"Waist length" hair

[Nevvie]

Has anyone else noticed that alot of people use the term 'waist length hair' to refer to just about any length that they consider long - regardless of how near or far from the actual waist the hair is?

For instance one of my friends has hair that is just a little longer than mine (probably 2-3 inches from her actual waist). My niece has hair that is almost tailbone. My older sister used to have hair that was solidly tailbone. Yet most I know people refer to all three as having 'waist length hair'. Or how any celebrity with hair that's BSL or longer has 'waist length hair'.

Even my younger sister (who I thought knew a decent amount about hair) fell into that trap. She was telling me how she wanted to grow her hair to her waist but she didn't think she'd ever get there. I told her that she was almost there now (maybe an inch or two away when straightened) and held one on my hands at her waist and one at the bottom of her hair so she could feel what I meant. She gave me a strange look and said 'not my actual waist, I mean here' and pointed to her hips. I told her that was hip length but she STILL refers to her hair length goal as waist length.

I don't usually say anything but every time I hear it I just want to say 'No that's not waist length that's ____ length'.

[salls]

I think it is partly to do with the fact that the wait band of most clothes no longer sits on your natural waist.

[growingpains]

I don't notice that specifically, but I do notice people think of "long hair" as a broad category. My dbf for example, thinks "most women have long hair", but last time I checked the vast majority of women don't have hair much longer than BSL, and APL or shorter is even more common.

I agree though, before I started lurking on LHC I thought of waist length hair as a vague term with no official benchmark. It's only from here that I understand it means the smallest part of one's waist (if one's body is built that way).

[Venefica]

It get even harder when one is rather chubby so one do not really have a waist. My hair reach my butt now but I have been calling it waist long up until now so yes I do this to at times, all everything mid back to butt for waist length.

[christine1989]

I find that people here on LHC are almost painfully specific about their length but out in the "real world" it does seem like the term "waist length" is used too loosely. I think a huge part of it is that a lot of people don't actually know where their waist is. Many consider the hip area to be waist because that is where most skirts/pants fit these days.

[sibiryachka]

To me, waist length corresponds to the points of my elbows. This takes waistiness, or lack thereof, out of the equation :)
And yes, we here are much more specific about these distinctions than "normal" people. Even my former hairdresser used to insist that my hair was waist-length, when it didn't even reach the inside fold of my elbows! :nono:

[spidermom]

No, I haven't noticed that.

I have noticed here at LHC that sometimes someone will say they finally reached waist, but the picture is of hip-length hair. I assume this is because they wear low-riding pants, the top of which is still called a "waist-band".

[monsterna]

My coworker had longer hair than she does now before I started working where I do. Now it's short, about a few inches long and styled to flip out. But the other day she was going to get another hair cut, and I just said "I won't be for a long time, I'm growing my hair at least to here" and I pointed to my waist. She then said "Oh yeah, my hair was that long before I chopped it all off. And I was like really?? Because I'd seen pics of her with longer hair and it was nowhere near, but gave her the benefit of the doubt and figured it was longer before those pics were taken. She then printed out a picture for me later on to show me her "waist length" hair. I swear it was at MOST 1-2 inches below APL. I have no idea how she considered that waist. I have no idea how she could confuse where I pointed to (my actual waist) with her APL hair. I was like ffs... haha.

[Seharia]

This thread just reminded me of the completely pointless argument/discussion I had with a friend of mine. She kept on insisting that "waist" is about hip length. The funny thing is that she wears all her shirts all the way to the middle of her thighs because she thinks they look more "normal" so I guess she just decided to extend her torso by a couple inches. :shrug: To each his own.

[jojo]

I also think people mix the waist with the hips, many on here will post am I waist length? yet what I see is hip length!

I agree with spidermom that the fashion for lower slung jeans make people mistake the hips for the waist.

My waist falls equal with my elbows, which may not be true for everyone but for me is a good marker.

[kanzer]

Yup, just tonight I was telling my mum I wanted to grow to waist length and she nearly keeled over in shock until I pointed out where my waist was - she thought I meant hip too! Weird...

In fairness before I joined LHC I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between APL through waist length hair. Now I'm happily realizing that my BSL length hair is actually longer than several celebrities whose length I thought I was aiming for! :)

[jojo]

Its funny how the LHC opens up a whole new language regarding hair lengths!

I always thought apl and bsl where the same!

