Bust / waist / hip measurements - wikipedia Bust / waist / hip measurements `` BWH '' redirects here. For other uses, see Bwh ( disambiguation ). This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( May 2011 ) A corset diagram showing the lines of measurement for bust, waist, hip, and back underarm to waist Bust / waist / hip measurements ( informally called vital statistics ) are a common method of specifying body proportions for the purpose of fitting clothes. They match the three inflection points of the female body shape. It is also often used in women 's personal ads or Internet profiles to indicate their appearance. In human body measurement, the three sizes are the circumferences of the bust, waist and hips ; usually rendered as three sizes : xx -- yy -- zz in inches, or centimeters. The three sizes are used mostly in fashion, and almost exclusively in reference to women, who, compared to men, are more likely to have a narrow waist relative to bust and hips. Contents 1 Measurements and perception 2 See also 3 References 4 External links Measurements and perception This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( July 2015 ) Breast volume will have an effect on the perception of a woman 's figure even when bust / waist / hip measurements are nominally the same. Brassiere band size is measured below the breasts, not at the bust. A woman with measurements of 37A -- 27 -- 38 will have a different presentation than a woman with measurements of 35C -- 27 -- 38. These women have ribcage circumferences differing by 2 inches, but when breast tissue is included the measurements are the same. The result is that the latter woman will appear `` bustier '' than the former due to the apparent difference in bust to hip ratios ( narrower shoulders, more prominent breasts ) even though they are both technically 38 -- 27 -- 38. Height will also affect the presentation of the figure. A woman who is 36 -- 24 -- 36 at 5 ft 3 in ( 1.60 m ) tall looks different from a woman who is 36 -- 24 -- 36 at 5 ft 8 in ( 1.73 m ) tall. Since the latter woman 's figure has greater distance between measuring points, she will likely appear thinner than her former counterpart, again, even though they share the same measurements. The specific proportions of 36 -- 24 -- 36 inches ( 90 - 60 - 90 centimeters ) have frequently been given as the `` ideal '', or `` hourglass '' proportions for women since at least the 1960s. See also Female body shape Physical attractiveness Waist - hip ratio References Jump up ^ Khamsi, Roxanne ( 2007 - 01 - 10 ). `` The hourglass figure is truly timeless ''. NewScientist.com news service. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Jump up ^ ( 2 ) Jump up ^ ( 3 ) External links How to measure your BWH Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bust/waist/hip_measurements&oldid=801833607 '' Categories : Sizes in clothing Body shape Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from May 2011 All articles needing additional references Articles needing additional references from July 2015 Talk Article Talk Contents Featured content About Wikipedia Wikidata item Cite this page العربية فارسی Français 日本 語 Svenska Tagalog 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 22 September 2017, at 04 : 33. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what are the three measurements of a woman
Answer: Bust/waist/hip