It certainly seems to be true. A short waisted pretty pear and a long waisted apple are hard to find. Perhaps Imogen will pop in. I think having a big bust and a short waist is really one of the things I struggle most with, and end up being frustrated with most frequently. It means my entire upper half is nothing but boobs. It amazed me to see how much extra torso length I got when I did this measurement from the crease, but of course visually this makes no difference. Exactly two hand-widths for me, too!
Oh I am so glad you wrote this entry! I have always wondered this very thing. Turns out I am very short waisted — one hand width is all I have! I thought I was short waisted. Angie, does this agree with your eyeball assessment?
I have trouble fitting blazers partly because the waist is usually too low and my arms and shoulders are not petite at all. If not it can be misleading. I can fit exactly 2 hands but I appear shortwaisted because my legs are very long. When I am seating I look much shorter. So much that I have surprised people that met me seated in a bar or at work, when they have seen me standing after.
As Angie says, she looks to a person and she knows because she addresses the whole proportion. For a less trained eye, best is to measure. I am way less than 2 hands, closer to 1, which confirms my short-waisted assessment.
And I also agree, being a short-waisted, amply breasted person is a serious wardrobe challenge. With this in mind, I took 3 items to the tailor this morning to be taken in for a better fit!! Lena, I just looked at your body type picture over on the forum and you do indeed look short waisted. Consider yourself a special pretty pear.
I totally agree with Angie about just eyeballing it. It seems to be the surest method. There are definitely exceptions to these rules. I have come to learn that nothing about body types is scientific and everyone is unique.
These methods are just general guidelines and a starting point but hardly the final word. I grew up with my mom constantly telling me to wear longer shirts, which was pretty near impossible in the 90s when the rage was shorter cropped tops. A regular shirt on me would leave at least an inch if not more gap between the bottom of the shirt and the top of my pants.
I also have a hard time wearing most dresses because the distance from the shoulder to the bust is too long, but the distance from the bust to the hips is too short. The hips on the dress always hit me near my waist, making the dress look horrible. I guess I am one of those unique types like Maya just mentioned. I am both short-waisted AND short-legged. It can get very discouraging. One hand and a finger for me which just confirms what I knew — I am short waisted!
I never tuck except when wearing a suit with a button down for an interview , never wear belts and struggle to find tops that are short enough for me even in petite sizing. I have seriously considered taking some sewing classes because nearly ever single top mostly petite sizing that I own would probably benefit from having an inch or two taken off the hem.
Good point, Olar. Go to the middle of your torso, place your first hand right under the middle of the bust. This is the same hand position for everyone regardless of the size of their bust. Imogen has a larger bust line and the picture in which she is demonstrating the trick is helpful. I can fit two hand widths and a finger or two, so I guess I am average. Does that seem right? I had no idea whether I was short or long waisted and was going to ask, so this post was right on time.
Thanks Angie! Based on this little trick, I can fit about 1 hand and two fingers between underbust and waist. But then my legs are short too—my husband is much taller than me…except when we sit down. Is there some defined term for someone with a super-long waist to bum measurement I think in sewing its called crotch depth…. I have always thought I was very long waisted because I cannot wear a one piece swimsuit and the waist line on RTW is always too high.
This test shows me to be short waisted, so I must be long from the waist to the bottom of the torso. Another factor is that I am long from the bust to the shoulder so my starting point for this test is low.
My bra straps must always be extended all of the way out. Would a more accutate term for me be high waisted rather than short waisted. My torso is not short. Hee hee hee. I never tuck in my shirts, since it makes my upper torso look strangely short compared to the rest of my body. I think I may have the same issue as Olar. Slightly or definitely short-waisted? I guess this in line with my fairly new experience with belts. Days when my tummy is feeling normal, I have no problems wearing a belt all day long.
But on days like today when TOM is here and I am feeling bloated, a belt is darn uncomfortable. I just chucked mine for the day. Also, mos times the waist line on wrap dresses is usually in place with petite sizing. I am an average waisted girl with 2 hands worth of space, which is where I thought I was.
