Do You Have the Perfect Hourglass Figure?
by Lesley Kennedy (Subscribe to Lesley Kennedy's posts), Posted Jan 12th 2010 at 8:30PMThis is a post
Filed under: News
Kate Winslet flaunts her sexy hourglass figure. Photo: Getty Images
The body shape food analogies just make me hungry, so let's try measuring devices: spoon, ruler, cone or hourglass?
I, like most women (and men), according to a recent survey, prefer the hourglass description. We're talking Marilyn Monroe curves here -- tiny waist, big chest, full, round rear, everything in perfect proportion. That's the stuff legends are made of.
Unfortunately, legendary curves are hard to come by. The survey found that 72 percent of men are attracted to curvier women, and 63 percent of women wish they had the womanly bodies of stars like Helen Mirren or Kate Winslet, the Telegraph reports.
So, what makes a gal hourglass? Well, really big breasts certainly help. We're talking a DD or E cup, according to the findings. Also factoring in is your thigh to height ratio (divide the thigh's thickest circumference by your height -- 0.3 is ideal, researchers say).
Don't forget your hip to waist ratio (divide the circumference of the waist by that of the hips -- with 0.7 being the optimum result), and also take into consideration your "body curve line" and "body symmetry" by checking yourself out in the mirror.
All these measurements are assigned numbers, and the higher the total score, the more perfect your hourglass shape is, the researchers say.
"The human curve has come to represent the healthiest and most fertile form, highlighting the most suitable breeding partner and has evolved to be universally attractive to males for that reason," Dr David Holmes, a senior psychology lecturer at the University of Manchester in England who worked with the supermarket chain Asda to devise the formula, tells the Telegraph. "The perfect curve also impacts on other females creating mixed responses of both respect and jealousy."
Respect and jealousy? Bring it on! So, this self-proclaimed donut had to know: Just how close (or far from) the perfect curve am I? The Telegraph report includes the formula, in which you measure your waist, hips, the largest part of your thigh (under the "gluteal fold" -- I'm totally gonna start using that phrase -- and the circumference under and around your bust. You also take two visual "measurements." How curvy are your body lines and what's your facial and body symmetry like?
This is a lot of math. I don't do math. That's why I'm a writer. So, feeling like I was being asked to calculate a rocket's trajectory to the moon, I enlisted the help of my more numbers-minded husband. First thing I learned: Ask a man to measure your bust and he will try to grope you. Second thing I learned: I am not shaped like an hourglass.
My waist to hip ratio had me somewhat close to Marilyn status; my thigh to height ratio actually showed that my thighs are too skinny (we shared a good laugh over that one) and my bust measurements had me in the Twiggy category (although, they did put me at a C-cup, when I'm barely a B -- nowhere close to legendary, I'm sad to say).
As far as the "Protoypical Symmetry" test went, neither of us could figure out exactly what that meant, so we just picked a number right in the middle that matched "minor body and face distinctions." And for "Individual Curve," I selected a number corresponding to "Your trunk, bust and thighs curve into each other smoothly." "You are mostly straight lines" will never apply.
So, my perfect curve score landed me smack dab in the middle: "You have a balance of shape and individuality." Better than "You may wish to alter your appearance with modern clothing." Worse than "You share your scores with many attractive celebrities."
Average. Not the stuff of legends. Still bad at math. But someone with skinny thighs. I'll take it.
Loren 1-17-2010 @ 2:26PM
At Last!! People are figuring out that skinny titless wenches are not attractive. I'll take a size 16 over a size 1 every time.
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I concur 1-17-2010 @ 5:59PM
Amen twice to that Loren!! Im tired of the media telling "us" that these anorexic, boney, in need of a hug and a cheesburger "children" are what is beautiful. The probelm is so many people out there are sheep and will follow whatever they are being told. I (30 yrs of age) personally along with many others want a WOMAN's body not someone's 15 year old sister! Give me that hourglass! Give me a chest, thighs and some nice glutes!
milehigh 1-17-2010 @ 2:42PM
There's not a cream on the planet that will stop aging. Eat right, stay fit, and die anyway.
