Steps to finding your natural waist and waist size<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.thebudgetfashionista.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/natural-waist.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\nFinding your natural waist isn’t hard (if you know where to look). Grab a fabric tape measure and follow these steps:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n- Place a tape measure around your middle torso.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
- Bend your body to the side. You can go either left or right \u2014 it doesn\u2019t matter.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
- Feel for a crease\/indentation\/fold below your breast, but above the top of your hips. For those of us with love handles, you’re looking for the fold closest to the the top of your hips.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
- Move to the tape measure to where this fold occurs.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
- You’ve found it! This is your natural waist.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
- While you’re there, take a look at the number on your tape measure. Now you know your waist size.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Here’s a video that gives you a bit more detail on how to measure your natural waist.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NqsbEdtpy_g<\/div>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nYour lower waist and how to find it<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
You might have a couple questions right now, as in:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n- Waist vs. natural waist…is there a difference?<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
- Is the natural waist at the belly button?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
These are reasonable questions. The confusion comes in because some references to “waist” actually refer to your lower waist. This is closer to your belly button, where a normal rise pant usually sits. (High rise pants edge up higher to your natural waist. Low-rise pants don’t even go that high; these top out at your hips, which makes them incredibly unflattering on most body types.)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
So, no, the natural waist is not at the belly button. That’s closer to your lower waist — which usually about 2 inches below your natural waist.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The easiest way to find your lower waist is to put your pointer finger on your natural waist, then add your middle finger and index finger. The point where your index finger lands is your lower waist.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Natural waist and your measurements<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Knowing your natural waist measurement (i.e., waist size) helps you pick the right sized jeans off the rack — but it’s not quite enough info to help you choose the right rise for your jeans or construct outfits that balance your shape.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
While you have a cloth tape in your hand, go ahead and measure your bust and hips, both at their fullest point. How these measurements compare to one another will tell you your shape. Reference the bullet points below, borrowed from my post on buying swimwear for your body type<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"Drawings](\"https:\/\/www.thebudgetfashionista.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/body-type-diagram.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n- Banana\/rectangle: You are thin all over and your bust, waist and hips are all about the same.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
- Pear: Your bust and waist are significantly smaller than your hips.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
- Apple: Your waist and bust are about the same, and slightly wider than your hips.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
- Hourglass: Your bust and hips are roughly the same, and your waist is significantly smaller.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
- Inverted triangle: Your bust (and shoulders) is fuller than your hips.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Armed with your body type, you can make smart outfit decisions based on your body type<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nI’ll say here that whatever your numbers are, accept and love them. You could try a waist trainer
<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\nFinding your natural waist isn’t hard (if you know where to look). Grab a fabric tape measure and follow these steps:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
- \r\n
- Place a tape measure around your middle torso.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
- Bend your body to the side. You can go either left or right \u2014 it doesn\u2019t matter.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
- Feel for a crease\/indentation\/fold below your breast, but above the top of your hips. For those of us with love handles, you’re looking for the fold closest to the the top of your hips.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
- Move to the tape measure to where this fold occurs.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
- You’ve found it! This is your natural waist.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
- While you’re there, take a look at the number on your tape measure. Now you know your waist size.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Here’s a video that gives you a bit more detail on how to measure your natural waist.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NqsbEdtpy_g<\/div>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nYour lower waist and how to find it<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
You might have a couple questions right now, as in:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
- \r\n
- Waist vs. natural waist…is there a difference?<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
- Is the natural waist at the belly button?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
These are reasonable questions. The confusion comes in because some references to “waist” actually refer to your lower waist. This is closer to your belly button, where a normal rise pant usually sits. (High rise pants edge up higher to your natural waist. Low-rise pants don’t even go that high; these top out at your hips, which makes them incredibly unflattering on most body types.)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
So, no, the natural waist is not at the belly button. That’s closer to your lower waist — which usually about 2 inches below your natural waist.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The easiest way to find your lower waist is to put your pointer finger on your natural waist, then add your middle finger and index finger. The point where your index finger lands is your lower waist.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Natural waist and your measurements<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Knowing your natural waist measurement (i.e., waist size) helps you pick the right sized jeans off the rack — but it’s not quite enough info to help you choose the right rise for your jeans or construct outfits that balance your shape.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
While you have a cloth tape in your hand, go ahead and measure your bust and hips, both at their fullest point. How these measurements compare to one another will tell you your shape. Reference the bullet points below, borrowed from my post on buying swimwear for your body type<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n- \r\n
- Banana\/rectangle: You are thin all over and your bust, waist and hips are all about the same.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
- Pear: Your bust and waist are significantly smaller than your hips.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
- Apple: Your waist and bust are about the same, and slightly wider than your hips.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
- Hourglass: Your bust and hips are roughly the same, and your waist is significantly smaller.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
- Inverted triangle: Your bust (and shoulders) is fuller than your hips.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Armed with your body type, you can make smart outfit decisions based on your body type<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
I’ll say here that whatever your numbers are, accept and love them. You could try a waist trainer