An independent measurement reference
Proportion Studio publishes one calculator and a small reference library. The goal is narrow: make body proportions reproducible, and keep the artistic canon separate from the measured data.
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.
What this site is
Proportion Studio is an independent editorial project. It is not a clinic, a clothing brand, a styling service, a fitness programme or a university department. The site exists because most proportion calculators mix artistic conventions with population averages and do not say which one they are using.
The calculator uses the formulas on the methodology page and the sources listed below. The drawing guide uses the head-unit canon. The two are labelled separately on every page.
How the calculator is checked
- Formulas are data, not prose. The eight ratios live in one module; the calculator and the reference pages render from the same definitions.
- The math is tested. The test suite covers each ratio, centimetre-to-inch equivalence, missing inputs, sanity bands and the waist-ratio reference points.
- The build is checked before release. Every page is checked for one H1, a self-referential canonical, valid JSON-LD, matching FAQ text, working internal links, duplicate IDs and AI-crawler access.
- Claims are traceable. The fact list is kept in the repository; numbers without a source are removed rather than rounded into shape.
What we deliberately do not do
- We do not score attractiveness or call one set of proportions “ideal”.
- We do not diagnose health or promise weight loss, posture correction or leg lengthening.
- We do not name celebrities as examples of a proportion; a public figure’s body is not a measurement source.
- We do not sell placements, clothing or supplements. There are no sponsored results.
- We do not run a body-shape classification; that is a different method with different inputs.
Corrections
If a formula, a source or a sentence is wrong, email editor@bodyproportion.com with the page and the correction. We aim to reply within seven days. Formula or source corrections are logged on the methodology page with the date; wording changes that do not affect the result are made without a version bump.
Independence
Proportion Studio is not affiliated with any university, clothing brand, fitness programme or artist’s estate. The names of researchers and institutions are used to describe published methods, not to imply endorsement.
Contact
Email: editor@bodyproportion.com
Site: bodyproportion.com
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/
- 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/
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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/
- 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