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Bob and Carol, Ted and Alice 1-17-2010 @ 2:43PM
I don't know much about Marilyn's mental state, but her physical state was top-of-the-line. Sure, she knew she was attractive, and so did everybody who cast his/her gaze in her direction. But Marilyn had other attributes besides beauty....she was smart (contrary to popular belief); she knew how to "work" Hollywood; she knew her mere presence could light-up a crowd; she wasn't afraid to show her shy and vulnerable side; she exuded kindness and compassion; and she knew she wasn't perfect. So, there was more to Marilyn Monroe than measurements and physical beauty, and that still applies to women everywhere today. The physical "stuff" fades over time, but one's inner beauty always shows through, even if the beholder's eye isn't as sharp as it once was. You're all beautiful, in one way or another, and don't let anybody make you think or feel otherwise.
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Sonya 1-17-2010 @ 4:38PM
You're so right! I love biographies, and in one, Marilyn is out with girlfriends and really, REALLY dressed down. They decide they want to eat lunch and that they want a good table. Marilyn looked at her friends and said, "Do you want to see me do HER?" and they were amazed at how she transformed herself by just adjusting her hair and lipstick and the way she presented herself to others. Marilyn Monroe was not a dumb blonde - not by a long shot. How else can you explain her marriage to Arthur Miller? Smart and sexy is almost always unstoppable.
EMP 1-17-2010 @ 3:08PM
This is sickening. Why must society always pit one type of woman against another? The "skinny, titless, wench" comment posted at 2:26pm by Loren is especially unreasonable. Would Loren say that about someone who had been stricken with breast cancer? Beautiful women come in all forms. Wake up.
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whtnyklly 1-17-2010 @ 3:12PM
I am 5'11, have thin legs however, a bit of a middle!! I have never used any wrinkle cream (I am 43) and have absolutely no wrinkles, not even laugh lines or 'crows feet' around my eyes. I use soap and water for my daily skin care, nothing fancy or overpriced with false hopes. My friend invests in all of that stuff, Clinique, Clarins, etc and it does her absolutely no good. I buy my cosmetics (which I hardly use) from CVS. Waste of money is what I think. Look at people from the Hymalayas, beautiful. Do you think they are buying this overpriced crap? Don't waste your money.
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aussiegirl 1-17-2010 @ 5:33PM
I AGREE wholeheartedly!! I am almost 60 years old and have hardly any lines on my face, to include crowsfeet around my eyes. I have always used plain soap and water to wash my face. I use the old standby, vaseline, to take off my mascara at night, after I wash my face, that way leaving the lightest film around the eyes to keep the moisture in. I use a good, inexpensive SPF 25 daytime moisturizing cream, and night cream. I also buy my cosmetics, such as they are, (mascara, eyebrow pencil and lipstick), from Walgreens or CVS, or even Walmart (wherever I can find it the cheapest). I lived my first 19 years, plus 4 1/2 years later, in Australia where most people bake themselves in the sun. I thank my mother who taught me to always cover my face in the sun, so when I am on a beach, the golf course or the water, I wear a hat, or if sunbaking, a towel or something over my face. I have worn foundation of some kind on my face, about twice in the last four years. I never used anything but mascara and lipstick as a teen as well. I am told by my dermatologist, who checks me for skin cancers every year, (having grown up in the "skin cancer capital of the word"), that I look like I am in my early forties, rather than almost 60, as do most people when they find out my age. My dermatologist is a very "no nonsense" woman. All these wrinkle creams, age defying formulars etc, are definitely a gross waste of money, when a little common sense in our youth and as we age, makes a HUGE difference. Eat right, and take care of yourself and your skin, and it will reward you as you age, and educate your daughters in their youth!!!
FOURDOGSLAUGHING 1-17-2010 @ 3:16PM
love those dd's myself !
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EMP 1-17-2010 @ 3:38PM
Am I a pear?, am I an apple? No matter how many times I return to the mirror trying to answer this question, I come up with the same determination. I am a human being and I am female, and most importantly, I love it.
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aye oh lets go 1-17-2010 @ 3:42PM
i'm 98lbs standing at 5'1.comments like Loren's really don't do the self esteem good. Some people can not help the way their bodies are formed, how they develop, or how they stay throughout the rest of their lives. I may only be 16, but my gosh, if that wasn't the most ignorant comment i've ever read on something to do with bodies. Just because you have a preference doesn't mean you have to put others with body types like mine down. Your inner beauty is nothing more than a facade of ugliness. Get a clue before you throw out names like "skinny titless wench" oh and btw, i do actually have an hourglass figure. so stfu? thanks.
