The End of the Hourglass Figure
If you thought that body shapes had changed over the last 50 years - you'd be correct. A new study has researched the body shapes of 6000 women and concluded that the fashion industry is woefully out of sync with reality.
The research found that although only 8 per cent of women now had the sort of hourglass figure flaunted by curvaceous 1950s film stars such as Sophia Loren, designers and manufacturers continued to make clothes to fit a slim-line version of that figure.
The changing figure size is a source of consternation for many fashion designers. Should they design clothes that fit the people - or rail on about how women are too big?
Sophia Loren (1955)
The quintessential hourglass
Welsh fashion commentator Jayne Blight said many women found difficulty in finding the right size clothes to wear. But she called on people to be more careful with their diet and to watch their figures.She said, "In my opinion people should be more health and weight conscious.
"We have such high obesity rates in this country we are catching up with the US. I know that the retailers should make bigger sizes but also people should be more health conscious and try and stay within the structures that have been made over the years.(via icWales)
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yea i'm just a teen and i know i'm clueless, but what do the numbers mean? like i keep seeing 12-34-56 (well, not really those numbers, i'm just using 1,2,3,4,5,6...)
what does "12" represent?
what does "34" represent?
and what does "56" represent?
i know one has to be the waist, hips, or bust or i dunno really. please help! and i feel embarrased for asking, but o well. =]
Replybust-waist-hips.
Replybeing an hourglass figured person has nothng to do with measurements but to do with body shape,this is because some rectangular figured women have measurements of hourglass women,same with triangle shaped women and who knows maybe even spoon shaped women
ReplyI am an hourglass, there's no way of getting around it. To quite simple put it I am not complaining my figure, I love how it fills out a dress, but I am utterly annoyed with lack of jeans available for women and I mean all body types. I have friends who are skinny and they have problems with finding pants; what group of people is is the fashion industry targeting if the jeans aren't even working for my skinny friends?
ReplyJust a few more things to say. Hourglass is not the perfect figure, truth is i think a great deal of men like pear shape even more (J.Lo, Rachel Ray, or Kelly Clarkson are great example of this body type). Look at Charlize Theron she is beautiful and her body type is rectangle, another example of this shape is Hilary Duff. And I know I am going to sound really nuts for using this example and a great deal of this is because of surgical enhancements, but Pam Anderson is a perfect example of a Triangle body shape (big on top and narrow in the hips). Truth be told most porn actresses fall in the catagory of Triangle (I think triangle is the new American male obsession, not hourglass, I also suspect this is actually Joe's actual preference.) Sorry to use all these famous people for example, but unfortunately we all know who they are so it is easy to understand the examples. As for all of those suggesting to learn how to sew and make are own clothes that sounds wonderful, but I suspect a great deal of us don't know how to use a sewing machine and much less have the money or time to spend trying to learn to use the machine. I have a machine and unfortunately it is sitting in my closet. Also, I think some of us just don't know where to go to get our clothes taken in.
ReplyI think I said this once, but... I don't know what most men like. There's a big difference between admiring some model and finding yourself absent-mindedly looking at someone, and realizing that you're thinking "wow". Plus, what you think about someone changes your tastes a lot not only for that person, but for others with the same look.
I was taking about this with a Chinese woman friend of mine (she's very attractive, but she's a stocky rectangle - her waist is as big as mine - and is so strong that she could twist my head off). She pointed me to a Chinese web site dedicated to the Chinese theory of female beauty. They seem less fixated on hourglasses versus triangles. They do worry a lot about single versus double eyelids...
ReplyI do not understand the obesity issue in the UK when all I ever see is the 'Ladette' (pubescent look) everywhere I turn!. I am a size 16 and a gorgeous hour-glass at 5ft5, but I feel like I stick out as a result of this and I would be considered fat by the standards of the fashion industry.
I feel rejected and slighted by other women who seem to be so envious of my shape and yet, they don't realize just how many eating disorders I have gone through to get to be comfortable with my body shape!. I am an oddity in today's world of thinness which makes being my shape, so awful and uncelebrated like it used to be.
ReplyThankyou to Jan!
ReplyI've started buying jeans that fit my legs.. Plus, I've learn't a bit of sewing by taking in the wasits and upper leg.
Thankyou. If anyone else is finding it tricky to get those perfect jeans. Take her advice.
ReplySome of us are just too curvy even for curvy jeans, hehe! I found out the most effective way to take in jeans is to take out a bit on the 2 sides in the front (where you have the belt loops) then a bit on the 2 sides in the back. In my case since my stomach is flat-ish but I have a lot of "junk in the trunk", I take out twice as much in the front as I do in the back for a perfect fit. Also, instead of cutting the parts I let in, I simply sew a tiny bit of elastic there on the inside, so that extra fabric lays flat and isn't touching me (I'm always afraid my stitching isn't gonna be strong enough to hold it, so I'm afraid I'll cut it out and then end up ripping it and ruining the jeans).
I dont get why everyone is complaining.Im apple shaped.But im not gonna complain about my stretch marks(wich i used to hate).Be grateful.