[Scarlet_Heart]

Hmm, I have kind of an hourglass figure so I always figured my waist was where that curve began in the middle of my torso. Anyway, that's where my hair is, and I'm calling it waist. :lala:

[|Xei]

I think many people outside of this community are simply just not picky about hair length. If the hair looks to be past mid-back, then they'll simply call it waist, and most people hearing 'waist-length' will imagine a similar length of hair. Especially with celebrity reports, the accurate length of the celebrity's hair is probably the last thing the writer wants to fuss over. People reading the article would probably care more about how beautiful said celebrity's hair look, rather than how long it actually is.

Before I discovered this community, I had no idea there was such a thing called APL or classic length (well, I would describe those lengths with different words), and back then, I had already been avidly reading everything I can find about hair.

[Nevvie]

I suppose that's true. I didn't know all the terms either until a few months ago. Most were new to me. Before I joined my first hair site APL was 'just past shoulder' length, BSL was 'middle of the back,' waist and hip were roughly the same, then there was the vast 'down to his/her butt' length (which I suppose would be anything from lower hip to classic) and beyond that.... well hair that length is a rare sight out in real life.

[julliams]

Yeah, its because clothing has changed alot and we are wearing clothes on our hips now rather than up to our waists like we did in the 90's. I realised this when I started sewing and I was shocked how high my actual waist was.

[tinti]

I also used to think that waist was hip or at least close to hip lenght before. I had no idea when you guys spoke about classic and APL and BSL :p But then again I have a very short waist. I'm not even sure I've got it right now because when I reached waist lenght in October/november I got a "congrats you've reached waist!" comment on a lenght shot and I was like "What? No, I am at least one inch from waist." :p

[sibiryachka]

I think the "where is your waist" question predates low-slung jeans, and is not confined to hair. The summer before my freshman year in high school, when I was being measured for my costume for the chamber choir, I remember the seamstress asking me where I thought my waist was. I showed her, and she told me I was unusual in my accuracy; most girls/women she worked with thought it was higher than she'd have said.

This was of course 30+ years ago, and hip-hugger jeans were sooooo over. We wore 'em high and proud in those days :p

[Mesmerise]

Well to me waist length is hair to your waist and hip length is hair to your hip lol. My waist is the bit where it goes in a bit (I don't have a defined waistline really... but it's still there!) and my hip is...well I guess where my hipbone is (but I don't have such a specific idea of "hip" as I do of waist).

Before coming to LHC I had no idea of measurements like APL or BSL or whatever, I'd just call it medium length hair, or medium long hair I guess! (To me APL isn't long, and never has been... I guess I've always been a "long hair" at heart!).

[jojo]

Hmm, I have kind of an hourglass figure so I always figured my waist was where that curve began in the middle of my torso. Anyway, that's where my hair is, and I'm calling it waist. :lala:

waist is the slimmest part of your torso or where your ribs end, yours looks more bsl by your siggi photo!:)

[jojo]

maybe rib end length would be a better way to determine waist length?

[Shoga]

Lol!! I never really noticed this before!! I always knew where my waist was from sewing clothes for myself since I was little. I always had to measure, especially for those bodices. I guess I just don’t hear the definition of “waist” coming from other people… or notice it.

[MissManda]

I do notice that the term "waist length' tends to be a broad category by most peoples' standards, but I never really confused waist with hip length possibly because my waist is very defined. My DF confuses waist with hip a lot because he thinks of where the waistband of his pants sit.

I find the term "elbow length' tends to make more sense to non-LHCers because they tend to be on the same level... well, except for me. My waist is actually above my elbows, so I have a mini-mini-milestone between waist and hip. lol

[Anje]

Maybe it's just my weird short-torso (and a bit pudgy) proportions, but the thinnest part of my body is still well over my ribs. If I bring my elbows in toward my body, they hit against pelvic bones. So for me, elbow-length is hip length.

I suspect that depending on proportions, a person's waist can be higher or lower, though it never seems to correspond with where pants are worn these days. Unless you're Urkel.

[racrane]

I just joined a few days ago and I must admit I didn't have as technical terms for what LHC has. I know when I tell people that I'm growing my hair waist-length they will point all over - from hip to everywhere in between. It doesn't bother me though. Maybe the longer I spend on here the more I will get annoyed?

[Jenn of Pence]

To me, waist length corresponds to the points of my elbows. This takes waistiness, or lack thereof, out of the equation :)
And yes, we here are much more specific about these distinctions than "normal" people. Even my former hairdresser used to insist that my hair was waist-length, when it didn't even reach the inside fold of my elbows! :nono:

Sibiryachka, I also like the elbow measurement. Everyone knows where their elbows are! ;) And there might not be quite as much variation in upper arm length as there is with waist lengths between folks; I know mine is incredibly high, whereas many of you have very long torsos.

I think we had a similar discussion with one of our members who was pregnant and, thus, slowly losing her waistline for reference. :D Hence, an alternative and more definitive measurement of length is appealing to me.

