Hope's How-To: Determine Your Vertical Body Type

Determining your body shape seems like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised how many people don't understand or celebrate their shape. Once you figure out what category your body falls into, buying clothes and getting dressed becomes so much easier. Recognizing and accepting the proportions of your body are key factors to dressing for success.

Let's talk vertical body types.

Your vertical body type is the proportion of your body's bottom half compared to your top half. For example, you may have really long legs, and a really short torso. The best way to figure out your vertical body shape is to measure your full height, and the height of your hip line (circumference around your hips where your bottom is the fullest), and determine where your hip-line falls in relation to your height. It might sound complicated, but really it's a cinch.

There are three vertical body types, and this is universal for both men and women.

• Short legs, long torso: Your hip-line is less than half your height, and you have a low waist (to determine this, bend your elbow. If your waist is lower than your elbow, you have a low waist).
• Balanced body: Your upper body length is about the same as your lower body length, and your hip-line is half your actual height (you fall into the "balanced" category if you bend your elbow and it sits at your waist).
• Long legs, short torso: Your hip-line is higher than half your full height (you've got long legs and a short torso if your waist is higher than your bent elbow).

So which vertical body type do you have? Once you determine this, you've have an easier time figuring out what clothing wears best on your body. And when you wear clothes that fit properly, you feel better about yourself.