Body Shape CalculatorHourglass body shape is a figure where the bust and hips are nearly equal in size and the waist is much smaller than both. The hourglass rule is a bust within 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the hips and a waist at least 9 inches (22.9 cm) smaller than the bust or 10 inches (25.4 cm) smaller than the hips.
Hourglass body shape, also called X shape, is one of the 8 body shape types. Hourglass body shape has two variations, top hourglass and bottom hourglass, that keep the small waist but shift the balance toward the bust or the hips. You can find your body type with four measurements to confirm an hourglass body shape.
What Are the Hourglass Body Shape Measurements?
The hourglass body shape measurements are a bust within 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the hips and a waist at least 9 inches (22.9 cm) smaller than the bust.
| Measurement comparison | Rule (in) | Rule (cm) | Example (in) | Example (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bust − hips | ≤ 1 | ≤ 2.5 | 38 − 38 = 0 | 96.5 − 96.5 = 0 |
| Hips − bust | < 3.6 | < 9.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Bust − waist or hips − waist | ≥ 9 or ≥ 10 | ≥ 22.9 or ≥ 25.4 | 38 − 27 = 11 | 96.5 − 68.6 = 27.9 |
The hourglass rule is based on the FFIT classification by Lee, Istook, Nam and Park (2007).
How Do You Know If You Have an Hourglass Body Shape?
An hourglass body shape shows four signs.
- Balanced bust and hips: the bust and hips look the same width from the front.
- Defined waist: the waist is clearly the narrowest point of the torso.
- Curved sides: the side outline curves in at the waist and out at the hips.
- Even weight change: weight gain spreads to the bust and hips together.
Measuring confirms the signs, following how to measure your body shape.
What Are the Types of Hourglass Body Shape?
Hourglass body shape has two measured types and one common variation.
- Top hourglass: the bust is more than 1 and less than 10 inches (2.5–25.4 cm) larger than the hips, with a waist at least 9 inches (22.9 cm) smaller than the bust.
- Bottom hourglass: the hips are 3.6 to under 10 inches (9.1–25.4 cm) larger than the bust, the waist is at least 9 inches (22.9 cm) smaller than the hips, and high hip ÷ waist is below 1.193.
- Hourglass with hip dips: an hourglass body shape with an inward curve below the hip bone; hip dips change the outline, not the measurement rule.
Classic vs Soft Hourglass
Classic hourglass and soft hourglass are styling terms, not measurement classes. A classic hourglass has a sharp waist curve, and a soft hourglass has the same balanced bust and hips with a gentler waist curve. Both match the hourglass measurement rule when the waist difference reaches 9 inches (22.9 cm).
Is Hourglass the Rarest Body Shape?
Hourglass is the rarest reported body shape: only 8% of more than 6,300 women in a North Carolina State University body-scan study had an hourglass figure. The rarest body shape guide shows the share of every shape.
What Should You Wear With an Hourglass Body Shape?
Clothes for an hourglass body shape follow the waist, because the waist is the narrowest point of the figure. Wrap dresses and belted coats mark the waist, and high-waisted jeans keep the bust and hip balance. The guide to hourglass outfits lists dresses, jeans and tops.
How Does Hourglass Compare With Other Body Shapes?
Hourglass body shape differs from every other body shape by combining balanced bust and hips with a much smaller waist.
- Hourglass vs pear: a pear waist is less defined and the hips are at least 3.6 inches (9.1 cm) larger than the bust. The pear and hourglass differences are shown with examples.
- Hourglass vs rectangle: a rectangle has balanced bust and hips like an hourglass, but the waist is less than 9 inches (22.9 cm) smaller than the bust.
- Hourglass vs apple: an apple waist is equal to or larger than the bust and hips, the opposite of an hourglass waist.
- Hourglass vs inverted triangle: an inverted triangle bust is at least 3.6 inches (9.1 cm) larger than the hips, with a less defined waist.
- Hourglass vs spoon: a spoon has hips larger than the bust and a high-hip shelf, while an hourglass has bust and hips within 1 inch (2.5 cm).
What Is the Waist-to-Hip Ratio of an Hourglass?
The waist-to-hip ratio of an hourglass body shape is low, because the waist is much smaller than the hips; the example 27-inch waist and 38-inch hips give a ratio of 0.71. The WHR calculator returns your own ratio.
Can Men Have an Hourglass Body Shape?
Men rarely match the hourglass rule, because male figures usually have a smaller difference between chest and waist; men use the men's body shape calculator instead.
Can Your Body Shape Change?
Your body shape can change when weight gain, weight loss or muscle gain changes your bust, waist or hips by different amounts, because the hourglass rule compares these measurements with each other.
Can an Hourglass Be Chubby?
Yes, an hourglass can be chubby, because the hourglass rule compares bust, waist and hips with each other, not body size. A larger hourglass body shape keeps the same hourglass measurements in proportion.