The apple body type is quite unique, but at times it can be confused with the other body types, especially the rectangle shape. In this detailed guide, we’ll compare the apple shape with the other four common body types and walk you through all the differences (and similarities) you need to know.
Traits of Apple Body Shape
The apple body shape is more common among women than you may actually think and you can either be skinny or chubby, but still have an apple figure. This may be confusing for many, as some apple traits may be confused with other body shapes.
So to have a better understanding of the apple body shape first, let’s dive into its specific traits.
- One of your best assets is your round and full bust. They are quite noticeable and they bring curves to your upper body.
- You have gorgeous, slender legs. Whenever you gain weight, you never gain them in your legs and so they are always lean and slim.
- You’ve got well-balanced shoulders and hips. The measurement of your shoulders and hips are almost within 5% of each other.
- You carry extra weight in your midsection. This is one of your figure’s major weaknesses as this causes a belly bulge and an undefined waist.
- There’s little to almost no definition on your waist. The indentation on the sides of your waist is barely noticeable because of the weight you carry in your midsection.
- You probably have flatter buttocks. This is not always the case, but it’s quite common when you have slimmer thighs and legs.
Now, let’s talk about how the apple body shape is different from the other four body shapes – pear, hourglass, rectangle, and inverted triangle.
Apple vs. Pear
Similarity – Slim Arms and Rounded Shoulders
Apple figures don’t really gain much weight on their arms, and this goes the same with pear-shaped women as well. This is how both body shapes are similar in a way that despite gaining weight, they carry it in different areas of the body and not the arms.
Another upper-half similarity both apple and pear shapes share would be the shape and scale of their shoulders. They have gently sloped shoulders, in which they appear rounder on the edges.
Difference – Bust Size
Apple shapes typically have a fuller bust size, which is also one of the key assets of this body shape.
In general, pear shapes have smaller bust sizes. It is typical for pear-shaped women to have A to B cups. Compared with their prominent bottom half, the pear appears to be bottom heavy.
Difference – Apple shapes have Undefined Waist
While apple body shapes have a good balance between the widths of their shoulders and hips, the fact that they carry weight in the midsection blurs out the indentation of the waist, hence looking straight and undefined. Meanwhile, pear shapes have a very distinct waistline curve that’s noticeably defined.
An apple figure has very little to almost no waist definition at all and this is one of this figure’s main weaknesses. Because of this, apple shapes need to always look for clothes that feature a snug cinch at the waist to bring better definition.
Pear shapes are considered a curvy figure because of how indented the sides of its waist are. This is due to the fact that the waist is small and narrow in comparison to their wider hips, so the transition curve that traces along the sides of the waist is very apparent.
Difference – Weight Distribution
The way apple body shapes and pear body shapes gain weight is also one of their most distinctive differences. Although because of how close these regions where they gain weight are, it may seem like both figures are bottom-heavy.
Apple body shapes gain weight in their midsection, which results in a belly bulge (also known as a muffin top). On the other hand, pear shapes gain weight in the hips and thighs, while their stomach area is usually flat or small.
Apple vs. Hourglass
Similarity – Fuller Bust Size
This is something both apple and hourglass body shapes are always proud of – their full and very well-shaped bust line! Apple-shaped women and hourglass-shaped women typically have at least a B-cup bust size, which makes both figures have a prominent upper half.
Open necklines work best for these two body shapes as the generous cut on the garment beautifully exposes the decolletage, showcasing the full and round bust.
Similarity – Balanced Shoulders and Hips
The apple body shape has well-balanced shoulders and hips in terms of width. They share, if not the same, then almost the same width, which measures around 5% of each other.
This goes the same with hourglass body shapes and they are very well-known for this particular balance. While both figures feature symmetrical shoulders and hips, this balance is more apparent in hourglass figures compared to apple shapes and that is what we will discuss in the next point.
Difference – Waist Definition
The reason why the shoulder and hip balance in apple shapes tend to be unnoticeable is because of their lack of waist definition. Apple figures carry a relevant amount of weight in the midsection area and so the supposed curves on the sides of the waist aren’t that apparent.
Hourglass body shapes, on the other hand, have more obvious curves because of the narrow width of the waistline. This distinguishes the balance between the upper and lower body and therefore makes the figure look more curvy and voluptuous.
Apple vs. Rectangle
Similarity – Lean Legs
Apple shapes are not always necessarily thin or chubby, but either way, they sure have slim and lean legs. This goes the same for the rectangle body shape, which is deemed to be an athletic figure.
Apple figures have slender legs because of the fact that they never gain weight on their legs but gain it in their stomach instead. Rectangle shapes are typically lean from top to bottom, which explains why they also have lean, slender legs.
Similarity – Undefined Waist
Both figures significantly lack waist definition, albeit in different ways. Basically, the transition curve on the sides of the waist of both apple figures and rectangle figures are absent so they look more straight than curvy.
In the case of the apple body shape, the weight is carried around the midsection, resulting in a rounder or fuller appearance. Meanwhile, the waist is straighter and less pronounced in rectangle figures in a way that the measurements of the bust, waist, and hips are relatively similar.
Difference – Midsection Weight
Apple and rectangle body shapes differ in how they tend to gain weight due to variations in how both figures distribute fat all throughout the body.
Apple shapes carry excess weight around their midsection, particularly in the abdominal area, which results in a rounder and fuller appearance in the torso. Rectangle body shapes are different in this aspect because they tend to gain weight more evenly throughout their body.
Difference – Presence of Curves
Apple body shapes and rectangle body shapes have distinct differences in terms of body curves and proportions. Despite the lack of waist definition, apple shapes have more noticeable curves compared to rectangle shapes which are usually more flat and straight.
Women with the apple body shape often have a rounder or fuller appearance, especially in the upper body. This is due to their prominent bust size and gently-sloped shoulder edges.
Meanwhile, the rectangle body shape is known for its straight visual lines and athletic build. With this said, there’s almost no significant difference in the measurements of their shoulders, bust, waist, and hips, resulting in the complete absence of curves.
Apple vs. Inverted Triangle
Similarity – Toned and Slender Legs
Both apple shapes and inverted triangle body shapes don’t gain significant weight in their legs, which obviously means that they both flaunt slim legs. They also have a nice, toned shape, which is why it’s always ideal to take the opportunity to show them off in your outfit ensembles!
In both cases, the slender legs can be a point of similarity due to the contrast between the upper and lower body proportions. In apple shapes, it’s the midsection that looks heavier while for inverted triangle shapes, it’s the upper half that’s significantly prominent.
Difference – Shoulder Width
Apple shapes typically have gently sloped shoulders and they are pretty much symmetrical to the width of the hips. The shoulders have a softer appearance, which can be comparable to the shoulders of hourglass body shapes.
This is where inverted triangle body shapes differ so much because of how their shoulders look broad and significantly prominent. They have shoulders that are way broader than the hips so they tend to look more top-heavy, and the edges of their shoulders look sharper.
Difference – Hip Width
The apple body shape has shoulders and hips that are of the same width. They aren’t necessarily small or big in particular, but either way, they are quite proportionate with each other.
This is how inverted triangle body shapes are distinctively different because there’s a clear disproportion between their shoulder and hip width. Inverted triangle body shapes have broader shoulders and narrower hips, in which the entire figure resembles the same shape as an inverted triangle.
Apple shapes look heavier around their midsection area, while inverted triangle body shapes are heavier-looking on their upper half.
