Bust waist and hip balance,
BWH is an abbreviation of bust, waist, and hip measurement. Also informally called vital statistics, these measurements are a common method of specifying body proportions for the purpose of fitting clothes.
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 bust, waist and hips; usually rendered as three sizes: xx-yy-zz in centimeters or inches. The three sizes are used mostly in fashion, and almost exclusively in reference to women.In many demographics in the western world, the ideal sizes for a woman are said to be 36-24-36 ("90-60-90"). This is approximate as 36-24-36 is actually 91.4-61-91.4 when converted into cm.
BWH measurements and perception
Women generally have narrow waist compared to bust and hip.
Because cup size is not measured (or at best obliquely measured) in BWH measurements, breast volume will have an effect on the perception of a woman's figure even when BWH measurements are nominally the same. A woman with measurements of 36A-25-38 will have a different presentation than a woman with measurements of 36C-25-38. The former woman's rib cage is actually 35-36 inches in circumference, while the latter's is 33-34 inches around, a two inch difference. The result is that the latter woman will appear "bustier" and "hippier" than the former due to the apparent difference in bust to hip ratios (narrower shoulders, more prominent breasts) even though they are both "36-25-38".
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 "measurements."
The use of BWH measurements for anything other than garment fitting is thus something of a shell game when applied to social body acceptance and evaluation.
References in popular culture
This "In popular culture" section may contain minor or trivial references. Please reorganize this content to explain the subject's impact on popular culture rather than simply listing appearances, and remove trivial references. (September 2010)
Many store mannequins which were traditionally tall and thin in proportion, are being replaced with more shapely models, with biologically appealing BWH ratios.
The Deez Nuts song "Sex Sells" refers to 36-24-36.
The Jin song "36-24-36 (Applebottom Jeans)" refers to the BWH measuremeant 36-24-36.
The Commodores song "Brick House" refers to the measurements 36-24-36
The Sir Mix-A-Lot song "Baby Got Back" refers to the BWH measurements 36-24-36.
The Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds song "Crow Jane" describe the titular character as measuring 32-44-38. (The lyrics state the measurements as ".32, .44, .38", referring also to the calibers of the firearms she purchases from a gunstore)
The A Tribe Called Quest song "Bonita Applebum" features the line "38-24-37, You and me, hun, we`re a match made in heaven"
The Violent Femmes song "36-24-36" frequently refers to the BWH measurement 36-24-36.
The Red Devils song "She's Dangerous" Refers to- in the chorus- "She's dangerous, she's 36-24-36, 'she got a big ol' bag of tricks".
The Frank Zappa song "Wonderful Wino" from Zoot Allures features the line "36-24, hips about thirty..."
Nelly's hit single "Ride wit Me" contains a stanza featuring a series of three two-digit numbers by which the artist makes a direct reference to a woman's BWH: "How could I tell her no? Her measurements were 36-25-34."
The AC/DC song "Whole Lotta Rosie" gives the Rubenesque Rosie's BWH measurements as 42-39-56.
The AC/DC song "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" makes reference to 362436 as the narrator's phone number.
The Mötley Crüe song "Bad Boy Boogie" features the line: "Sweeter pies with different shapes, 38-28-38", supposedly referring to ideal measurements for a girl.
The ZZ Top song "36-22-36" relates to those measurements.
The straight-to-DVD film Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder makes reference to the measurements 36-24-36 when character Zapp Brannigan signals the co-ordinates of Leela.
Bart Simpson used the numbers 36-24-36 as his locker combination.
Jade of Mortal Kombat fame claims to be 36-24-36.
The 1980s group Ready for the World sung a song called "Digital Display" where they reference the measurements 36-24-36.
In many anime, games and manga, BWH measurements are used to profile various female characters
In the Ugly Betty Season 4 episode, Level (7) With Me, Wilhelmina opens a safe with the combination 36-24-36, which she says are her measurements.
In the Pink Floyd song "Nobody Home", a distant voice in the radio is heard talking about 36-24-36 at the open of the song.
(source:wikipedia)
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