I did stand up to measure properly. Oh I see now. I confirmed this a few years ago, when I was measuring myself to order some dance leotards and swimsuits on line. My mom is a few inches shorter than me and also long-waisted. Thanks for this testing trick.
I always thought I was rather short waisted because I feel like tucked in shirts cut me off in a strange way. I guess it is in my head because I am two hands perfectly. Guess I am actually average. Only one hand! As Maya said, this combined with a larger bust makes finding flattering tops a real challenge.
How does this factor in with having a long or short torso? Is it the same thing? However I can fit both hands and a couple fingers? I always thought I was short-waisted, but I can fit exactly two hands under my bust to the narrowest part of my waist. Another short-waister. No surprise to me!!
I only have a 2 inch difference between circumference of bust, waist and height. No curves here!! I turned out to be short-waisted… interesting.. I think it explains why I like to tuck my button-down shirts into low rise pants and wear a belt at the loops. It gives me a longer torso. But I thought I looked good when I wore my belts at my natural waist as well. One hand and two fingers with this test. Fine, fine, just gripping my tummy in the interest of fashion-science.
Oh boy, there goes my excuse for not having a waist! I can fit one hand and 1 finger as per this test. I have been a regular reader of this website from the past 1 yr,but only 4 months ago that it clicked me that I am shortwaisted. And the test has confirmed the same. Now I know that I am shortwaisted and she is longwaisted.
Thanks Angie for showing this simple test to find out whether someone is shortwaisted or not. Because yes, one can be short waisted and short legged, because their crotch may be L-O-N-G.
I guess it makes for a long arse. I never knew that about my backside until I had a daughter who had the same proportion!! Apparently I am average too!!! What are the implications of your waist length for selecting clothes? Which styles and cuts fit best? This would be an interesting topic for the future. Have had years of the waist on tops being too high. But the test is nifty. My biggest frustration is everything is so low cut on me. If my shoulders were a few inches higher everything would hit me in the right place.
However, since the area between waist and shoulders is short, everything slinks down and the neckline ends up lower than it should be. Pair that with a big chest and I struggle every day at work to hide my cleavage. Please help! I am one of the people Imogen mentioned in her comment.
I am very short waisted…I could only fit a hand and a few fingers, but I am very long in the stride which still makes me long in the waist. Since I am a rectangle shape and do not have much of a waist, which rules do I follow? Thanks in advance for any help!! Thank you Angie and Imogen! Angie, how does this correspond with your eyeballing? For those of us who are short-waisted where are some good places to buy pants? I know BR was mentioned but where else? Would really appreciate any comments!
LOL, read the post at work and have to run to ladies room to measure right away!!! Sigh…one hand for me. Love this method…quick and easy! Hi Angie, I have a slight problem. I can never wear bikini bottems because i have some weird proportions around my hip area. My waste starts and curves out into my hip — normaly — but then my hips curve back in and then out again onto my thighs.
This makes a dip between my thighs and my hips. The dip is about 3 cm long. Short waisted means you have a relatively short torso in relation to your leg length. Long waisted means you have a relatively long torso in relation to your legs. All bodies are beautiful no matter the proportions, but if you want to alter a proportion visually, there are style tips and tricks to make a short waist look longer and a long waist look shorter.
What to do, what to do. Any advice appreciated!! Hi Gail, It sounds like you are short waisted which means your waist is relatively high. Often short waisted people have longer legs in proportion but seems you probably have average or shorter legs which is why the alternate way of measuring showed a different outcome.
I prefer and use the first measurement with clients but I know some really like the alternative way to measure so I included it in my post. Is the waist the breaking point for the upper body measurement? Does anyone know how to measure yourself correctly? If so, how do you interpret the numbers?
I don't know MSP's way. But basically, your inseam measurement floor to crotch should be at about the halfway point. At 5'5" an average inseam would be 32, 28 would be short. Leslie has mentioned a few different ways to tell. Here are two. Measure your total height from head to toe. Write down this measurement. Now measure from your toes up to the widest part of your hip. Write this measurement down. Check where your HIP is in relation to your total height If the top half measurement is larger, you are long-waisted.
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