[Mesmerise]

Maybe it's just my weird short-torso (and a bit pudgy) proportions, but the thinnest part of my body is still well over my ribs. If I bring my elbows in toward my body, they hit against pelvic bones. So for me, elbow-length is hip length.

I suspect that depending on proportions, a person's waist can be higher or lower, though it never seems to correspond with where pants are worn these days. Unless you're Urkel.

Hehe I always wear pants to my waist lol... I guess it'd look funny if I was very high waisted though?! (Mind you I usually wear tops that go over the top of my pants so you can't see how I wear them). I just can't stand the feel of hipster jeans or pants that don't reach the waist!

My elbows are about the same as my waist too, I've discovered (just measured), so that's another gauge I can use!

[growingpains]

Originally Posted by sibiryachka
To me, waist length corresponds to the points of my elbows. This takes waistiness, or lack thereof, out of the equation
And yes, we here are much more specific about these distinctions than "normal" people. Even my former hairdresser used to insist that my hair was waist-length, when it didn't even reach the inside fold of my elbows!

Hmmm... elbow length on me is closer to hip than waist.:eyebrows.. My elbows are less than an inch from my hips. At least when I measure from the outside pointy part. The inside would be more like a very, very long and full WL, as in even my shorter layers would be WL, but the rest would be past it.

I guess we are all built different hey?

[Phexlyn]

Has anyone else noticed that alot of people use the term 'waist length hair' to refer to just about any length that they consider long - regardless of how near or far from the actual waist the hair is?

I don't usually say anything but every time I hear it I just want to say 'No that's not waist length that's ____ length'.
Yes, and I totally caught myself wanting to say that last bit every single time this has happened to me :rolleyes:

I've encountered people calling basically every length between BSL and tailbone 'waist length', and many of them have no idea where their natural waist is. I guess this is mostly due to the pants sitting on the hips nowadays, as others have mentioned.

It's a bit like people looking at my hair saying, "oh, my friend xxx has also really long hair" and when I ask them how long xxx's hair is they point to Midback length. Mine is tailbone length, guess which hair is the *really* long one :rolleyes:

For the record: I'm quite high-waisted, and to add further confusion and comparison possibilities to this thread, my waist line is above my navel. If I wanted to wear pants which sit at my natural waist I'd probably have to get some custom-made because even the high-wasted types on the market only reach my navel. My elbows are roughly at waist length, only a tad lower and towards hip.
Oh, and this means that the distance between waist and hip length on me is greater than the distance between hip and tailbone. I found that quite strange when I first realized it ;)

[jojo]

Maybe it's just my weird short-torso (and a bit pudgy) proportions, but the thinnest part of my body is still well over my ribs. If I bring my elbows in toward my body, they hit against pelvic bones. So for me, elbow-length is hip length.

I suspect that depending on proportions, a person's waist can be higher or lower, though it never seems to correspond with where pants are worn these days. Unless you're Urkel.

Wish hips where elbow level for me :( but yes body proportions play a part, hip is only 4" from waist for me but hip to classic is 11" just call me long ass!:cool:

[RitaPG]

Don't really care about it. The way I see it, from BSL to hip, it's all waistland area. Besides, most people aren't anatomically aware of themselves, let alone of others. Most non LHCers would probably look at you like a wierdo if you correct them on something like "that's not waist, that's tailbone", most of them don't see the difference :p


Or how any celebrity with hair that's BSL or longer has 'waist length hair'.

True. Every celebrity at BSL has "very long hair" these days. This does annoy me a bit.

[Firefox7275]

In physical activity some systems have you measuring clients' waists at their belly button, some at their natural waist (i.e. the narrowest part). If someone is small these may be the same, but for someone larger they are not. I measure at the belly button as that is a constant. :p Younger clients definitely don't expect you to use the natural waist, that is probably down to low waist-bands.

I notice that some LHCers refer to everything up to BSL as short hair, whereas I think short is SL or above. To me between SL and waist is medium, everything else is long hair. Also I notice pixie refers to a range of styles and lengths, I don't know if that is a US thing? :confused: In England (maybe UK generally?) a pixie is a crop, it's short short!

[elbow chic]

I

I notice that some LHCers refer to everything up to BSL as short hair, whereas I think short is SL or above. To me between SL and waist is medium, everything else is long hair. Also I notice pixie refers to a range of styles and lengths, I don't know if that is a US thing? :confused: In England (maybe UK generally?) a pixie is a crop, it's short short!

Yeah, LHCers are very persnickety about specific lengths EXCEPT "pixie."

I've described the cut I had when I was 21 as "pixie" here, but it really wasn't.

