BWH Measurements

Also called Vital Statistics and abbreviated to BWH, Bust/Waist/Hip Measurements are a common method of specifying body proportions for the purpose of fitting clothes and indicating physical appearance. Usually used to depict women, the three sizes are the circumferences of the Bust, Waist and Hips; usually rendered in centimeters or inches.

BWH measurements, Cup size and Height
Because cup size is only partially measured in BWH measurements (to measure cup size the circumference of the rib cage underneath the breast must also be measured and then the difference between that and the Bust measurement decides what cup size is needed, the larger the difference the larger the cup size.) BWH measurements can only partially depict a woman’s body shape.

Breast volume, or cup size, will further detail a woman's figure. A woman with measurements of 32A-27-36 (Bust:33, A cup, Waist:27, Hips:36) inches will have a different body shape than a woman with measurements of 32C-27-36 (Bust:35, C cup, Waist:27, Hips:36) inches due to the former woman's rib cage being about 30 to 32 inches in circumference (according to the 32), with a full bust measurement of 33 inches, the A being an inch of difference in the circumference between the fullest part and the band no. The latter woman's rib would be about 30 to 32 inches around and a full bust measurement of 35 inches. The result is that the latter woman’s breasts will appear "bustier" and her hips larger than the former woman even though their BWH measurements are both 36-25-38 inches.

The letter of the cup is larger as it goes up the alphabet, with double letters being large than the single in all but one case, AA is smaller than A. The BWH is frequently given as three numbers, the measurement of the fullest part of the bust, the measurement of the thinnest part of the waist and the measurement of the largest part of the hip, which usually falls to be around the butt.

An A cup on a 32 inch band is much smaller than an A cup on a 40 inch band. A person usually has a band measurement a few inches larger than waist measurement. A woman with 38-28-38 may have a bra size of 30H, 32F, 34DD and a 36 would be too large on her frame.

Height will also affect the presentation of the figure. A woman who is 36-24-36 at 5'2" tall, looks different from a woman who is 36-24-36 at 5'8" 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 BWH measurements.

Trivia

 * In western culture the ideal sizes for a woman are said to be B90 W60 H90 cm (B36" W24" H36").
 * To acheive a desired appearance, women may add padding to increase their figures, or tightly wrap their bodies in an attempt to decrease their figures. This practise is most commonly applied to the bust, however, corsets are sometimes used to decrease the Waist measurement.