Body Type Chart
The five everyday families, the nine FFIT shapes inside them, and the measurement pattern that separates one from the next. The figures are original diagrams, not photographs.
| Family | FFIT shapes | Measurement signature | 2003 US sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourglass | Hourglass · Top hourglass · Bottom hourglass | Bust and hips close, waist clearly smaller. | 8.4% |
| Pear | Triangle · Spoon | Hips lead the bust; the waist is defined or moderate. | 20.9% (spoon) |
| Rectangle | Rectangle | Bust, waist and hips stay close. | 46.1% |
| Inverted Triangle | Inverted Triangle | Bust and upper body lead the hips. | 13.8% |
| Apple | Oval · Diamond | The waist is the widest of the three measurements. | — |
2003 SizeUSA sample of 6,318 US women: rectangle 46.1%, spoon 20.9%, inverted triangle 13.8%, hourglass 8.4%, other 10.7%. One US sample from 2003, not a global average.
The five family plates
The family figure is a diagram of the overall line. The sub-shape differences are often at the waist or the high hip, which is why the table above and the individual plates go into more detail than a single silhouette can.
Hourglass
Bust and hips close, waist clearly smaller.
Open plate → Plate 02Pear
Hips lead the bust; the waist is defined or moderate.
Open plate → Plate 03Rectangle
Bust, waist and hips stay close.
Open plate → Plate 04Inverted Triangle
Bust and upper body lead the hips.
Open plate → Plate 05Apple
The waist is the widest of the three measurements.
Open plate →What the nine shapes are
| Shape | Family | What separates it |
|---|---|---|
| Hourglass | Hourglass | Bust and hips within 1 inch; waist defined on both sides. |
| Top hourglass | Hourglass | Bust leads the hips by 1–10 inches; waist still defined. |
| Bottom hourglass | Hourglass | Hips lead the bust by 3.6–10 inches; high hip below 1.193 × waist. |
| Triangle | Pear | Hips at least 3.6 inches larger than the bust; waist drop under 9 inches. |
| Spoon | Pear | Hips more than 2 inches larger; waist at least 7 inches smaller than hips; high hip flares at 1.193 × waist or more. |
| Rectangle | Rectangle | Bust and hips within 3.6 inches; waist within 9 inches of bust and 10 of hips. |
| Inverted Triangle | Inverted Triangle | Bust at least 3.6 inches larger than hips; waist drop under 9 inches. |
| Oval | Apple | Waist larger than hips, not larger than bust. |
| Diamond | Apple | Waist larger than both bust and hips. |
The mix-ups that matter
- Pear vs spoon vs triangle. The high hip is the deciding measurement. Without it, “pear family” is the honest label.
- Hourglass vs top hourglass. A bust that leads the hips by 1–10 inches is a top hourglass; a bust and hip within about an inch is a pure hourglass.
- Inverted triangle vs top hourglass. Both have a bust lead. The waist drop decides: at least 9 inches below the bust is top hourglass; less is inverted triangle.
- Apple vs rectangle. Apple has a waist close to or larger than the hips; rectangle keeps the waist between the bust and hips.
Chart questions
Should I use the five families or the nine FFIT shapes?
Use the five families to navigate and the nine shapes when a fit decision depends on the difference. For example, “pear” is enough for a general style direction; spoon versus triangle matters when you are choosing a high-hip seam or a trouser rise.
Why is there no percentage for some shapes?
The 2003 summary reports rectangle, spoon, inverted triangle and hourglass separately, with 10.7% as “other”. It does not break out top hourglass, bottom hourglass, triangle, oval or diamond. The chart leaves those blank rather than inventing a number.
Can a body be between two shapes?
Yes. The thresholds are measurement boundaries, not natural kinds. A body near a boundary can meet the conditions for more than one shape depending on 1 cm of tape placement. Treat a borderline result as a range.
Sources
- Simmons, Istook & Devarajan (2004). Simmons, K., Istook, C. L., & Devarajan, P. (2004). Female Figure Identification Technique (FFIT) for Apparel. Journal of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management, 4(1). https://www.ergo-eg.com/uploads/books/devarajan_full_106_04%20(3).pdf The original nine-shape FFIT system, developed at North Carolina State University from 3D body scans.
- Lee, Istook, Nam & Park (2007). Lee, J. Y., Istook, C. L., Nam, Y. J., & Park, S. M. (2007). Comparison of body shape between USA and Korean women. International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, 19(5), 374–391. The seven-shape formula set used by most online calculators. It uses bust, waist, high hip and hip.
- Sokolowski & Bettencourt (2020). Sokolowski, S. L., & Bettencourt, C. (2020). Modification of the Female Figure Identification Technique (FFIT) Formulas to Include Plus Size Bodies. Proceedings of 3DBODY.TECH 2020. DOI 10.15221/20.22. https://doi.org/10.15221/20.22 Adds Oval and Diamond, and non-negative lower bounds for Triangle, Inverted Triangle and Rectangle.
- Parker, Hayes, Brownbridge & Gill (2021). Parker, C. J., Hayes, S. G., Brownbridge, K., & Gill, S. (2021). Assessing the female figure identification technique’s reliability as a body shape classification system. Ergonomics, 64(8), 1035–1051. DOI 10.1080/00140139.2021.1902572. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2021.1902572 1,679 3D scans; moving a measurement by about 1 cm changed the FFIT category for up to 40% of women.
- Istook / SizeUSA distribution (2005). North Carolina State University (2005). Fashion designers ignoring shapes of women’s bodies. Newswise / NC State news release; Newcomb, B., & Istook, C. (2006). Using SizeUSA to improve apparel fit. https://www.newswise.com/articles/fashion-designers-ignoring-shapes-of-womens-bodies 6,318 US women from the 2003 SizeUSA scan survey: 46.1% Rectangle, 20.9% Spoon, 13.8% Inverted Triangle, 8.4% Hourglass, 10.7% other.