It was short, to be sure, above my ears, but it was a professional-woman's cut, not a what most people would call a "pixie." Wish I had a picture on my computer.

Anyway, I know I pay a lot more attention to people's actual length than I did before LHC. Before, I would have vaguely thought that Mrs. Weisz had "very long dark hair" but now I'm like, "well, it's BSL+ with waves, so it probably is waist-length stretched.... I wonder if she uses some kind of product to bring out the wave..."

[kitschy]

I have to use waist lenghth as a general term. My hair when pulled straight is about 1" below waist but when it bounces up curly it is about 1" below my bra strap, PLUS I am post menopausal and chubby and therefore my actual waist is difficult to determine. :(

[telegraph64]

Don't really care about it. The way I see it, from BSL to hip, it's all waistland area. Besides, most people aren't anatomically aware of themselves, let alone of others. Most non LHCers would probably look at you like a wierdo if you correct them on something like "that's not waist, that's tailbone", most of them don't see the difference :p



True. Every celebrity at BSL has "very long hair" these days. This does annoy me a bit.


I agreem RitaPG. It's all the "Waistlands" - a little above, a little below, it is still the same "hair country" - just different provinces/states. :D

And yes, the celebrity factor truly does aggravate me, I have always referred to modern Hollywood as the epicenter of :bs:- the amount of beauty and talent, of famous people, has gone down very close to zero (but not all the way, yet), in the 21st century. Even the 90's cranked out some wonderful things. :)
I don't let celebrities get to me, they are just over-rated human beings !!!

[BrightEyes7]

My hair is hip length now... but I refer to it as waist length! It's not that I don't know the difference... I just trim frequently so I may end up back at waist. Also I don't like using in between terms. I'm at waist now, my next length will be TBL. I don't know... that may just be because hip length is still kind of a mystery to me. Is it my hair hits my hips when behind my head, or it hits my hips when I pull my hair in front of me? Who knows... so I'm waist length! :p

[baaaad_kitty]

No, haven't noticed that. But for the most part, "long hair" does get lumped together. It can be from apl to the floor and still be considered a general "long hair". I noticed though in a salon I went to before LHC (my hair was about apl) that they considered it "long" and charged me for TWO vials of the protein treatment! The unfairness! I consider that medium length! They said that anything past the shoulders was "long". Hmph.

[Spring]

Don't really care about it. The way I see it, from BSL to hip, it's all waistland area. Besides, most people aren't anatomically aware of themselves, let alone of others. Most non LHCers would probably look at you like a wierdo if you correct them on something like "that's not waist, that's tailbone", most of them don't see the difference :p



True. Every celebrity at BSL has "very long hair" these days. This does annoy me a bit.


My hair is hip length now... but I refer to it as waist length! It's not that I don't know the difference... I just trim frequently so I may end up back at waist. Also I don't like using in between terms. I'm at waist now, my next length will be TBL. I don't know... that may just be because hip length is still kind of a mystery to me. Is it my hair hits my hips when behind my head, or it hits my hips when I pull my hair in front of me? Who knows... so I'm waist length! :p

Same here. To me, waistlength is just long BSL... whereas hiplength looks like a geniune longer length. For some reason I thought WL would appear long, but it still feels like BSL especially since by the time the shorter lengths get to WL, the longer lengths will be at hip. ETA: :p claiming waist when you're at hip is much better than claiming waist when you're really midback :)

[Scarlet_Heart]

waist is the slimmest part of your torso or where your ribs end, yours looks more bsl by your siggi photo!:)

:undecided Thanks, but the longest hairs are at the slimmest part and my hair has a bit of a wave to it, so stretched, it just reaches. That photo is also maybe a month old.

[McFearless]

I get what you mean. Lots of people define their waist differently and "waist length" sounds very long so they might just say that.

[CurlyCreature]

yes... ive met a lot of people with hair slightly longer than bsl who call it "waist length" and im thinking ehhh not really... but they're not really a name for inbetween bsl and waist, so what would you call it?

[alipes]

I guess maybe I'm just more aware of human anatomy since I consider myself something of an artist, but hearing all of these tales of hip or apl hair as waist length is painful. Are people really so ignorant of their own bodies?

[RitaPG]

Not necessarily ignorant. It's just not that common for people to associate hair length according to their body parts (unless they work for the Long Hair Stylist who invented that ruler, or LHC members)
I have been to an academy of arts and knew all of the human parts by the age of 16, and it NEVER occured to me to define my hair length by such standart :shrug:

[Sanyia]

Before LHC, I thought along with most people I know, that waist length was where you wear your belt.

Your waistband.

Of course, pants sit lower nowadays.

