I guess I'm an apple or a V shape not sure which. Definitely broader through the shoulders than I am through the hips. I've always had trouble with jeans fitting well. If the waist fits right, it looks like someone has already moved out of the butt and legs. The lower waisted jeans fit me perfectly, I'm so glad these are an option now. I'm at my goal now, and although my body isn't perfect, I am happy with how it all turned out.

I think I might actually be a banana. I'm 5'6 135 pounds at goal (and a bit underneath) and have almost no shape at all... kind of like a tree trunk with maybe a very slight inward curve under the ribs and no breasts. If you had asked me two years ago, I'd have said, without hesitation, "I'm a pumpkin!!" lol... personally I think all types of fruit are beautiful and envy apples and pears just the same

im with you beach pants have ALWAYS been a problem no matter how much wieght i gain/lose the waist NEVER fits because it's got to be big enough to go over the hips and thighs........................

Pear here. I can wear a medium in a top and still a 16 in pants because of this butt & thighs. And yup, when I lose weight, it comes off the top....just where I need to lose it least.

I'm an apple, and often buy men's jeans or hiking pants/shorts. They fit SO much better thru the butt and thighs, without cutting at the waist. And no one can tell they're not women's. It's harder to find dressier pants, but sometimes the leftovers on sales racks are there because they didn't fit the more traditional pears and hourglasses. You can't change your shape, but apples look more like cylinders or even bananas when they slim down to their best weight. But hourglasses are the luckiest - even when they gain weight they look feminine and sexy. Think Delta Burke as Suzanne in "Designing Women"...

I'm a pear. Same problem with poster upthread...try on a small top and large bottoms. Oh well, by the time I get to goal hopefully it will look better. Blah.

Exactly my problem

Just remember, a skinny apple will no longer look like an apple, but a pear will always have an enormous butt and thighs - there is some hope for you apples

Even when I was 110 lbs, I was still looking for long tops to cover my butt and had to wear a bigger size on the bottom half than the top, and when I do exercise my thighs and calves just get huge!

Pear here too. I'm wearing a size 14/16 tops and size 20 pants and all pants gape at the waist. Even when thinner I was never happy with my legs. They've always been too heavy. I'm always envious of people with slender legs, which most apples have.

Love the paper towel analogy. Maybe TMI - but when I look at myself naked in the mirror I don't really look any different, even though I've lost 96 lbs so far. I just look like a couple of layers have been rolled off. When I am dressed, I can see more of a difference.

No...there is no way to change your natural body type. But, I believe that the best thing that we can all do is to get fitter with exercise so that our natural shape just plain looks better...and that we play up what "nature gave us".

The body types in those links go through 3 main types...but I tend to go more with the fact that there are 4.

~The apple-you carry your weight in your shoulders (usually broad), chest, and belly/back area...but usually maintain smaller hips and buns-with thinner legs.

~The pear-you tend to be smaller shouldered/chested/ribcaged/waisted-but have wider hips and tend to store most of your extra fat in your butt and legs.

~The hourglass-you tend to have a fuller chest and hips/thighs-but have a slimmer waistline.

~The cone (or "banana" as the link called it)-this is the classic "model" body type. Usually with long, lean legs and arms-if you carry any extra weight at all-it is usually right through your middle-your waistline and your hips-while the legs remain pretty lean.

Every body type usually "hates" their body type when they are not in peak physical form...but, there are some great advantages/features of each body type-we just have to take advantage of them.

~Making the most of what nature gave you~

Apples for instance-I always hear complaints about the big shoulders/chests/no waist/love handles with this type. I have to honestly say here from the ladies that I see around town-this is the WORST body type for the low rise jeans with the "tight baby tee" outfit. The jeans alone are okay, but the baby tees do not flatter this body type-because they draw attention to the place where you carry most of your extra weight, and they draw attention to your lack of waistline or your love handles or "bra fat".
One of the most coveted body parts of this body type, however-are your gorgeous, naturally muscular legs. You have the body type to wear the itty bitty short-shorts. You usually have wonderfully defined calve muscles, shapeley thighs, and cellulite of the legs is usually a non-issue with this body type.
"Tanktinis" are also the perfect swimsuit for this body type as well. You may not have the waistline that you want, apples-but you have the legs that all of us pears and hourglasses will only DREAM of. Show them off.

~Cones are usually to me the most "athletic" of body types-over the apples in my opinion. You have great lean legs and arms-shorts and tank tops/sleeveless blouses look great on you. Your only issues really are carrying a little extra in the waist and hips (rather than the apple who carries it from the waist up) and usually you can manage to look more "hourglass" once you are near your goal weight. You have a classic "model" figure...so if you are near goal and fit with exercise-you can wear just about anything.

