Tailor Washington DC

Body Style -- Yours!

What you look like with clothes on depends on what you look like without them?

Men are great at evaluating women's shapes. So why do we suck when it comes to figuring out our own body type?

We can instantly peg a woman as a pear-shaped beauty built for cornering or a wedge-shaped nymph built for speed, but don't know how we look to others?

I've tried to illustrate body shapes with these crazy little stick-figure guys to help you decide which one fits your body style. Once we know our body type we can work with clothes to emphasis our good points and down play the areas we want to down play!

Classification by body type has been around for quite a while. Five thousand years ago Sanskrit teachings of Ayurvedic medicine assigned three basic body types:

Vata: a thin body type belonging to a person who can be unpredictable and who becomes vivacious and excitable under pressure.
 

Pitta: a medium body type represents a person who can be intense, orderly, decisive and tends to become angry and ubrupt under pressure.
 

Kapha: a heavy set body embies a relaxed, calm, steady, easy going person who, when stressed may balk and grow silent.
 

American psychologist William H. Sheldon (1899-1977) classified bodies into three body types and linked personality traits to them:

Ectomorph: An ectomorph was a person with a tall, thin, fragile frame and a large head. He tended to be intellectual, introverted, self-conscious and often nervous.
 

Endomorph: With a rounded, soft, plump body, this person was thought to be sociable, friendly, relaxed with a fondness for food and comfort.
 

Mesomorph: His athletic body type had a muscular, sturdy and thick-necked frame. According to Sheldon, he tended to be active and noisy, risk-taking and sometimes insensitive in his personal relationships.
 

For years, these descriptions were the conventional ways in which bodies were classified. 

Then came Roseanne and Hulk Hogan.

IMPORTANT! You may fit two of these categories -- i.e., Short and Heavy or Tall and Athletic, so go with your best guess as to which you most closely resemble.

There are plenty of other things to know about how to project your best image. Read these sections and learn how you can get it all together!

• The Basics:   Start here -- stripes, patterns, how to stand up straight, all that.
   
• Body types: Your body type can be more important in find...