[Valdeon]

Once I had this conversation with my best friend. We were just looking back at our past hairstyles, and I mentioned that now my hair is longer than it's ever been. She looked at me like I was talking crazy and said 'C'mon! You hair was much longer a couple of years ago' and pointed to my waist. Wow-wow, stop right here, I think I would remember reaching waist :D (My hair was just above BSL all my life, so I always realized painfully the drastic difference between BSL and waist). It's funny how the perception plays trick with one's mind sometimes.

[jasper]

I hardly ever hear anyone refer to hair in terms of waist length (except here) but I think that long hair of any length is considered "longer" everywhere else than it is here.

[jeanniet]

I know technically what waist length is, but in my head it really means hair that hits the waist of my pants, which is more like hip length. I think most people think their waist is where their pants begin. :D

[trillcat]

yes... ive met a lot of people with hair slightly longer than bsl who call it "waist length" and im thinking ehhh not really... but they're not really a name for inbetween bsl and waist, so what would you call it?
I call the length between BSL and waist "midback" which is also a vague term.
BSL is also vague, depends on how low your strap is, how well your bra fits, etc. etc. What do long haired men call BSL? Also their natural waist taper is different than females and so there you go with that.
I agree that most people think waist is where your pants band hits, but as pointed out, that can be anywhere from way up on your torso to way way down. Going on that criteria, waist could be dang near the knees for those into the baggy hanging pants look. (OK no one would think of that as waist, just making a point)

[Fufu]

Personally, no issues of identifying my own waist, hehe.

It levels with my elbow and just about 1cm or 2 above my belly button, waist feels so faraway...

[Mesmerise]

I hardly ever hear anyone refer to hair in terms of waist length (except here) but I think that long hair of any length is considered "longer" everywhere else than it is here.

Hmm I guess I don't discuss hair with most people lol, but before coming hair my goal was "waist length hair" which meant to me exactly what it still does, and that is hair that falls to my waist :p. Of course, since joining LHC my goal has become hip!

[Muse]

I notice women say they have long hair and then it turns out to be that they have bsl. :confused: If they have long hair, then what do I have? Freakishly long hair? :smirk:

[RitaPG]

I think BSL can be considered long, any length of hair that can be tied up and/or requires a comb to not form dreadlocks can be called long.

It's just that, according to LHC standarts, long starts a little lower :p I'm between BSL and Waist and still feels short to me lol. So I know what you mean.

[lapushka]

Funny how people misinterpret lengths.

The elbow thing is interesting, though. Oddly enough, my elbows are right where my hipbones are, but I have a very short back / high waist. Apparently that's not the same for everyone, so even elbow length, I guess, is not such a great marker. Maybe real measurements (inches / cm) are better.

[CaityBear]

I've always considered my waist my real waist. But I'm sure part of that is because I sew a lot of clothes so I have to know where waist is to measure and correctly construct some garments?

I do notice a lot of people saying their hair is/was a certain length and they were off by at least 5 inches (and I mean shorter). Or they don't seem to really connect between hair length and body. Ex: wearing their hair up and when they use their hands to show on their body how long their hair is they end up putting there hand about 4 or so inches lower...it's like they really have no clue how long their hair is when it's down....

[CaityBear]

I notice women say they have long hair and then it turns out to be that they have bsl. :confused: If they have long hair, then what do I have? Freakishly long hair? :smirk:


Hahah!!!!! So true. So many people I know consider bsl to be really long...and then they see mine and go "WOW" *jaw drop* haha then they rethink how long really long hair is. haha

[Rin4Christ]

I find it interesting that LHC finds BSL and APL to not be "long." I think that in the general population, if its past shoulder length, then it is "long hair" and most people fall around BSL. I consider BSL and APL to be "long hair" and past waist to be "very long hair." I guess long and short are rather subjective terms.

My husband looked had a similar reaction to the term "waist length" he said "you are still a long way from waist length" then I showed him where my natural waist was and he was surprised.... I think culturally the natural waist has become a "narrow part of the torso" and the divider between the top and bottom half of the body is at the top of the hip bone.

My hair is almost to waist (it is waist when I pull it or when its wet), but most people don't even remember I have "long" hair because its always up in a bun....

[Scarlet_Heart]

I find it interesting that LHC finds BSL and APL to not be "long." I think that in the general population, if its past shoulder length, then it is "long hair" and most people fall around BSL. I consider BSL and APL to be "long hair" and past waist to be "very long hair." I guess long and short are rather subjective terms.

My husband looked had a similar reaction to the term "waist length" he said "you are still a long way from waist length" then I showed him where my natural waist was and he was surprised.... I think culturally the natural waist has become a "narrow part of the torso" and the divider between the top and bottom half of the body is at the top of the hip bone.

