Understanding and determining your body shape is often the first step in learning how to dress in a way that makes your body look its best. Nearly every woman has problem areas she would like to cover, as well as positive features she would like to show off. Shameena, our Malaysia-based Fashion Editor educates us about the eight kinds of body shapes that women have, in the weekly column, exclusively in Different Truths.

Recap: Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is an expression of one’s inner self or selfhood. Understanding selfhood emerges to ‘Love Yourself’. Allowing the truth of who you are, accepting yourself as what is and loving yourself with compassion – means to rule your life by stopping the struggle and learn to move forward loving yourself. Your love for your body entices birth of a new fashion within you!

Understanding and determining your body shape is often the first step in learning how to dress in a way that makes your body look its best. Nearly every woman has problem areas she would like to cover, as well as positive features she would like to show off. Life is a struggle. As long as there is life, our body has to deal with aging. Especially for mothers who go through the pain of stretch mark, C-section scars, sagging breasts and floppy tummy. Some of us use corset and body magic to hide it. Some of us use push up bra to feel sexy. But when we get into the bathroom, naked and see the real body, we should remind ourselves that we produced a creature, a human being! That is priceless enough to make us feel proud, important and courageous to love our own body shapes as it is.

I was a victim of post-pregnancy body issues for years. I had gone through a six inches of super wrinkled saggy skin issue and emotional breakdown. Body shame and appearance anxiety resulted in self-objectification in me. Self-objectification takes place when we feel ashamed and hide, or parts of ourselves, from the world because we don’t meet the ideals we think we should, or we work to change the parts of us that just don’t cut it. Self-objectification blocked me for many years till I realised the risk to remain was more painful than the risk it took to bring changes to overcome it.

Accepting my body as what it is, enchanted love and confidence in my own body to a great extent than regular exercises, healthy diet or surgery helped me to recover it.

Not every trend is for everybody, and that’s okay.

Understanding the value of dressing for your particular shape promises more comfort and confidence in embracing your silhouette, rather than struggling against it. The first step is to ask, “What body shape am I?”

In this guide, we’ll talk about properly examining your body, taking your measurements, and determining what body type you fall into. Examining your shape allows you the opportunity to gain a better understanding of what these areas are, which will later allow you to learn about dressing to flatter your figure.

Use the body shape calculator link to determine your body-shape[i].

These are the eight major female body shapes according to a study of over 6000 women. Among these body shapes, five most commonly identified body shapes according to fashion experts are named as: Apple, Pear, Ruler (also called rectangle), Hourglass and Inverted triangle.

Inverted Triangle Body Type

• Your shoulders or bust are larger than your hips.
• Your shoulder or bust measurements are more than five per cent bigger than your hip measurement. For example, if your shoulders measure 36 inches, your hips will be 34 1/4 inches or smaller.
• Your hips are slim and your bottom may have a tendency towards the flat side.
• Your waist is subtle and you have a tendency to gain weight in your belly and upper body.
• Your beautiful, shapely legs are your asset.

 The Rectangle Body or Straight Body Shape or Ruler Body Type

• Your shoulders, bust, and hips are about the same size, with no defined waistline.
• Your shoulder, bust, and hip measurements are within 5 percent of each other. Your waist is less than 25 percent smaller than your shoulder or bust measurements. For example, if your shoulders measure 36 inches, your waist will be 27 inches or more.
• You probably have a bottom that is more flat than round.
• You tend to gain weight in your torso first and then your upper thighs and arms.
• Your lower legs are always shapely and one of your best assets.

The Apple Body or Oval Body Type

• Hips and shoulders have the same width; waistline has the same width or is wider
• You gain weight mainly around the waist
• Slender lower legs and arms
• Your high hip is wider than your lower hip
• Your bust and/or midriff are larger than your hips
• You might be of short waist
• Your thighs or hips are probably the narrowest part of your body

The Pear Body or Triangle Body Type:

• Your hips are wider than your shoulders.
• Your hip measurement is more than five per cent bigger than your shoulder or bust measurements. For example, if your shoulders measure 36 inches, your hips are 37 3/4 inches or larger
• You have an athletic build.
• You probably have rather flat buttocks.
• You might have a larger chest and fuller back than rectangles.
• When inverted triangles gain weight, they usually gain it through the torso and back area.

The Neat Hourglass Body or Full Hourglass Body Type: 

• Your shoulders and hips are around the same size, with a well-defined waistline.
• Your shoulder and hip measurements are within five per cent of each other.
• Your waist is at least 25 per cent smaller than your shoulder, hip and bust measurements. For example, if your shoulders and hips measure 36 inches, your waist is 27 inches or smaller.
• You have round and sloping shoulders.
• You have a well-defined waistline.
• Your buttocks are rather round.
• Your lower hips are wider than your high hips.
• Your thighs are full but narrower than the lower hips.
• Hourglass body shapes gain weight through the hips and above the waist.

Now that you have known your body shape, you can find dresses that flatter your figure, pants that fit perfectly or tops that look great on your shape. How do you determine what to wear with the overall silhouette of your body? Stay tuned for my upcoming article appears exclusively on Different Truths.

[i] http://www.calculator.net/body-type-calculator.html

©Shameena Abdurahiman

Photos sourced by the author and the net.

#FashionFunda #BodyType #LoveYourself #BodyTypeMesure #BodyAndFashion  #DifferentTruths

Shameena Abdurahiman

Shameena is a Self-made independent entrepreneur, Fashion Designer and Stylist, Artist, Photographer, Fitness freak, Poet, Blogger, Graphic Designer, Life strategist and many other things. Her collections cater to a broad range of women, from classic to modern, fusion and embrace all attitudes from romantic to dramatic. She is currently situated in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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