Have you ever wondered, or googled, “How to know my body type?” This article will explain one aspect of body type: body contour line. It basically answers the question, “what kind of lines is my body composed of?” In art, the choices are basically straight or curved.
I’ll also explain how you can use body contour line to inform your fabric choices and how you can adapt your fabric choices to fit your personality preferences.
So, I went back to college to get my bachelors degree when my youngest child was in college.
(It was a strategy to get more financial aid and I would definitely recommend it.)
At the time, I had already been blogging about personal style for five or six years, so it made sense to study nonverbal communication. But I still wasn’t convinced about the connection between how we look and our personalities.
I discovered this diagram during that season. It’s a fascinating fusion of Sheldon’s somatotypes with the 16 Myers-Briggs types.
In the 1940s, William Sheldon developed a system called somatotyping that categorized people into three basic body types: endomorphs, mesomorphs, and ectomorphs. And Sheldon proposed that these physical types corresponded to specific personality traits. According to his research, endomorphs tended to be softer, shorter, warm-hearted, amiable, and talkative. Mesomorphs were characterized as stronger, more self-reliant, adventurous, and mature. Ectomorphs were described as very thin, tall, ambitious, tense, and sometimes pessimistic.
How to Know My Body Type/Somatotype?
How to know my body type? Let me tell you here, after working with plenty of women to discover their body contour lines, I am convinced that even if a person is carrying a little extra weight, these body contour lines, will usually show.
If you prefer to use personality to find what body type might be implied by your Myers-Briggs type, here are what I see as the implications. (If you are not certain about your personality type, I would love to help you with that! Book your Personality Insights interview here.
A. Extraversion-Introversion
- Extraverts are positioned near the mesomorphic (muscular) top because their primary reality is the physical, actionable, outer world.
- Introverts are positioned toward the edges/bottom because their primary reality is their inner world, with their physical expression being secondary or serving their inner life.
B. Intuition-Sensing
- Intuitive types concentrate toward bottom, reflecting their tendency to live more in mind than body.
- Sensing types cluster toward top, showing their natural connection to physical reality and possibly suggesting greater body awareness.
C. Thinking-Feeling
- Feeling types tend to appear on the left side, aligning with softer physical expression and a preference for fluid movement.
- Thinking types tend right. This correlates with more defined, precise physical patterns, such as a preference for structured movement.
D. Judging-Perceiving
- Judging types appear in more defined positions, which may suggest clearer preferences.
- Perceiving types occupy transitional spaces, perhaps indicating more adaptability.
How to Know What Fabrics to Choose
But how does knowing your body contour lines translate to choosing fabrics? Body contour lines can be divided into three categories that parallel these body types: Architectural (corresponding to ectomorphic straight lines), Sculptural (corresponding to mesomorphic taut curves), and Moulded (corresponding to endomorphic soft curves).Â
To answer the question, “how to know my body type?”, and apply this knowledge, first take a look at your own body’s lines. This may be easier in a photograph.
Do you see primarily straight lines and obvious bones? Your body expresses architectural lines, suggesting you’ll be most flattered by fabrics with enough body to hold their shape – things like wool, linen, and structured cottons.
If you see taut curves and obvious muscles, your sculptural lines harmonize with medium-taut to medium-drape fabrics, especially those with stretch, like jersey or substantial knits.
If your lines are primarily soft curves, your body contour lines are moulded and you are likely to feel most comfortable in medium-drape to fluid fabrics like challis, fine knits, or chiffon.
But here’s where it gets interesting: you can adapt other fabric types to your body, depending on your personality and purpose. This is an opportunity for creative expression.
Here are techniques you can use:
- if you have architectural lines but relate more to an adaptable personality, you might choose fluid fabrics but use them in volume to maintain structure.
- if you have soft curves but identify with a more dominant personality, you might select taut fabrics with curved seams.
- if your body is more muscular and you want to wear drapiness, combine the softer fabric with heavier knits or stretch fabrics.
- if your body is more taut curves and you want to wear more structure, use curved seams in a structured fabric with stretch.
These are frameworks, not rules. The goal is to understand your natural patterns – how to know my body type – and use that understanding to make style choices that feel authentically you.
For homework this article, how about just identifying your favorite fabrics? What are some of your favorite garments to wear? How much of the reason is the fabric? It is sometimes surprising what a difference it can make to how you feel!