The Pear body shape
Your hips measure more than your bust and shoulders, with the waist still clearly drawn above them.
Also called triangle, A-shape, bell.
What a pear body shape is
A pear figure is hip-dominant: the hip measurement comes in more than about 5% above the larger of your bust and shoulder readings. A 40-inch hip against a 36-inch bust is the textbook case. The waist is usually well defined, because the hip curves out below it rather than the waist thickening.
The shoulder line tends to be narrow and slightly sloped, the bust small to medium, and the weight of the figure sits at the hip, upper thigh and seat. Seen straight on, the outline widens steadily from shoulder to hip — which is where the triangle name comes from.
It is the most common shape the calculator returns, and the one with the clearest styling logic behind it: everything works by giving the eye a reason to travel upward, so the shoulder and the hip finish level.
The measurements
A worked example. The rule is a ratio, so it holds at any size.
hip 40 > max(bust, shoulder) 36 × 1.05 → hip-dominant · PEAR
Without a tape measure
- Trousers that fit at the hip are loose at the waist
- You buy a larger size on the bottom than on the top
- Your shoulders are narrower than your hips when you look straight on
- Your waist is visibly defined even without a belt
- Weight arrives at the hip and thigh first
Pear sub-types
These are descriptions of the same measurement pattern at different scales and heights, not separate shapes. The rule above classifies all of them as pear.
Skinny pear
A slim frame that is still hip-dominant. The difference between bust and hip can be only three or four inches and the shape still reads clearly, because a narrow shoulder exaggerates it. Structure at the shoulder does more here than volume anywhere else.
Petite pear
Under about 5'4". The risk is cutting an already short leg line in half: keep the bottom half one colour, put the hem at the narrowest part of the calf, and let a slightly higher rise lengthen the leg.
Plus size pear
The same proportion at a fuller scale, usually with a fuller bust as well, which actually balances the line. Fabric weight matters more than cut — a bottom that hangs rather than clings keeps the hip line smooth.
Athletic pear
Muscular thigh and seat with a narrow waist and small bust. Stretch through the bottom stops the fit fighting you, and a wider-cut leg reads as intentional rather than tight.
Tall pear
Length gives you the option of wide-leg trousers and full skirts that a petite pear has to be careful with. A longer torso also takes a tucked-in top well, which most pears benefit from.
What to wear
Works with the line
- Boat necks, square necks and off-the-shoulder — width at the top, deliberately
- Statement shoulders, puff sleeves and structured jackets
- Pattern, texture and the brighter colour on the top half
- A-line and wrap dresses that follow the waist and release over the hip
- Straight-leg and bootcut trousers in a darker, heavier fabric
- Tops that end above or well below the widest point of the hip
Fights it
- Skinny jeans in a thin light fabric
- Tops that finish exactly at the fullest part of the hip
- Stiff pleats or side pockets set at the hip bone
- Narrow spaghetti straps with no shoulder line at all
- Bottom-heavy pattern with a plain dark top — it reverses the balance
Questions
- What does a pear body shape look like?
- A narrow shoulder and bust, a clearly defined waist, and hips measuring several inches wider than the bust. The outline widens steadily from shoulder to hip.
- Is a pear shape the same as a triangle?
- Yes. Triangle and A-shape are the same hip-dominant measurement pattern. Some systems reserve the word pear for figures with a particularly defined waist.
- What is the difference between a pear and a spoon shape?
- A pear curves out gradually from waist to hip. A spoon steps out abruptly at the upper hip, creating a distinct shelf just below the waist, and then runs straighter down the thigh.
- Can you be skinny and pear-shaped?
- Yes. Hip dominance is a comparison between your own measurements. A slim frame with narrow shoulders can be more obviously pear-shaped than a fuller one.
Often confused with
Not sure this is you?
Four measurements, one answer, and the maths shown so you can check it rather than trust it.
Run the calculator