Replycomplaining isnt gonna get you anywhere.
i'm 22/f, 5'5, and my measurements are 36-27-36...i weigh 128 pounds...at my heaviest (140 pounds...not overweight!) i measured 38-28-38...i don't know whether i'm a rectangle or hourglass...but my shoulders are equal to my hips...and my breasts are always a C-cup no matter what i weigh...its just the band saze that goes down when i'm slimmer...i'm also small boned my wrists are only 5"+ (frame size affects body shape n waist measurements i heard?)......
Replyanother thing...which hip measurement should be used? on my lower hip at its widest (crotch) i measure 36, on my high hip i measure 33.5...i also have long legs...not skinny but shapely i guess. my waist isn't very defined like some of the women who have posted the comments...but ppl tell me i'm hourglass...i feel i may be leaning toward rectangle though....
btw most actresses are apple shaped eg. angelina jolie, charlize theron, liz hurley, jessica simpson (ofcourse they're all fit apple shapes)...halle berry is one of the few slim hourglasses...and beyonce and salma hayek are definately the only true hourglasses i've seen in the media these days! J Lo and shakira are spoon shaped, and most models are either carrot shaped or rectangular. most causasian women are definately apple shaped or rectangular with some pears here and there, thats what i've noticed...usually its the mediterranean, indian, black, latin or middle eastern women who have very defined looking waist along with curves! hourglass are very common in these countries and aren't as hard to find compared to northern or western europe or north america. the white women with hourglass figures are rare and usually even if they are hourglasses they're waists are not extremely defined...the measurements would probably be closer to mine, rather than the 12-14" waist/hip difference that is more common among other ethnicities.
Actually, I don't agree that only women of certain ethnicities have a true hourglass figure. I am white and my hips are 14" bigger than my waist which is 30".
ReplyI am 20 years im 5 6' and weighted about 148 lbs, i have an hourglass but have a losed skin on sides of lower abdomen and on thighs, i think if i lose weight from my side hips i may have no longer hourglass i want to get more buns, outside and lose a bit from side of hips plus want to increase bust size.......please recomend me helpfull exercises.
ReplyActually 4 years ago i lost my weight from 80 to 56 but i got losed and sagged skin i want to tight it again. please help.
Anne, you cannot pick where weight you lose comes off from, and the only solution for loose skin is plastic surgery. I'm sorry to have to break the bad news here.
But hey, loose skin is a million times better than having rolls of fat.
Replyi've just resigned myself to the fact that i will NEVER be happy with myself. I'm essentially *perfect* by all standard perceptions. I have an oval face so I can wear any hairstyle, I have a skin complexion that looks really good with any hair color, brown eyes which look good and don't clash with any eye shadow (take that blue and green eyed girls..i can pull off hot pink better than u! brown and gray eyed girls ROCK!) and i have an hourglass figure (39-29-39). i want to be a thin little stick! it's not faaaaaaair!
ReplyI figured out really early on when I starting losing weight that you never can change your basic shape, only how big it is. I was always very pear-shaped when I was overweight and I always thought that I had this Barbiedoll figure under the fat and it would one day emerge. But all that really happened was that I turned into a smaller and smaller pear and then a rectangle when my hips decided to lose their saddlebags. So yeah, if you're a fat pear and you lose weight, you'll most likely end up a smaller pear. If you're an apple shaped fat person and lose weight, you'll probably be a rectangle. It really depends mostly on your genetics.
BTW...blue eyes are awesome :) I wouldn't trade mine for anything!
ReplyToday's ideal does seem to contradict what I look like. I should have been born in the nineteenth century. All of those paintings you see, of women who have small breasts, large hips and thighs, and short legs? That's what I'd look like if I ate all I wanted to. Even at my lowest possible healthy BMI I still have the appearance of heavy thighs in proportion to the rest of my body. It makes looking for jeans that fit a nightmare.
ReplyHey, i'm 17 from the UK and i think a pear (34-28-36). That sounds a bit rectangular but my BIG thighs and bum make me look more pear shaped (they are like 41" at largest bit).
Loads of people are posting that they want a smaller waist and bigger lower half, to achieve hourglass - but what about us who are stuck with smallish breasts?? So i can never balance my big bottom half except by plastic surgery - never!!
I'm 32D which sounds quite big but i think its more my back cos my boobs don't look big and don'r balance my thighs - some exercises can help you change your waste etc - but what can we do for bigger boobs??
The most infuriating thing is that when you try to lose bum fat it goes off your boobs instead - the one area you want it!
Recognise this situation? (i know i was quite inarticulate!!)
Reply32D would put you at a bust measurement of 36, not 34. (D is boobs 4 inches greater than band size, which is 32)
I use progesterone cream on my breasts-it can increase them a whole cup size. Not sure if it's done that but it seems to help the sagging a bit!
ReplyHey I am a size 34" bust, 24" waist and 36" inch hip. Is that an hourglass figure? Just want to know seens as all these dress websites sort which kind of dress you should buy by your figure. Thanks :D
Reply
ReplyI agree with this! I am a LARGE hourglass and because I am a BBW i swear clothiers seem to think that pant leg length/width has to be huge too!
