Textiles and Dress

Female body shape

Female body shape or female figure is the cumulative product of a woman's bone structure along with the distribution of muscle and fat on the body. Female figures are typically narrower at the waist than at the bust and hips. The bust, waist, and hips are called inflection points, and the ratios of their circumferences are used to define basic body shapes. Reflecting the wide range of individual beliefs on what is best for physical health and what is preferred aesthetically, there is no universally acknowledged ideal female body shape. Ideals may also vary across different cultures, and they may exert influence on how a woman perceives her own body image.

Also on this shelf

See also

• ▸Badge of shame
• ▸Al-Fihrist
• ▸Folklore

Uncatalogued shelf

Text from Wikipedia; plate via Wikimedia Commons. Text CC BY-SA 4.0; plate freely licensed (see Commons). Source record. Images and catalogue data are reproduced from open-access collections.