Petite women, like all other body frames, come in different sizes and shapes. All sizes and shapes are beautiful. Still, you might be wondering what is your petite body type?
First of all, everybody has different body shape, so it is very hard to generalize. So why do we even try to categorize them? The reason is even though everyone is different, we do share certain common features. It is helpful and useful to know some basics of your body features so that you will understand what are your assets, how to accentuate them, and find the outfit most flattering for your particular body shape.
Secondly, image consultants use the term “shape” to describe the overall silhouette of your body, and it is primarily decided by your shoulder width relative to your hip width, and waistline plays a big role here too. In other words, it is how your upper, mid and lower half are in proportion to each other. Like architecture, we are looking at your natural frame. Your size may go up and down in your life, but your frame is constant.
Thirdly, there are many different theories about body types. For example, some theory use letters such as type A, type H, type V, while others use shape or fruits such as apple vs pear vs hourglass, and etc. By and large, they are all based on similar base features of our torso, and the difference is some theories may have divided one type into more sub-types. In our quiz, we categorize petite women into 5 body types.
I started writing about petite styling tips for short women since 2016, and my articles have touched the lives of millions since then. Based on my own fashion trial and errors and feedback from numerous petite readers, I have published a book “The Petite Style Bible“, first of its kind dedicated to petite fashion. Click here to learn more.
As you can see, general body type has nothing to do with one’s height. So, you could be either tall or short, and fall into similar body types. However, petite women do share similar body features such as shorter torso, shorter arms or narrower shoulders. Today, we will take a close look at the body types particular for petite women, i.e. petite body type, and offer some tried and true styling tips based on our observation of petite celebs.
Now, are you ready to find out about your petite body type? First, I suggest you watch my Youtube video for a quick overview of the common body types, followed by a simple quiz with only 4 questions.
Has it become clear to you which body type you are?
If not, I have a more detailed quiz for you!
Before you take the quiz, standing in front of the mirror and focusing on the shape of your torso is the most important first step in finding out what petite body type you are and therefore to dress accordingly. Step a few feet away from a full-length mirror so that you can observe your overall body shop from a distance. You may find it the easiest to do this with all your clothing off (including under garments), as even certain under garments (such as Spandex) can change your body shape at times. Now, let us look at the critical part- your torso, specifically, your shoulder width, hip width and your waist. The contour of your torso, the smallest part of your waist to your rib cage and hip line determines your overall petite body shape.
Now, after visually gauging yourself in the mirror, you are ready to take our quiz to find out what petite body type you are. It is a very simple quiz, but you may want to have a measurement tape ready and have a pen and a piece of paper handy, in case you need to jot down several numbers while you go through the quiz.
Bear in mind, you may not have all the typical treats of one particular petite body type, or you could have a combination of typical treats of more than one petite body types, in which case, you might see your result that is closest to the body type you have most typical treats of. After all, the quiz is only created for you to know more about yourself, and all fashion advice only works if you believe they are suitable for your personality.
