The female body shape is complex design to understand. While the structure of skeleton gives the build or the frame to the body, the comparative distribution of the body fats and the muscle, forms the mass or shape. There has been a wide range of views on what would be the perfect shape and measurements of a female body. It has differed from generation to generation, and also among the different races. The opinion is also dependent on the factor under consideration, either beauty or health. As far as the human race is considered, the primary focus has been on the aesthetic or sexual value of the female body.
The female body is of many different shapes and sizes. Normally, the waist is very narrow compared to the hips and bust. Thus the hips, bust and waist are considered as points of importance, and are called the inflection points. The proportioning of these points define the shape of the body. The measurement of bust is done at the nipple level line, which depends on the breast size. While the measurement of the waist is done at its narrowest circumference, the hips are measured at the widest margin along the buttocks (ref).
The normal practice to define a female body is to specify the dimensions of the inflection points. A 34-28-36 would mean a 34-inch bust, 28-inch waist and 36-inch hips. These stats are vital from the female body shape point of view. The different proportions would directly affect the shape of the individual and her external attractiveness. The bust measurement also reflects the cup size of the bra. As the bust to hip ratio influences the bulky appearance of a woman’s breast, a woman with narrow shoulder appears more busty than the one with wide shoulder.
Though the B-W-H ratio defines the shape of the female body, this ratio in-turn depends on the height of the individual. If two women have the same measurements, the shorter one will appear to be more curvy and the taller one looks much thinner. Also the Body Mass Index has a role to play. A lower BMI would make the female look slim and a higher value makes her look fat, even though the weight remains the same. Thus the BWH ratio indicates the distribution of body fat rather than the amount of fat.
The estrogen which is produced after puberty, controls the storing of the fat, which is more at the bust and hips. So, depending on the estrogen value, the shape of the body can either occur like an apple, pear or a banana. But, the point of concern is whether the shape can be altered? Yes, the female body is versatile and can be easily wielded into different shapes through exercise and dieting procedures.
Also, there are various artificial methods that can be used to help. The breast can be made to appear heavier using bras which are padded, or there are surgeries to increase the size. The waist fat can be removed through liposuction and butt pads can be used to increase the bulk of the hips to appear more rounded in shape. But the health of the female body has to be considered well in hand. A lower waist to hip ratio would mean a healthier individual, and keeping this in mind further methods of cosmetic alterations can be implemented.
Thus the female body shape – bust/waist/hip measurements are of a special value to women. There is no ideal measurements of the female body, rather it all depends on the mindset of the individual.