The Female Form: Women of Different Shapes

The female form comes in different shapes and sizes. The first section explores the "traditional" categorization for female body shapes. This categorization focuses on measures of the chest/bust, the waist and the hips.

Hourglass Figure (sometimes called figure eight)








Spoon-Shaped or Pear-Shaped Figure








Inverted Triangle-Shaped Figure (sometimes called coned shaped)








Rectangle-Shaped Figure (sometimes called ruler shaped)









ALTERNATE CATEGORIZATION FOR THE FEMALE FORM
I notice and categorize the female form differently than the traditional way described above. After I notice a woman's face, I tend to mainly notice her waist and hips (while her shoulders and bust hardly register). For that reason, I categorize a woman's figure into one of the four categories illustrated below.
Incurved Waist
Wide Hips
Incurved Waist
Narrow Hips
Straight Waist
Wide Hips
Straight Waist
Narrow Hips



Incurved Waist, Wide Hips








Incurved Waist, Narrow Hips








Straight Waist, Wide Hips








Straight Waist, Narrow Hips








For the alternate categorization, I have noticed that Hollywood and runway models prefer women in the Incurved Waist & Narrow Hips category, followed by the Straight Waist & Narrow Hips category. Wide hips (and the attendent good-size rear end) are frowned on. My own preference is for women with wide hips (with an incurved waist being a bonus) so many supposedly beautiful women lack attractive figures in my view.

I haven't yet tracked down many sites that specialize in female body types but hope to do so. Here are some relevant links:
  • Hourglass Women shows women with the hourglass figure
  • This webpage give a similar description of female body shapes as the traditional categories above
  • Curvy women focuses on women with wide hips, tending to the tradition "pear" definition.
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