Body shape calculator

Enter your bust, waist and hip measurements to see your shape. This is about clothes and comfort, not health or how anyone should look.

Your details

Your body shape

Bottom hourglass

For choosing clothes (FFIT method)

Bust minus waist7.0 in
An inch either waycould read as hourglass, so you sit near a line
Hips minus waist11.0 in
Hips minus bust4.0 in
High hipadd it to tell spoon and bottom hourglass apart
Waist to hip ratio0.73: under the WHO 0.85 line for women
Waist30.0 in, under the WHO 80 cm line
Waist to height (NICE)add your height for the NICE health check

Hips a little fuller than the bust, with a defined waist. High waisted styles and fitted tops follow that line. Every shape is a normal shape.

The working

The FFIT rules, in inches

We use the published FFIT rules, checked in order. Waist the widest of the three: round. Bust and hips within an inch with a waist 9 in smaller than the bust or 10 in smaller than the hips: hourglass. Hips 3.6 to 10 in bigger than the bust with a waist 9 in smaller than the hips: bottom hourglass (or spoon if your high hip is 1.193 times your waist or more). Bust 1 to 10 in bigger with a waist 9 in smaller: top hourglass. Hips 3.6 in bigger without that waist: pear. Bust 3.6 in bigger without it: inverted triangle. Everything close: rectangle.

A 37 in bust, 30 in waist and 41 in hips: hips are 4 in bigger than the bust and 11 in bigger than the waist, so bottom hourglass. Its waist to hip ratio is 0.73, under the WHO 0.85 line for women.

Tape measures wobble, so we run the rules again with each measurement an inch bigger and smaller. In the example, a waist an inch bigger (31 in) is still bottom hourglass, but hips an inch smaller (40 in) leave the waist only 10 in under the hips and the bust 3 in under them, which reads as hourglass. If that happens to you, you sit near a line and either set of clothing ideas may suit.

Health check

Waist to height, the NICE measure

Your shape is for clothes. For health, NICE uses waist to height: keep your waist to less than half your height. Add your height and we show the ratio with the NICE bands (under 0.5 no increased risk, 0.5 to 0.59 increased, 0.6 or more high). At 5 ft 5 in (165.1 cm), the 30 in (76.2 cm) waist in the example gives 0.46, under the 0.5 line.

The shapes

What each one means for clothes

Shape	Often comfortable in
Hourglass	Wrap dresses, belted coats, high waisted trousers
Bottom hourglass	High waisted styles, fitted tops
Top hourglass	V necks, belted waists
Spoon	Bootcut trousers, detail at the shoulder
Pear	A-line skirts, boat necks, structured shoulders
Inverted triangle	Wide leg trousers, V necks, full skirts
Rectangle	Most cuts, layers, peplum tops
Round	Longer tops, straight cuts, V necks

Where it comes from

The FFIT method

In 2004 researchers at North Carolina State University used 3D body scans of thousands of women to sort shapes for the clothing industry. Their method, called FFIT, sorts shapes with simple differences in inches, which we use as published. A 2020 update for plus size bodies added the waist widest check first.

The shape is for clothes. The health part is the ratio underneath: the WHO links a waist to hip ratio of 0.85 or more in women and 0.90 or more in men with higher heart and diabetes risk.

Questions

Common questions

What is the most common body shape?

In the original FFIT research, rectangle was the most common shape, ahead of pear and hourglass.

Is body shape linked to health?

Carrying more around the middle is linked to higher health risk, which is why the waist to height ratio exists. For health, use that rather than your clothing shape.

Does this work for men?

Roughly. FFIT was built on women's measurements, so for men the shape is a guide; the waist to hip line switches to the WHO 0.90 for men.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

Feeling low about your body?

Lots of people do at times. If it is getting in the way of life, talk to your GP, or Beat has a free helpline on 0808 801 0677.