My hair is almost to waist (it is waist when I pull it or when its wet), but most people don't even remember I have "long" hair because its always up in a bun....

I agree with you. "Don't you hate when people say they have waist length hair when it's really bsl?" Not really. Apparently there is no hard consensus where waist is. This reminds me of something guys do with regards to comparing length. :wannabe: We are totally better than that. :heart:

[LeMimi13]

My hairdresser os all likd "your hair is down to your bottpm!", yet its npt eve TBL, I suppose its around hip.
Ive seen what you say online though. In my cou try, all long hair seems to be :butt lenght", even if its waist oe.something.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I remember hearing my sister mention to someone on the phone that my hair was waist length. It was, in fact, only BSL. I corrected her, and she gave me a look which implied "Oh, whatever... you are so pedantic."

[yahirwaO.o]

I remember hearing my sister mention to someone on the phone that my hair was waist length. It was, in fact, only BSL. I corrected her, and she gave me a look which implied "Oh, whatever... you are so pedantic."

Your sister seems a bit mean, but those remarks are better to let them go and make people believe whatever they want to believe really :rolleyes:

Heres my add story, mom got some new extensions, apart from being fried and not great quality after some heat appliances, they were fairly long and she liked the lenght. I point her out that they were really long and past her waist. She though her waist was actually her hips and a weird mixed though with tailbone. I slowly show the difference between her waist and her hips. Wanted me to cut some inches because she thought it was ridicuosly long but I convinced her that curling takes some lenght and ended up likin it! :cool:

[Agnes Hannah]

I tell everyone mine is waist, it is hip so not too far off. Its easier for the uninitiated to understand. My SO did tell someone that I could sit on it.... Not yet baby, not yet....
A friend of mine told me hers was down to her butt, then grabbed her ends and lent so fat back, I thought she would fall over! It still was too short!

[chen bao jun]

Old thread, but interesting.

I don't think many people know where waist is besides dressmakers.

I think most people outside of LHC are aware of three hair lengths--short, shoulder length and 'long'. When they want to say 'very long' they will say 'waist-length' probably because in most novels you read, the girl with the very very long hair has hair to her waist. The actual length is not crucial in their eyes.

Also, we on LHC ought to remain aware that most people have not spent years obsessing over hair growth, theirs or anyone else's and just are not that interested in the exact length of hair. 'long' is a vague and all-encompassing term in the world. If others came on LHC and read some of the posts, they'd be as confused as you might be, if you heard the 6 ft 7 inch tall guy referring to the 6 ft. 3 in, or worse, 6 ft. 5 inch guy as 'short'--though indeed to 6 ft 7 guy the 6 ft. 3 does not have his issues, good or bad. Still, to those who are 5 ft. 8.....

[Arctic]

I have to say I find it extremely stange when people don't know their natural waist. I have always know what waist is, since childhood.

[Marika]

I consider waist to be the slimmest part of the torso but some doctors seem to disagree. They have this 'rule' that you're fat (health risk wise) if your waist circumference is over 80 cm/31.5 inches. BUT they measure it at the navel level!! Sorry but that's not waist to me. My co-worker who's underweight was both shocked and amused to hear that she has to lose weight. And I was (of course) a fat pig who's going to die tomorrow because I'm the fattest fatso in the world. And that doctor wasn't the first one who has said that the waist is where your belly button is. Apparently my hair is hip length when it reaches my knees :rolleyes:

[chen bao jun]

Waist is where the bend is when you bend sideways. On a fair amount of people, that is exactly the height where your belly button is, it is on me.
I'm confused about the doctors, no offense, but where are they supposed to measure? The slimmest part of your torso could be anywhere, that's not your waist. On me, the slimmest part of my torso is right under my breasts, but that's not my waist.

I'm not going to get into the weight thing. My mom weighs well over 200 lbs, she's 84 and she's actually very fit. Three or four doctors have told her she was going to die because she was so fat and they have died before her.

I think activity is very important and I am wondering if your very thin co-worker is possibly still out of shape? I am having trouble visually how she can be 'underweight' and still have a waist circumference over 31.5 inches unless she doesn't exercise very much. On the other hand, I do think that exercise is another of the reasons (besides the 'largening' of the population that has definitely happened in the last 40 years or so--my mom is over 200 lbs but she no longer looks all that large, so many people, alas not as exercised as she is, are now around her size, which used to be an unusual one when I was a kid) why people can't find their waists. A lot of the time when women play hard core sports, they don't have that waist hip ratio that used to be 'normal' for a girl back in the day when the Marilyn Monroe type was considered ideal. they get a different type of body and have straight torsos, without that curve. I'm not saying that the curve is good, or the curve is bad, some people wouldn't have it no matter what they did or how much weight they gained or lost, and they still are women and still have babies, etc. (if they want to) But the curve does make it easy to find your waist, if you need to (maybe you don't).

