Between My Peers Classic: The Six Figure Types
Aah! This post, as basic as it is, somehow got into “Private” mode. It probably hasn’t been available on this blog since I moved to Wordpress a few months ago. It’s a really important principle, so here goes:
The 6 figure types and how to ID yours:
- Type A (formerly triangle) = shoulders narrower than hips, waist defined or not.
- Type I (formerly rectangle or pencil) = shoulders and hips equally wide, waist slightly or not defined.
- Type O (formerly oval) = shoulders sloped and equal to hips, waist filled in.
- Type V (formerly wedge or inverted triangle) = shoulders wider than hips, waist defined or not.
- Type X (formerly hour-glass) = shoulders straight and equal to hips, waist defined.
- Type 8 (formerly figure-eight) = shoulders sloped and equal to, or slightly smaller than, hips; waist defined.
A possible paradigm shift: many people have trouble fitting their body into one of these shapes. That’s perfectly natural, there are infinite varieties of shapes. Instead, can you choose a silhouette of clothing which is easy for you to wear, given both your personality and your figure? In other words, the shape is whatever shape the clothes make on your figure.
I guess I’m an O now. I used to be an X. Does that make me an OX? Yeah, maybe–I have short, stumpy little legs. Well, at least my b**bs and my hips are proportionate, LOL!
OX? No way! More like a XO!
I have to say it’s an easy call for me. I’m a V. (With very short legs.)
Examples…I would love some pictures of people who were the different types. I’m such a visual learner! Anyhow, I know I’m somewhere between an I and an X or maybe it should be an 8. I don’t have really slopey (is that a word?!) shoulders, but they really aren’t square either. Either way, I know that clothes that are “easy for me to wear” are clothes that define my waist.
Jenna, since it is easy for you to wear clothes that define the waist, you are probably either X or 8. Alot of people don’t even differentiate between the two. I do because, although I could wear either, I prefer the 8 and use that as my primary silhouette.
Do you prefer a look that tapers to the hem or one that flares from the hip? That is really the main difference between those two shapes.
I’ll see what I can do about pictures. Hmmm.
“Do you prefer a look that tapers to the hem or one that flares from the hip? ”
Good questions! I like both! In skirts I think I lean towards “flares from the hip.” I guess that would be an X, right?
Yes. But the X also can do a high-waisted pencil skirt, because then the flare is out from the waist, at the hip.
I can see why alot of people don’t call the two out as different.
I like XO better, Rebecca! Makes me think of hugs and kisses!
Yep. That was the point!
[…] Basically, her point is that all these silhouette systems, including the one I use, only take into account the forward view, therefore they are limited in […]
[…] Stay within the silhouette(s) that work for you. And that may change on the “weigh down”. Review the 6 silhouettes here. […]
I’m still waiting for pictures. Or did I miss them somewhere?
Well, I did start my drawing class today, but it’ll probably be awhile before I have those skills.
You could look at the pictures here: http://www.style-makeover-hq.com/body-shape.html
I thought maybe there was another site. But I do (finally) get the point of pegged pants for oval.
Now, how did drawing class go? Same teacher?
Be careful with tapered pants. The effect should be more of a pair of parantheses than an actual oval, if that makes sense. In other words, it’s very easy to get the ankle disproportionately narrow. You probably don’t want your hem much narrower visually than your shoulders.
Drawing class was good. The people are so nice! You should check out the senior center there. This one has all kinds of stuff: dancing, bridge, a thrift store, and so on.
Drawing instructor: http://www.glenicewildlifeart.com/
Watercolor instructor: http://www.stanmiller.net/
Then did I misunderstand when you said “pegged”? I don’t think I have any flared pants.
About skirts: It seems that you couldn’t do the oval with a flared skirt, yet the brown from Beth was flared?
Is this what you mean by pair of parantheses:
( )
( ) ?
The paintings (from galleries above) are beautiful! Thanks for the link.