By Zencalcy Editorial TeamLast reviewed About us
Body shape is a description of how bust, waist and hip measurements relate to each other. It is used in clothing fit and in some fitness contexts, but it is not a medical diagnosis. The calculator compares your three measurements and reports the closest standard shape.
Classify body shape from bust, waist and hip measurements.
Waist-to-hip ratio = waist ÷ hip Waist-to-bust ratio = waist ÷ bust Shape rules compare bust and hip within 5% and use waist ratios for the final class.
Shape categories are a fashion and fitness convention with no universal medical definition. This tool uses a transparent rule set: apple when the waist is at least 85% of both bust and hip; hourglass when bust and hip are within 5% and the waist is at most 75% of bust; pear when the hip exceeds the bust by more than 5%; inverted triangle when the bust exceeds the hip by more than 5%; otherwise rectangle.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bust | Circumference at the fullest part of the chest. |
| Waist | Circumference at the narrowest part of the torso. |
| Hip | Circumference at the fullest part of the hips and buttocks. |
The hip exceeds the bust by 6 cm, which is more than 5% of 98 cm, so the shape is pear. Waist-to-hip is 70 ÷ 98 = 0.71 and waist-to-bust is 0.76. Both ratios describe a relatively narrow waist.
Shape labels are useful shorthand for tailoring and for describing visible proportions, but they are not biological categories. The boundaries between 'hourglass' and 'rectangle' are arbitrary, and a one-centimetre change can move someone across a line. For health, the more useful question is where fat sits and how much there is. Waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio and trends in body composition answer that better than a shape name. For clothing, the practical value is in the ratios: knowing that your hip is wider than your bust helps you choose cuts that drape cleanly, and knowing your waist-to-hip ratio helps you pick high-rise versus low-rise fits. Use the label as a starting point for fit, not as a statement about health or attractiveness.
Continue with the ABSI Calculator (A Body Shape Index), Adjusted Body Weight Calculator, or the BAI Calculator (Body Adiposity Index) — or browse more body measurements tools and all health calculators.
Also see the Body Fat Calculator.
Rectangular and pear shapes are common in general population surveys. The distribution varies by sex, age and population, so no shape is abnormal.
Every result is a screening estimate from published anthropometric equations, not a diagnosis or a measurement of body composition. Tape measurements should be taken snugly against the skin without compressing it, at the landmarks named in each tool. Equations were derived in specific populations and can be less accurate for athletes, older adults, children, pregnant people and people with significant oedema.
Reference material used to build and check this calculator:
Last reviewed: September 2026. See how we build and check every tool on the about page.
Content updated: September 2026