We all know that there are majorly 5 body types. And we all fall in some category or the other. But does it get sometime confusing when we don’t exactly fit in these definition ? If that is the case then we must know a bit better about these shapes.
The five major categories that everyone talks about are the pear, apple, strawberry, hour glass and rectangle. But there are more categorisation to it. There is diamond, lean column, full hourglass and neat hour glass…
Is it too confusing ! You must be wondering now where do you fit in…
Now those of you who know their body type and those who don’t this will come to help for both of you. Some of you might have undergone a shape change over the years due to various reasons…so its good to stay updated.
The Pear shape / Traingle shape– When your bust is small and hips are broad with a defined waist. So there is gradual increase in the size. We also have spoon shape which is like pear shape but those who have a bit of weight in arms and thighs. [size eg.- 32″-34″-40″] (artists- Rani mukherjee/ Ilena D’cruz)
The inverted triangle/ strawberry shape– When you have broad shoulder, slim waist and small flat hips with toned legs and little difference between your hip and waist. It is exactly the opposite of traingle gradual decrease from top. [size eg.- 36″-34″- 33″] (artists: Sonam kapoor/ Bipasha basu)
The diamond shape – When your waist is the broadest and you have rounded almost equal bust and hips…post pregnancy we can see this shape in women.
The apple shape– When your bust is big , you have fullness in the middle with big rounded hips and good slender legs. [size eg.-42″-48″-40″] (artists: Sonakshi sinha/ Vidya balan)
The neat hourglass – When your shoulder n bust width and hip width are well proportioned with a sharp defined waist line.[ size eg.- 36″-24″-36″]( artists: Shilpa shetty)
The full hourglass– When your bust and hip are rounded and broad but you have a small waist.[size eg.- 36″- 28″-36″] (artists: Priyanka Chopra / Katrina kaif)
The column or banana (rectangle)– When you have small bust, narrow shoulder and a non defined small waist. [size eg.- 34″-32″-34″ ] (Kriti sanon/ Anushka sharma)
The rectangle or brick– When you have straight defined shoulder and rib cage with straight hips and bottom, not much defined but an average waist. Not a curvaceous body. [size eg.-36″- 34″-36″] (artists: Deepika padukone)
Now since we have come to know 8 major category of body types I would like to categorise it further for your better understanding …All these 8 types fall under 4 major umbrella of somato bodytypes.
Ectomorphs – Those who are long and lean, with little body fat, and little muscle. They have a hard time gaining weight. Fashion models and athletes fit in this category. They are genetically-blessed individuals, but they are far from womanly curves. The rectangle shape falls under this category.
Endomorphs – Those who have lots of body fat, lots of muscle, and gain weight easily specially heavier and rounder individuals. And they don’t have to necessarily be overweight. Apple or diamond shape falls under this category.
Mesomorphs – Those who are athletic, solid, and strong. They are neither overweight and nor underweight and they can eat what they want without worrying too much about it. about metabolism. They both gain and lose weight without too much effort. The inverted triangle falls under this category.
Combination somatotypes – Those who are combination of two body types. They include pear-shaped ecto-endomorphs with thin, delicate upper bodies and high fat storage in the hips and thighs, and apple-shaped endo-ectomorphs, with high fat storage in the mid-section and thin lower bodies.The hour glass / pear shape falls under this category.
I hope I have been able to clearly explain the different shapes. Now , start measuring yourself. Make sure that you wear as little as possible, to understand the shape of your body better . Stand in front of the mirror and check the shape of your torso, waist, rib cage, and hip line and check which part is the narrowest and which one is the largest.Jot down all the measurements, while checking your body parts, you also need to examine the parts that are straight and the ones which have a curved shape. While doing so, make a note of the best assets and the problem areas.
You can also read How to dress up according to body types in my blog to get an idea of various silhouettes that will suit your body type. I’ll address each shape in detail and give you the simple solution to look elegant and beautiful in no time .Not only western wear but indian ethnics too.
But again, that will be guidelines, they are not strict rules to be followed. So be yourself… what matters is always, You.