~Pears-this is the other "the grass is greener" body type. The pears want the apples' legs...and the apples want the pears waistline and fuller hips. Pears look really nice when the thinner upper body and waist is accentuated (tank tops, camisoles, form fitting tops) but the fuller lower body is camoflauged slightly (the tiered skirts that are popular now or capri pants are good choices.) The goal is to create the "illusion" of being hourglass. Because pears usually carry most of their weight in their buns and entire legs-the short shorts and such are usually not a good choice for this body type. Pears are also pretty prone to cellulite.
Bathing suits for this type are usually great if they are a 2 piece or a 1 piece that accentuates the bustline...and with a sarong, skirt, or board shorts over the bottoms. I personally don't like "boy short" lycra bottoms on pears...because it, in my opinion, may offer more coverage-but it also accentuates the size of the butt.

~Hourglass-although everyone wants to be one, I can tell you from my own personal experience as an hourglass-that we are FAR from perfect.
Hourglass figures tend to have a small waist and a fuller bust and hips-this is true-but we also tend to have our fat stores in two main areas, and with our "softer" body type (like Marilyn Monroe and Anna Nicole) it offers its own set of figure flaws.
Hourglasses tend to hold fat in their upper arms, for one. I love my chest and small waist-but I HATE my upper arms. I lift weights, do cardio, dance professionally-and I hate the flabby extra stuff from my elbow to my shoulder. Blech. I would love to wear the cute little camisole/shelf bra tops and such-but I feel like my fatty upper arms are just a flappin' in the breeze.
Also, we tend to have the pear's buns and legs and hold fat there as well, so we also have the cellulite, flabby thighs, and such to contend with. We are pretty much "pears" with bigger boobs and a little extra fluff in the upper arms to balance it out.
Hourglasses look good with outfits that are nipped in the waist-baby tees and jeans (if you are in shape for it...), a form fitting top and skirt to show off the waistline/hourglass shape of the torso...
But, alas...Daisy Duke shorts and sleeveless tops just aren't for us unless we are in super-duper shape.
We (like pears) are also softer-so we don't get the hard and defined "muscle definition" in our arms and legs like strength trainers who have apple and cone shapes...but we can successfully get it more easily in our abdominals.

It's funny that you say this because although I have some level of fitness and a lot of energy when I workout, I am still a good bit away from goal and yet (with modesty I say) I look good in sleeveless tops. I don't know, maybe I have attributes of other body types as well because I can strengthen and sculpt muscle very easily throughout my upper middle and lower body, but at the same time there's no denying my curvy hourglass figure.

Also, do you find that as an hourglass, you appear to weigh less than you actually do? I've always looked 15 to 20lbs. lighter than I am(man am I thankful for that! )

I have pretty balanced shoulders/arm size compared to the rest of my body. If I wear a form fitting sleeveless outfit that shows off my torso, then my hips and shoulders and all are pretty balanced out...I just (and a lot of other hourglasses) tend to hold fat in the upper arms, so I will never get the "lean" looking arms and legs like other body types get that I SOOOO envy.

As far as looking like I weigh less than I really do, it depends on the outfit. If I wear something that flatters my hourglass shape (one of my belly dance performance costumes are a perfect example of this.) and I am showing off my shoulders/chest/waistline/hips then I definitely look smaller than I am. Most of my dance costumes have harem pants and full skirts that completely cover up my heavier legs...so it is as if they are nonexistent.

On the other hand...if I wear a huge baggy sweatshirt that covers up my thinner torso, and wear shorts-I look heavier than I am, simply because I am covering up the thinner, shapelier part of myself, and showing the heavier part.

The proper clothing makes a huge difference...

No idea where I fit in with this...lol. I think hourglass, although as I'm losing weight through my thighs (thank goodness) I'm also losing weight through my hips I've never complained about my hips and they're going, going, GOING!!! My husband says they'll never disappear, but I'm really scared that my shape will go to beanpole straight! I've never had a butt to speak of, but with jogging and bike riding, it seems to be shaping up!! So maybe the butt building up will even out the hip loss? LOL.

Cassie, I just wanted to tell you to keep going and don't get discouraged!! You may be an apple now, but you may very well slim down with curves showing up in places that you didn't realize you had before! I saw your pics and you're looking GREAT. Seems we always lose weight in the places we don't need to first. My boobs were the first to go I'm not small chested really, but I will be if this keeps up...lol.

Kim