Even though I'm still carrying around half of my baby weight, jeans I try on still gap in the back and settle around the top of my hips and I'm tugging them up cause I can't stand belts. Which is my problem, but it's still annoying.
ReplyAnd after reading thru all the entries I decided to post my measurements and shape.
At age 18:
60" tall, 36/37" bust, 26" waist, 38/39" hips. Weight: 128-132 lbs. Shape: Almost hourglass.
At 24 after one baby and dieting to lose the weight:
60" tall, 36/37" bust, 27" waist, 39/40" hips. Weight: 124-127 lbs. Shape: I guess spoon but I look hourglass in pictures due to having shoulders that are a bit wide.
At 27 and gaining weight because of the new birth control I was on:
60" tall, 39/40" bust, 31" waist, 43/44" hips. Weight: 142-148 lbs. Shape: Spoon. I quit taking that pill and.....
Currently after second baby and needing to lose half of the weight I gained then:
60" tall, 42/43" bust, 34/35" waist, 45/46" hips. Weight: 170-176 lbs. Shape: Spoon. Gotta love stress eating.
All measurements taken:
Bust: Fullest part of chest, tape level, slightly loose.
Waist: Narrowest part, tape snug, but not tight, standing straight up, stomach held tight, but not sucking in.
Hips: Widest part, above the legs, tape level, held snug, but not tight.
How's that for honesty?
ReplyI agree with Danielle. There is a very distorted view in our society that all women are born with an hourglass figure, and their lifestyle determines whether or not this shows. We are all different. We all have different genetics. Who does "Joe" think he is to tell american women that we are unattractive and don't have hourglass shapes because we "all don't eat right"? Granted this is true for many women but not all.
I feel sorry that this guy is living in such a distorted reality and I hope women never again give him the time of day.
Hey Joe, are you short? Unfit? Guess what... it's because of all the greasy food you american men eat.
Grow up.
ReplyI have a hourglass figure and I have a really hard time finding pants. I agree they are way too big in the waist if they fit in the hips. I also have long legs and most pants are too short.
Replyhey im not sure i think im an hourglass can anyone tell me...? these are my measurements: 36-27.5-36.5 thanks
Replysorry make that 36-27.5-37
ReplyNo you're just right!
I'm 36B-28-39 is that to big? I'm 5'5 and about 145 pounds with broad shoulders
Replyyeah i think that is right too!
Replyi was wondering if anyone cud tell me if i need to lose weight here are my measurements 5'8, 147-150 lbs., 36B-28-37
Replyman, nearly all the women here say they r hour glass, thats surprising. Well , anyway, i think i'm a triangle, and i love IT!!, my shoulders r a bit board, my bust is a bit big, measurements r 34c, 26 and 36, nearly biult like tyra banks. I love it, i think all women should appreciate how they look, no matter if they r fat or skinny, but if u let urself look anorexic skinny, go eat food now!!, who would want to live in a world where everybody is shaped like an hourglass or model skinny, that world would be boring.
appreciate urself, remember not all men like the same thing, and y"all u r strivng to look like a celebrity or model, they also have serious problems, even more serious than us, the normal ppl, trying to mentain that perfect image, ( i wounder how survive the day)
ReplyALL I SAYING LOVE URSELF OR AT LEAST TRY
kara thats perfectly fine, ur height carrys it off, but if ur not sure u can work out to strengthen the muscles or firm it, no need to lose weight.
Replywho's Joe? Why are women hating on him? Mind sharing the info?
ReplySorry, I thought I already posted a comment. I was just wondering who Joe was, and why women are hating on him? Mind sharing the info?
ReplyI'm kinda getting sick of complaints of females not looking "womanly" enough. Curves are beautiful. Boobs and butts are beautiful. But so is muscle. When I'm training, or just working out for myself, I can admire the work I put into my body. I'm built naturally athletic. I can't change that, I'll never have a wonderfully curvy figure, so I work with what I have. I never knew there were so many people opposed to a toned, less 'curvy' female until I started reading forums like these.
ReplyHey Everyone
My measurements are 35 bust, 27 waist, and 39 hips.
ReplyI wear a size 5 jeans usually but most blue jean shorts i wear a size 7! What shape am i considered?
Jae,
There's plenty of us who are turned on by toned muscle.
ReplyKayla i think that you are a pear
ReplyI'm 34, 25, 36.
A definite pear, but I'm actually quite skinny, so I guess it's ok..
Y'all that are hourglass, really, stop complaining. Imagine being an XS up top and a M on the bottom. It really really sucks the big one.
I mean, I look gorgeous without clothes on, truly. But once you get those bad boys on, man, I just.. feel so self conscious. It's like my shoulders never grew at all!
I wish there was...body shape transmogrification serums, or something. That would make lots of people happy.
Replyyes i agree with yenya a "body shape transmogrification" does sound quite good!!!
Reply