side or from the back. Once that’s identified, stand facing the mirror accordingly, i.e. if side hips are more protruding—stand facing front, and if it is more protruding from the back—stand facing side. Take the tape and level it properly around the fullest part to get the correct measurement.

Now that you have measured yourself, let’s apply the algorithm and see which body type you are.

	PEAR The pear body shape is characterised by large hips which are wider than the bust and shoulders. 1. Shoulders are narrower than hips and may be sloped 2. The Chest is narrower than the hips 3. A defined waist thanks to larger hips 4. Heavier arms and thighs 5. Full hips and/or thighs 6. Chest and hips difference is 3-4 inches 7. Weight gains tend to first be visible around the hips, thighs and lower tummy area.
	APPLE Typical characteristics of the apple body shape are a large bust, narrow hips and a full midsection. Often, apple-shaped bodies tend to have slender legs and flat bottoms. 1. Rounder, wider shoulder line and flattish bottom 2. Average to big bust 3. Fullness around the midsection 4. Little to undefined waistline 5. Narrow hips 6. Slim limbs and shapely legs 7. Weight gains are first visible in the central torso/tummy area 8. Difference between the chest and hip can be about 2-3 inches
	HOURGLASS The hourglass body shape is characterised by hip and bust measurements nearly equal in size, with a narrower waist measurement. The shoulders are slightly round and the legs are in proportion with the upper body. 1. Slightly round shoulders 2. Bust and hips are of the same width 3. Small and defined waist 4. Bottom and hips are rounded 5. Bigger thighs 6. Weight gains typically distribute evenly throughout the body
	RECTANGLE The rectangle body shape is characterised by equal bust, waist and hip measurements.‍ They are not particularly curvy, the waist is not well-defined and the bottom is rather flat. 1. Bust and hips are approximately the same width 2. Small to average midriff 3. Very little to no waist definition 4. Straight hips and bottom 5. Lack of curves throughout the body frame 6. Weight gains typically distribute evenly throughout the body

Now that you’ve identified your body shape, it’s time to know how to dress for it. Stay tuned as we bring you blogs on how to dress for your body type.

All images used are the sole property of FableStreet and cannot be used without prior permission from the brand.