Men like the curve and tend to run after women who have it, whether larger or slimmer--but of course all the young women nowadays don't care what men like--or so they say.

Way off topic now.

[Marika]

^ My slimmest part of the torso is where the bend is when I bend sideways. And my belly button is way below that. Same thing with my co-worker who's actually really fit. That was kinda the point. For us the navel level is pretty much the hip circumference and that's why it's nearly impossible to be 'not fat'. Even models have larger hip circumference than 80 cm. There shouldn't be just one rule that applies to all because people are built so differently.

[Hairkay]

My slimmest part is my waist and where I bend. My belly button is an inch and a half below that. I've got a natural hour glass figure and though my weight goes up and down the ratio stays the same.

[ravenheather]

My slimmest part is my waist and where I bend. My belly button is an inch and a half below that. I've got a natural hour glass figure and though my weight goes up and down the ratio stays the same.

This is true for me as well.

[pailin]

Maybe I should just start calling mine 'waist' now, and see if anyone even notices that it isn't actually that long yet;)

[Gamma Vector]

One time, one of my sister's ballet classmates commented on her long hair (which was always in a bun, obviously). "It's got to be almost down to her waist!" In reality, it was mid-calf...

EDIT: Said classmate had never actually seen my sister's hair down, and just assumed from the size of her bun that it must be "almost down to her waist." For reference, my sister has type 2a/m/iii hair (pony circumfrence is 4.78"). Sooooooo...Yeah, it was a really big, head-eating vortex bun.

[YvetteVarie]

To the non-initiated, I just tell them I want to grow my hair to this point, and point at the part of the body I'm describing. Its way easier that way.

My natural waist is the slimmest part of my body and is almost where my navel is. My elbows actually hit my hips.

[Mimha]

I would like to mention also that the shape of the hemline has an influence on our perception of length : if two girls come with waist length hair (or whatever length, by the way), one with a blunt hemline and the other with a long V-cut, it will make a different impression. The blunt hemline will "all be there", whereas the V-cut will only have the few longers strands there. Both of them will claim they are at waist, but the V-cut will look more like BSLish hair as long as at least half of the V length is not down to hip.

[Kherome]

I would like to mention also that the shape of the hemline has an influence on our perception of length : if two girls come with waist length hair (or whatever length, by the way), one with a blunt hemline and the other with a long V-cut, it will make a different impression. The blunt hemline will "all be there", whereas the V-cut will only have the few longers strands there. Both of them will claim they are at waist, but the V-cut will look more like BSLish hair as long as at least half of the V length is not down to hip.

True, and to me, I consider a person's hair length to be where about 70% of the hair sits...so that waist length V is only BSL to me. Of course people can claim whatever makes them happy.

I had a friend tell me the other day that her hair is "almost as long as yours!" She might be brushing waist, and mine is at Classic. I was like "Oh, ok, sure, almost!" I didn't know what else to say.

[neko_kawaii]

One time, one of my sister's ballet classmates commented on her long hair (which was always in a bun, obviously). "It's got to be almost down to her waist!" In reality, it was mid-calf...

EDIT: Said classmate had never actually seen my sister's hair down, and just assumed from the size of her bun that it must be "almost down to her waist." For reference, my sister has type 2a/m/iii hair (pony circumfrence is 4.78"). Sooooooo...Yeah, it was a really big, head-eating vortex bun.

*chuckle* I had a "what is statistics and research" class last year and during one of our discussions the professor used the hair length in the classroom to as a research sample. He pointed at each of us and said, "Long", "Short" etc making tally marks on the board. When he pointed at me (hair up) he said "Medium." I gave him a skeptical look, took my stick out and showed him that his method was in error.


I also bend where I am slimmest, which happens to be right at the bottom of my ribs and an inch or two above my navel. Hence the description "high waisted".

[Lullilt]

Very much so, this.

I believe that I am technically at waist. However, the bulk of my hair is still sitting at BSL.

