The Hour Glass Figure:
8% of Women are Said to Have It,
Here's how to Tell if You Have an Hourglass Figure Too
An hour glass figure is easy to identify. If you can answer 'yes' to the following three questions, chances are, you're a woman with an hourglass figure, or as we sometimes refer to it, lime leaf body (from the kaffir lime). Of all the different women's body types, only about 8% possess a traditional hourglass body. You may also be a mesomorph.
Okay, so what? Here's the deal, if you know your body shape it gives insight into dressing your body shape fabulously...truth be told, "get" the three Artistry & Strategy Body Shape Fashion Tips and you will have a versatile recipe for dressing figures of all shapes and sizes...sometimes being a know-it-all has it perks, be prepared to be the fashion go-to-girl :). 
Hour Glass Figure - Raquel Welch
Copyright: AllPosters.com
#5245685 Question #1
Do you have a shapely shoulders and hips, that appear to be about the same width as each other?
Women with an hour glass figure tend to have gently strong shoulders and hips of an equal curvaceous presence, as opposed to ladies with pear shaped figures, whose curves are the most prevalent in their lower half.
Women with hour glass figures have shapely, full shoulders and hips.
Their waist is an all together different matter.
Question #2
Do you have a narrow, well-defined waist compared to your shoulders and hips?
A woman who has an hourglass figure has a waist measurement that is small in comparison to her shoulders and hips. Her waist measurement is usually at least eight (according to some sources, 10) inches narrower than her hip measurement.
Ladies with hourglass body shapes showcase a small, well-defined waist in comparison to their shoulders and hips.
Strong shoulders, slim waist, curvaceous hips...but what about the bust.
Question #3
Are your cup size and bust measurement balanced?
The hour glass figure presents a full, but balanced bust-line. A woman with a traditional hourglass shape has a bust that is not too small or too large in comparison to the woman's overall silhouette. For instance, the Raquel Welch measurements in the photo above were stated to be 37C/23/35. Her waist is 12 inches narrower than her hips. Her bust measurement is almost the same as her hip measurement. She is a C cup. Different body type enthusiasts would consider her bust to be full enough; an A-Cup would be too little and a DD-Cup too excessive to get the traditional hourglass designation. The primary criteria for identifying an hourglass figure, are a relatively equal or balanced bust-line/shoulder and hip measurements and a small waist-line. A substantial and balanced cup size is secondary. You may also be a mesomorph. Meso What?
According to Sheldon body type classification (interestingly, it also included personality tendencies...he was a psychologist) defined three different body types: the mesomorph, ectomorph and endomorph. These body types, which, if you want to be technical, differ from body shapes, are largely determined based on body fat percentages and fat distribution.
Mesomorphs have a high ratio of muscle tissue and can achieve a well-defined, muscular appearance with little effort compared to an endomorph or ectomorph. Here's the similarity between an hourglass and mesomorph silhouette, they tend to be balanced (see the photo below)...now, if the mesomorph considers steroids to be a type of vitamin, this may not apply.
Mesomorph Body Type Ectomorphs tend to have lower body mass indexes than endomorphs or mesomporphs. They are often quite slender and may have a Kate Moss-like appearance.
Endomorphs, have a high fat to lean tissue ratio, giving them a rounded, Rosanne Barr-like appearance.
The Verdict
If you answered yes to each of the three questions above, you are probably an hourglass shaped woman. However, female body types aren't just about hip, waist and shoulder measurements.
Different Body Type Variations Even within the hourglass body shape family, different body variations exist, like height, dimension and horizontal proportion.
A woman can possess an hour glass shaped body even if she is tall, petite or of average height, or a junior, misses or a voluptuous plus size.
Comprehensive Body Typing System
For a more sophisticated woman body type identification system, visit the Artistry & Strategy Body Shape Fashion Tips page. Find out how your vertical and horizontal proportions can vary, even within the same general body type, and how knowing what your body shape is can help you select womens business clothes that will help you present your most professional you to the world.
Leave Hour Glass Figure page and go to Different Body Types page.
Go to Dressing Body Types page.
Go to Women's Business Clothes homepage.
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