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aussiegirl 1-17-2010 @ 5:57PM
You are a very sensible young woman! Each human being is an individual, with individual attributes. I hate the fact that I was in a D bra when I was 16, even though I was 5'2" and only 98 lbs! I used to have to buy jeans in the young mens dept, because I was only 32" in th hips, so looked like I had no waist at all! Of course that was back in the 60's, before young men started wearing all these "new" style pants. A woman should not be catagorized like a cut of meat. You don't hear of men being catagorized by the size of their........!!!! If they were, they might be a little more respectful of women! We women have no more control over the size of our bust, than a man has over the size of their .......s. I eat right, exercise and have never been "fat", but have never had an hourglass figure. As we women start into menopause, the battle to stay slim becomes just that, a battle! If it wasn't such a painful surgery, and leaves such horrible scars, I would lose some of this DD that I now wear at almost 60! I still wear size 6 - 8 pants and skirts, but can never find a dress or suit that fits properly, because of my LARGE breasts and slimmer hips. Even clothing manufacturers seem to think that if you are a DD cup, you have to be huge. I wear a size 34DD, which is next to impossible to find, especially anything pretty and sexy.
For someone so young, you have a very smart head on your shoulders, and don't ever give in to peer pressure or nasty remarks!!
JessicaNells 1-17-2010 @ 7:08PM
I agree wholeheartedly. I'm a 5'9", 170 lb size 12-14, and no I don't appreciate the stereotype of women are supposed to be. But I spent my sophomore year in college living with two girls, one a size 4 and the other a 2 or 0. The smaller of the two COULDN'T get bigger. But I loved her just the same, especially since she had to deal with comments like the one previously stated about "skinny wenches." For being 16 years old, you have a lot of wisdom, and don't worry about the self-esteem. Just as people come in all shapes and sizes, other people love all shapes and sizes :-D So thank you for your opinion, it was much appreciated XD
Me 1-17-2010 @ 3:47PM
I'm tired of people trying to make themselves feel better by putting others down, shame on anyone who does that! If a woman's shape is not your cup of tea, there's no need to comment, just don't ask her out--problem solved. I am unique, I am beautiful, I am not going to surgically alter myself to fit to anyone's ideal.
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Gina 1-17-2010 @ 3:54PM
this is a dude talking.
the whole ourglassthing is social construct.
go to south america. see what kindof women they like. Heavy ones.
Furthermore, men dont like an E or DD cup even most of the time.
this article is evidence of how a particular perception is continually perpetuated through the particular culture or society, and is therefore viewed as universal. attraction to an hourglass figure is not universal. it is reallytruly limited to american society.
just like women like height in men or w/e.
compare marriages in modern society to that of tribes in africa. 80% men in the west are taller in marriage
in africa: so mixed youcant diffferentiate.
this is psychological evolution b.s.
they even said there was a rape gene; luckily that was disproven. you hear allthis crap onmain stream media; women like money bc theres an eolutionary basis, and all of that crap. if the rape gene assumption, not even a hypothesis were not immediately disproven, thatd be on oprah too. my keyboardi is broken so im finished. hope this has shed some light on things.
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Dave 1-17-2010 @ 4:01PM
I am more attracted to smaller chested, curvier women, but would never put down someone because of their shape. That is exactly the kind of thinking that causes so many young girls to have low self esteem and lead to anorexia. To the 16 year old above, pay no mind to such ignorance, you seem to have a good head on your shoulders, and just feel good in the skin you are in. If you feel good about yourself, you will never be more beautiful.
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EMP 1-17-2010 @ 4:12PM
When will women stop being compared to something that can be bagged and weighed at the supermarket?
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blacksun6160 1-17-2010 @ 4:23PM
Weight is such a huge issue with so many people...I'm 5'8" and 145 pounds, which is healthy and far from fat, and yet simply because I'm curvy I get laughed at. Why is skinny and flat the new sexy? Certainly it's not instinctual, because you know that anyone who looks like that has an eating disorder and will probably die before 40, and yet so many people are encouraging that look! I'm glad to see someone in the mainstream media doing this article not simply to placate larger women's complaints about other articles advertising skinnier figures as being sexier, but to advocate a healthier, curvier figure as the epitome of beauty. Good work, Lesley!
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SpringPersephone 1-17-2010 @ 4:32PM
What would really be nice would be high fashion showcasing all body types. Tall and thin is fine if that's how you're built, but what about short and thin, tall and heavier, short and heavier, and just in the middle? If they could just include all types of beautiful i think a lot of these sellers would do better. They just need to get real, modeling shouldn't be a profession dictated by a person's height.
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Kasia 1-17-2010 @ 4:41PM
I just did all these measurements because I'm bored and apparently I am the perfect hourglass woman, woop!
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