Finding plus size clothing can be a very difficult task and first you need to measure your bone structure, so don’t be concerned with your relative size or shape. Keep in mind that your body undoubtedly differs from the “classic” proportions somewhere in head length, upper torso, rise, leg length, etc. Your measurements will be your general guide in analyzing how your genes configured the overall blueprint of your body, Knowledge is power in dressing!

It’s very, very important that you take the time to take the plunge and measure yourself. You can’t begin to meet a challenge, solve a problem, or gain self-esteem by hiding your head in the sand, Besides, the actual numbers that you measure are less important than the proportions they reveal. (If it makes you more confident, measure yourself in centimeters, which have less meaning for most of us and can be found on the back of most tape measures.) You can do this it’s easy, it’s revealing, it’s empowering!

Get a friend to assist you with a flat-edge ruler and a tape measure. You may find it easier to stand against a wall and lightly mark these lengths in pencil, or to mark them on a full-length mirror in black marker (this will come off with gloss cleaner), then measure.

Are you longer in the torso or the legs? Measure the top half of your body (head to hip bone/leg break) versus the bottom half (hip/leg break to bottom of feet) and see if you are longer, shorter, or even in torso or legs. (If you need help in finding that hipbone, stand up straight while holding onto a chair or other stable object for support, and raise your leg slightly. Where your leg “breaks” is your hipbone). If these two measurements are equal, you are evenly proportioned.

In addition to your overall proportions, it’s crucial to know your exact measurements when identifying your body type and foundation/clothing sizes. Once your dimensions are on paper, it’s also a little easier to understand how your proportions affect your clothing selections, and how to achieve proper fit.

While everybody is individual, most women’s figures fit into one of the four classic body types. The explanations that follow will help you understand which type you ore, and give you o summary of the fashion silhouettes that will flatter you most, Remember, you may not be a perfect example of your type. You could have a slightly different shape or dimension than the illustration look for similarities rather than differences.

The Hourglass body – an overall curvy shape, with hips and shoulders about the same width. Even in profile your waist is well-defined at least 9 inches smaller than your bust or hips. Your lower hips are usually wider than your high hips, and you may have a fairly round, full rear. Although your thighs are full, they are narrower than your lower hips (from the front view, at least), and your lower legs are relatively slim or shapely. Your Hourglass face, neck, and shoulders are probably proportionate to the rest of your body (though the hourglass body is prone to o double chin). You are blessed with the beautiful, natural, feminine shape usually associated with womanliness. Your even pro