The human body can be categorized into one of multiple shapes, says Metro. By measuring certain aspects of the body and comparing them to the size of others, a person can determine where their figure fits.  

Females  

Hourglass: According to The Style Bouquet, “One of the most common shapes of the female body is the hourglass.” They continue this statement by adding, “It is characterized by hip and bust measurements being of equal size, with a narrower waist measurement.” The Style Bouquet comments that people with this body shape have slightly round shoulders with legs in proportion to the upper body. They emphasize the idea that “because [the] waist is the smallest part of [this] body, it’s [the] best asset to show off.” 

Apple (Round): Those with an apple-shaped body, says The Style Bouquet, involves a figure that is “top heavy,” meaning there is “a wide torso, broad shoulders, and a full bust, waist, and upper back.” They continue this statement by adding that people with these bodies tend to have “thinner arms, legs, and hips.”  

Pear (Triangle): The Style Bouquet describes the key characteristics of this body type as being, “Curvy hips, thick thighs, and a full bottom.” They further explain that pear-shaped bodies “have a smaller frame on top and a relatively small waist with larger hips and bottom.” In terms of measurements, The Style Bouquet says, an example of this body would be “a woman who wears a size 6 on top, but a 10 or even 12 on the bottom.”  

Rectangle: When it comes to this body shape, The Style Bouquet describes it as featuring “a waist that measures less than 9 inches or smaller than [the] hips or bust.” This is different from the hourglass body type because, according to The Style Bouquet, the waist is “not as defined.” The weight is evenly distributed throughout the body. The Style Bouquet claims this shape can “also be referred to as the athletic shape.”  

Inverted Triangle: The Inverted Triangle shape has broad shoulders and narrow hips, as stated by The Style Bouquet. Lookiero explains that this body type also includes “little to no waist definition.” They state, “The body follows the shape of a V, and shoulders may be straight, squared, or athletic-looking.”  

Males  

Rectangle: Metro explains that this body shape refers to a body that is “straight up and down.” They further this by stating, “The torso is fairly flat, and there’s little change in shape or tapering once you reach the hips.” This body has measurements of roughly the same size, making the body appear box-like.  

Oval: The oval body shape, according to Metro, is “defined by excess weight stored in the upper half of the body.” Smaller limbs that accentuate the roundness of the upper half of the body are another common feature of this shape, says Metro.   

Triangle: As stated by Metro, this body type is “typified by carrying a little excess weight around the middle.” Like the oval shape, other smaller limbs that accentuate the excess weight are a common feature of the shape, according to Metro.   

Inverted Triangle: This shape, as explained by Metro, occurs when “the upper half of the body has broad shoulders and carries excess muscle, and the shape noticeably tapers down to the waist, while the hips are noticeably smaller.”  

Rhomboid: The rhomboid shape is seen in “countless athletes,” says Metro. This body type, they say, “differs slightly from the rectangle in that the shoulders are more well-built, meaning they protrude slightly in comparison to the hips.”  

Sources:   

https://www.thestylebouquet.com/2020/02/17/5-most-common-body-shapes-for-women/  

https://metro.co.uk/2017/05/21/there-are-only-five-male-body-shapes-according-to-health-experts-6650097/  

https://lookiero.co.uk/blog/inverted-triangle-body-shape/#:~:text=What%20is%20an%20inverted%20triangle,squared%2C%20or%20athletic%2Dlooking.