What are the IDEAL FEMALE BODY MEASUREMENTS?

Ideal Female Body Measurements

The answer to this question is a point of contention and social debate.

This is why we can't give you this number right away without qualifing certain "issues".

So, before we just spell out the numbers (bottom of this page), let us first take a look at a couple of things that are vital when considering ideal female body measurements:

1. Waist-to-hip ratio
2. Vital Stats or Measurements

The waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is something you have heard about plenty of times. But, what is it really? Well, it's a woman's waist measurement divided by the hip measurement.

Jane has a waist measurement of 28 inches and a hip measurement of 40 inches.

Thus, Jane's waist to hip ratio is 0.7 (this is the way it's expressed: 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, etc.)

Now, here is the problem, and this is why we mentioned that we needed to qualify certain statements before we mention what the ideal female body measurements are.

Namely, there are significant cultural differences in terms of preferences for what the ideal female body measurements should be.

Research has discovered that the waist-to-hip ratio of any woman of any build is strongly related to how attractive a woman is perceived to be. This perception of atractiveness is prevalent in all cultures.

Women with a 0.7 waist-to-hip (waist circumference measurement that's 70% of the hip circumference measurement) are often perceived to be more attractive by men from North America and European cultures.

Famous beauty icons (past and present) such as Angelina Jolie, Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren all have (or had -in their primes) waist-to-hip ratios of around 0.7.

However, preferences vary from culture to culture. For instance, men in Asia perceive women with waist-to-hip ratios of 0.6 to be the most attractive, while in South America and Africa women with ratios of 0.8 or 0.9 are beleived to be the most desirable and most attractive.

Vital Stats/Measurements

The waist-to-hip number alone doesn't say much without knowing the vital stats measurement of a woman.

Thus, a woman's "dimensions" are expressed in terms of the circumference around three main points - widest point of the chest, narrowest point of the waist and widest point of the hips.

Here's an example:

A 36-29-38 (inch) vital stats measurement means a 36" bust, 29" waist and 38" hips.

This measure is called a woman's vital statistics.

A woman's bust measurement is her breast size, as reflected by her bra cup size.

Let's illustrate this with an example of 2 different women:

Woman A with a bra size of 36A has a rib cage of 35 to 36 inches in total circumference and her bust measures 37 inches.

Woman B with a bra size 34C has a rib cage of 33 to 34 inches in circumference, but the same bust measure (as Woman A) of 37 inches.

Thus, the woman with a 34C breast size - Woman B - will look bustier because of the difference in bust-to-hip ratios (narrower shoulders and more prominent breasts) even though both women have the same BWH ratio.

Another element that influences ideal female body measurements is height. Height affects the appearance of a woman's figure.

For instance, a woman who has vital stats of 36-24-36 and is 5 ft 2 inches tall (1.57 m) will look different from a woman who has the same 36-24-36 vital stats but stands 5 ft 8 inches (1.73 m) in height.

Because the taller woman's body figure has a greater distance between measuring points, she will appear (and be perceived) as thinner and less curvy than her shorter counterpart with the exact same vital stats measurements.

Thus, eventhough both of them have the same BWH (bust-to-waist-to-hip) ratio and the same weight, the taller woman is thinner because of her height.

Ideal Female Body Measurements - The Generally Accepted Standard

The ideal female body measurements (according to most modelling agencies and health, fitness and fashion experts) are: