Heads tall
——
5.5 9.5
Add head height.
height ÷ head height
Body proportion · eight ratios Body Proportion
Body Proportion
Calculator
Eight ratios, two uses: clothing fit and figure drawing. The classical canon and the measured data are labelled separately, so you can see which reference you are looking at.
Output
Eight ratios
Each card appears when its inputs are present. Reference bands are context, not a grade.
00
Enter at least your height, then add the measurements for the ratios you want. Head height and inseam give the two drawing ratios first.
Leg-to-height
——
0.35 0.55
Add inseam.
inseam ÷ height
Sitting height ratio
——
0.42 0.60
Add sitting height.
sitting height ÷ height
Shoulder-to-hip
——
0.70 1.30
Add shoulder and hip.
shoulder circumference ÷ hip circumference
Shoulder-to-waist
——
1.00 2.00
Add shoulder and waist.
shoulder circumference ÷ waist circumference
Arm span-to-height
——
0.80 1.15
Add arm span.
arm span ÷ height
Waist-to-hip
——
0.50 1.00
Add waist and hip.
waist circumference ÷ hip circumference
Waist-to-height
——
0.30 0.70
Add waist.
waist circumference ÷ height
bodyproportion.com expresses body proportions as ratios — heads tall, leg-to-height, torso-to-leg, shoulder-to-hip and more — for clothing fit and figure drawing, using published reference ranges.
Most proportion calculators mix two different things: an artistic canon and a population average. This page keeps them apart. The eight-head figure is a drawing convention; the measured head height of 0.14–0.15 of stature comes from body scans. Both are useful, but they answer different questions.
What the eight ratios are
| Ratio | Formula | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Heads tall | height ÷ head height | Adults usually fall around 7–7.5; the classical canon uses 8. |
| Leg-to-height | inseam ÷ height | Commonly around 45%; roughly 43–48% in many adult samples. |
| Sitting height ratio | sitting height ÷ height | About 0.52 in European samples, 0.51 in African samples, 0.53–0.54 in Asian samples; 0.48–0.55 is a broad range. |
| Shoulder-to-hip | shoulder circumference ÷ hip circumference | Descriptive: near 1.00 means the two circumferences are similar. There is no universal target. |
| Shoulder-to-waist | shoulder circumference ÷ waist circumference | A popular physique benchmark is 1.618; it is a training convention, not a clinical standard. |
| Arm span-to-height | arm span ÷ height | Close to 1.00. Measured means were 0.96 for men and 0.92 for women in a 2020 US Air Force sample. |
| Waist-to-hip | waist circumference ÷ hip circumference | WHO reference points: 0.85 for women and 0.90 for men, above which abdominal obesity is considered present. |
| Waist-to-height | waist circumference ÷ height | Common guidance: keep it under 0.50; 0.50–0.59 is above; 0.60 or more is the top of the range. |
Each ratio has a dedicated page with the measurement method, the source and the limits. The table above is the quick index; the calculator above is the tool.
Canon vs measured: the same figure, two answers
A classical drawing manual will tell you that an adult is about seven and a half heads tall, and that an idealised figure is eight. A body scanner will tell you something slightly different. In a 2020 re-analysis of 63,623 men and 1,385 women, mean head height was 0.14 of stature for men and 0.15 for women — about 7.1 and 6.7 heads tall.
| Reference | Heads tall | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Naturalistic adult | ~7.5 | Artistic convention used in many realist schools |
| Classical ideal | 8.0 | Artistic canon for dignity and grandeur |
| Heroic | 8.5 | Artistic canon for gods and superheroes |
| Measured men (2020) | ~7.1 | US Air Force body-scan sample; head height 0.14 of stature |
| Measured women (2020) | ~6.7 | US Air Force body-scan sample; head height 0.15 of stature |
Neither column is “right”. The canon is a target for a drawing; the measured figure is a description of a sample. The drawing guide shows how to use both, and the method page lists the sources.
Using the numbers for fit
Proportions describe relationships, not garment sizes. A waist-to-hip ratio
does not tell you which size to buy; it tells you where the waist sits relative to the hip.
Use it with the garment’s own measurements, not instead of them.
- Waist-to-hip: useful for waistbands, belts and high-rise versus low-rise decisions.
- Shoulder-to-waist: useful for jacket and shirt taper; a higher number means a larger difference between shoulder and waist circumference.
- Leg-to-height and sitting height: useful for rise, inseam and the visual leg line. The definitions matter; the calculator uses inseam and sitting height explicitly.
- Shoulder-to-hip: useful for balancing volume between upper and lower garments. It is a circumference ratio, not a width ratio.
Using the numbers for drawing
The head-unit method is the oldest proportion tool in figure drawing. In the eight-head canon, the first head ends at the chin, the second around the nipples, the third at the navel, and the fourth at the crotch. The legs are about four heads. Real bodies usually sit closer to 7–7.5 heads, which is why the drawing guide shows both.
For a naturalistic figure, start at 7.5. For an idealised or heroic figure, move to 8 or 8.5. The extra length usually comes from the legs and chest, not from a larger head. The drawing guide has the landmark table and a printable proportion sheet.
What this calculator is not
- Not a body shape calculator. It does not classify you as hourglass, pear, apple or rectangle; that is a different method with different inputs.
- Not a health assessment. Waist-to-hip and waist-to-height carry public reference points, but a ratio is not a diagnosis.
- Not an attractiveness score. The site does not rank bodies or call one set of proportions “ideal”.
- Not a substitute for a garment’s measurements. Fit depends on the garment, the fabric and the ease, not only on your ratios.
One ratio does not describe a person. Use the numbers where they help — a
pattern, a drawing, a fit decision — and leave the grade-book language out of it.
Common questions
What is the difference between “heads tall” and “head-to-body ratio”?
They are reciprocals. “Heads tall” is height ÷ head height (for example, 7.4). “Head-to-body ratio” is head height ÷ height (for example, 0.135, or 13.5% of your height). The calculator shows both so a page that uses either phrasing still makes sense.
Why does my leg-to-height ratio differ from another calculator?
Leg length has no single definition. This calculator uses the inseam (floor to crotch) divided by height. Another tool may use iliac height, the greater trochanter, or a self-reported “leg length”. The numbers are not comparable unless the definition matches.
Is 1.618 really the ideal shoulder-to-waist ratio?
It is a popular physique benchmark, not a clinical standard. The golden ratio is an aesthetic reference that some training programmes use; bodies vary widely, and a ratio is not a health measure. The calculator shows the number and labels the benchmark as a convention.
Does a low waist-to-hip ratio mean I am healthy?
No. Waist-to-hip ratio has WHO reference points for abdominal obesity, but it is one signal among many. It does not diagnose health, and athletes, older adults and different populations can sit on either side of a threshold without the same meaning.
Can I use this calculator for figure drawing?
Yes, with one distinction: the classical canon (7.5 heads for a naturalistic adult, 8 for an idealised figure) is an artistic convention, while the measured data comes from real bodies. The calculator shows both so you can choose which reference you are drawing toward.
Do I need every measurement?
No. Each ratio appears only when its two inputs are present. Height plus head height gives heads tall; height plus inseam gives leg-to-height; shoulder plus waist and hip gives the two shoulder ratios; waist plus hip and height gives WHR and WHtR.
Why is my arm span not exactly my height?
The 1:1 arm span is a Vitruvian ideal, not a population average. In a 2020 re-analysis of US Air Force scans, mean arm span was 0.96 of height for men and 0.92 for women. A small difference is normal.
Are my measurements uploaded?
No. The calculation runs in your browser. The page does not send the numbers to a server, does not write them to localStorage, and does not put them in the URL.
Is this a body shape calculator?
No. It calculates proportions (heads tall, leg-to-height, waist-to-hip and so on), not one of the FFIT body-shape categories. Shape classification is a different question with a different method.
Sources
- Revisiting Vitruvian Man (2020). Revisiting Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man Using Contemporary Measurements. PMC7284298 (2020). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7284298/ 63,623 men and 1,385 women from US Air Force body-scan data. Head height 0.14/0.15 of stature; arm span 0.96/0.92; shoulder width 0.24/0.25.
- Bogin & Varela-Silva (2010). Bogin, B., & Varela-Silva, M. I. (2010). Leg length, body proportion, and health: a review with a note on beauty. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 7(3), 1047–1075. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2872302/ Explains why leg length has no single definition: inseam, iliac height and subischial leg length give different ratios.
- Pheasant (1986) / UNU. Pheasant, S. (1986). Bodyspace: Anthropometry, Ergonomics and the Design of Work. Cited in the UNU open chapter “The effect of shape”. https://archive.unu.edu/unupress/food2/UID10E/UID10E06.HTM Sitting-height-to-stature ratios: about 0.52 European, 0.51 African, 0.53–0.54 Asian; 0.48–0.55 across populations.
- WHO waist circumference and waist–hip ratio. World Health Organization. Waist circumference and waist–hip ratio: report of a WHO expert consultation (2008). https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241501491 Waist–hip ratio reference points of 0.85 for women and 0.90 for men.
- NICE (2022) waist-to-height guidance. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2022). Keep your waist to less than half your height. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg189/resources The “less than half your height” public guidance; bands differ slightly between guidelines.
- Artists Network: 7.5-head figure. Artists Network. Drawing the Proportions of the Human Body. Ameral, 2010. https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-techniques/drawing-proportions-human-body-ameral/ A 7.5-head figure is the standard used in many realist schools; most adults are about 7–7.5 heads.
- Practical Drawing: the eight-head canon. Practical Drawing, Chapter 2 (Wikisource). The classical canon of eight heads and its use in idealised figures. https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Practical_Drawing/Chapter_2 The eight-head canon is an artistic convention for dignity and grandeur, not a population average.