Body Shape Infographic

Body Shape Infographic

Buying new clothes to look ‘better’ doesn’t always work.

Wearing clothes that flatter your body shape always works. It’s worth spending a few minutes studying this infographic and figuring out whats suits you. Could save you a fortune buying the wrong thing!

 

Body Shape Infographic

Souce Visual.ly via Becky on Pinterest

When people talk about body shape types, they’re usually referring to how fat and muscle are distributed on the frame—not how “good” or “bad” a body is. It’s about structure, not value.

One common system describes shapes like pear, apple, hourglass, and rectangle. A pear shape typically carries more weight in the hips and thighs, with a narrower upper body. An apple shape tends to store more weight around the midsection. An hourglass shape has a more balanced bust and hip measurement with a defined waist. A rectangle shape has relatively even measurements from shoulders to hips with less waist definition. These are general patterns, not rigid boxes—real bodies don’t fit perfectly into categories.

Another well-known framework is the somatotype theory developed by William Herbert Sheldon. He proposed three basic types: ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph. Ectomorphs are often described as naturally lean with longer limbs. Mesomorphs tend to gain muscle more easily and may have a more athletic build. Endomorphs may gain fat more readily and often have softer, rounder features. Modern science views somatotypes as oversimplified, but the terms are still widely used in fitness culture.

It’s important to remember that body shape is influenced by genetics, hormones, age, and lifestyle. Shapes can shift over time due to growth, training, health conditions, or natural development. No single shape is the “ideal”—that idea changes across cultures and decades.

Understanding body shape can be useful for choosing clothing, tailoring workouts, or tracking health. But it should never be a measure of worth. Every body type has strengths, and diversity in shape is completely normal.