The Cornet Body Shape

The Cornet Body Shape

Cornets are a typical tom boy shape with broad shoulders, small breasts, not much waist and slim hips and long slim legs. However, tom boy or not, this is not to say they aren’t also feminine and glamorous. This is the shape fashion designers love with those large shoulders literally acting as a coat hanger to drape their designs from on the catwalk.

Whilst the ultra waif shape (and size) of the catwalk is not how most Cornets look, it is still quite a pronounced body shape that needs to be dressed in a way that doesn’t emphasise the shoulders or upper arms as this leads to further exaggerating the inverted cone style of the body shape. Clothes that are fitted help bring the illusion of a waist which helps balance the shoulders and heels help those long slim legs draw the eye down instead of up to the shoulders.

Keep away from:
Anything shapeless that will just hang from your shoulders.
Tops that are bulky around the shoulders.
Three quarter sleeves.
Shoulder pads.

Take a look at:
Wrapped knitwear and tops that nip the waist.
Flared and fluted skirts.
Fitted blouses.
Slim jeans.

Cornet Clothing Ideas
Create Curves in the Right Places

This body shape’s ideal look is simple, just minimize the shoulders and maximize the waist and legs to balance out your shape but don’t forget that Cornets are the stuff of fashion designers’ dreams and can be extremely sexy and feminine.

The Lollipop and Column are in the same body shape group as the Cornet so have a look at those too to help you decide which you are.

8 Comments

  • Would you class Kate Middleton as a cornet? She has no hips or bum at all, whereas models, who you say are cornets, generally seem to have some curve to their hips and bums.
    Kate looks to me like an extreme cornet, and she keeps wearing boat necks which look dreadful on her – they just emphasize her broad shoulders and lack of hips and bum. Do you agree?

    • Yes I would class Kate Middleton as a cornet and an “extreme” one by virtue of her love of sport and fitness. The rowing in particular broadens her lats and bulks her deltoids to give more of the characteristic cornet upper body and the lower body taper is also emphasised by the fact that she is extremely lean and carrying virtually nothing around the middle. I think this combination makes her shape a little different to the model style cornet shape – as you say, she’s a cornet but an extreme one! As for the clothes she wears…no comment!

  • I have the broad shoulders of a cornet, and I don’t have well defined waist, but I have a well rounded bum, and hips as well. What body shape would you classify me as?

    • Hi Miri,

      It could be that you’re a Goblet as they share the broad shoulders with the Cornet but tend to have a little bit more around the middle and lack such a pronounced top to bottom taper.

  • Hi!
    I have a really slim body figure with broad shoulders and small breast as a cornet, but I also have a slim(and well defined) waste and the “curves” that I got is definitely on my bum, hips and thighs. I have no clue what shape I am, a pear shape but with waist and broad shoulders, or a cornet but with a bum and waist? I’s all very confusing, what body shape would you classify me as?

    • Hi Angelica,

      Hmmm, I’m not 100% sure to be honest! It depends a little on whether your broad shoulders give the feeling of balancing out your bum, hips and thighs or is there a definite emphasis lower down. If this is the case I agree you are probably a pear with broader shoulders than is normal for this body shape.

  • Hallo ! I am completely lost…I have been through the Body Shape Bible countless times and I cannot figure out what I am ! My shoulders and hips are almost the same, I have small-medium boobs, a tummy bigger than the boobs, a fairly defined waistlong legs slim thighs and am tallish ! Aaaargh am I a colum /a lollipop / cornet ? Please help !

    • Hi Carla,

      Yes it sounds to me like you’re a combination of a Cornet and a Column, or probably to be exact, a Column with a little more waist definition than is usual for this body shape. I would certainly rule out the Lollipop as one of the key elements of this shape is large breasts rather than small/medium as you mention.