Body shape guide
Inverted triangle body shape
An inverted triangle reading means your shoulders measured noticeably wider than your hips. The upper body carries the presence and the hips and legs read narrower. It is a common reading for swimmers and anyone who trains upper body.
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- Shoulder / hip
- above 1.05
- Waist / hip
- below 0.80
How to tell
- Shoulders are the widest measurement
- Shoulder-to-hip ratio above 1.05
- A broader chest and upper back
- Narrower hips and thighs
- Often an athletic or muscular build
What tends to work
- Volume below: wide-leg trousers, full and flared skirts
- V-necklines and scoop necks, which soften the shoulder line
- Lighter colours and prints on the bottom half
- A-line skirts that carry width through the hip
- Simple, unstructured shoulders on jackets and tops
What to watch for
Shoulder pads, puffed sleeves and horizontal stripes across the chest all add to the line that is already the widest.
Inverted triangle body shape outfits
These are starting points, not rules. Fit and comfort matter more than any shape label. Here is what tends to work, garment by garment.
- Tops
- Scoop necks, V-necks and soft knits. Skip shoulder pads and puffed sleeves.
- Bottoms
- Wide-leg trousers, flared and pleated skirts, and prints on the bottom half.
- Dresses
- A-line and fit-and-flare dresses that add width below the waist.
- Jeans
- Bootcut and wide-leg cuts, or details on the pockets, which balance the shoulder line.
- Outerwear
- Soft, unstructured jackets and longer coats. Padded shoulders widen the top further.
Other names for the inverted triangle shape
You may also see this shape called V shape or strawberry. Fashion sites use different words for the same proportions. Our calculator uses five names: hourglass, pear, apple, rectangle and inverted triangle.
How to check your proportions at home
- Stand straight in fitted clothes with your feet together. A friend or a phone on a stand makes this easier.
- Find the width of your shoulders, from one outer edge to the other, as a straight line across your back.
- Find the width of your hips at the widest point, again as a straight line across.
- Divide the shoulder width by the hip width. For a inverted triangle reading you are looking for a shoulder-to-hip ratio above 1.05 and a waist-to-hip ratio below 0.80.
A tape measure wrapped around the body gives circumferences, which are not the same as the widths the AI reads from a photo. Treat this as a rough check. For a direct reading, upload one full-body photo.
A shape describes proportion, not health, size or style. Where you carry width can shift with weight, muscle, pregnancy and age, so a reading is a snapshot of one photo, not a permanent label.
Often confused with
-
Rectangle →
The difference is only how far the shoulders exceed the hips.
Common questions
What is an inverted triangle body shape?
Your shoulders measure wider than your hips, giving a V-shaped silhouette. The shoulder-to-hip ratio is above 1.05, and the waist is often not strongly defined.
How do I know if I am an inverted triangle?
Compare shoulder width to hip width. If the shoulders are clearly wider, you are likely an inverted triangle. The calculator above measures both from one photo.
What should an inverted triangle wear?
Pieces that add volume below the waist balance the shoulders: A-line skirts, wide-leg trousers and softer necklines. Avoid heavy shoulder detail.
What is the difference between an inverted triangle and a rectangle body shape?
Both can look athletic. An inverted triangle has shoulders wider than the hips, with a ratio above 1.05. A rectangle has shoulders and hips of equal width.
What are the best outfits for an inverted triangle body shape?
Wide-leg trousers, A-line skirts and V-necklines. They add volume below the waist and soften the shoulder line.
Can my body shape change?
Where you carry width can shift with weight, muscle, pregnancy and age, so a reading is a snapshot of one photo, not a permanent label. Upload a new photo any time to check again.