My sister-in-law to-be keeps telling me how long its gotten, (she's been there since it was barely APL) and generally being my cheer squad, but I personally won't feel like I've hit this goal until the bulk is sitting at WL. In fact, it is this perception difference that has lead me to believe that I definitely want to start microtrimming towards a more blunted 'U' cut, so my victories will feel more....victorious. :toast:

Perhaps the perception is also affected by type and thickness of hair, in addition to cut. Hrrrmmm. :shrug:

[Entangled]

Ha! When I told my sister I was almost to waist, she raised her eyebrows in disbelief. When we talked about growing our hair to our waist as kids, it meant hips, as in the widest part, or tailbone. That's kind of funny to me, as I know where my waist is, but when it comes to hair, waist is hips.
A side note: in Harry Potter, Luna Lovegood is described as having waist length hair. In the movie, it shifted to somewhere between tailbone and Classic (at least in pictures I've seen; it's been a while since I've seen the movies).

[Charjonesxoxo]

Yep I feel like for most people there’s 3 categories, short hair, long hair and super long hair

[Dark40]

I also think that people do mix waist length with hip length. Your waist and your hips are 2 different places on the body. Waist length is about 2 or 3 inches above hip length. My hair is at "waist length," now. It has grown 2 more inches below my actual length from childhood, and that's the longest my hair has ever been!

[Beeboo123]

I have a very defined waist, so it is instantly obvious where my waist is.

When my hair was short, a little past APL but shorter than BSL, I was told that I had waist-length hair.

My hair now reaches halfway down my butt. People still tell me that I have waist-length hair.

I just shrug it off. I think people mean “long” when they say “waist-length”. Before joining LHC, the only lengths I ever heard of were shoulder length, waist length, and classic length. I think that is the same with most non-LHC people. Hair falls into three categories for them: short- shoulder length and above, long- hair that is past the shoulder but not long enough to wipe the butt with, and freakishly long- where hair gets long enough to use as toilet paper, should someone desire to.

[Dark40]

Waist is where the bend is when you bend sideways. On a fair amount of people, that is exactly the height where your belly button is, it is on me.
I'm confused about the doctors, no offense, but where are they supposed to measure? The slimmest part of your torso could be anywhere, that's not your waist. On me, the slimmest part of my torso is right under my breasts, but that's not my waist.

I'm not going to get into the weight thing. My mom weighs well over 200 lbs, she's 84 and she's actually very fit. Three or four doctors have told her she was going to die because she was so fat and they have died before her.

I think activity is very important and I am wondering if your very thin co-worker is possibly still out of shape? I am having trouble visually how she can be 'underweight' and still have a waist circumference over 31.5 inches unless she doesn't exercise very much. On the other hand, I do think that exercise is another of the reasons (besides the 'largening' of the population that has definitely happened in the last 40 years or so--my mom is over 200 lbs but she no longer looks all that large, so many people, alas not as exercised as she is, are now around her size, which used to be an unusual one when I was a kid) why people can't find their waists. A lot of the time when women play hard core sports, they don't have that waist hip ratio that used to be 'normal' for a girl back in the day when the Marilyn Monroe type was considered ideal. they get a different type of body and have straight torsos, without that curve. I'm not saying that the curve is good, or the curve is bad, some people wouldn't have it no matter what they did or how much weight they gained or lost, and they still are women and still have babies, etc. (if they want to) But the curve does make it easy to find your waist, if you need to (maybe you don't).

Men like the curve and tend to run after women who have it, whether larger or slimmer--but of course all the young women nowadays don't care what men like--or so they say.

Way off topic now.

On me, waist length is 2inches below MBL. Or, it is 2 or 3 inches above hip length. Your waist can't be where your belly button is. To me, that's to low. That would be hip length on me. But I know it's different for different people's body and height.

[Corvana]

I've also noticed a lot of people calling waist via the front, and then of course having hip or a little more in the back.

[Robi-Bird]

My mother refers to my hair as waist length. It is BCL. I roll my eyes, she knows what I call the length, she's just a bit silly. When I got it trimmed and the layers refreshed I commented that the hairdresser behaved and only took off what I asked. And she said, yes your hair is still waist length. And I gave her this look. If my hair was only waist length now the stylist would have taken a hell of a lot more than an inch and a half off, and I would've been pissed.

[AutobotsAttack]

Sorry meant to post this in a different thread

[AutobotsAttack]

Sorry again lol.

But now that think of it, a few times my mom will just vaguely say my hair is “down my back”. Which to an extent it is, but I always tell her I’m more or less hip length, and she generally just assumes it’s around my waist.

[*Wednesday*]

When I pull my hair to the front, it is a little past bellybutton. When it’s to the back, it touches the top of my hips. I still consider it “waist” because it completely covers that area at its thickest.

I like the “waist-land” term.

[ThrowNormanAway]

Sorry again lol.

But now that think of it, a few times my mom will just vaguely say my hair is “down my back”. Which to an extent it is, but I always tell her I’m more or less hip length, and she generally just assumes it’s around my waist.

hey that's ringing bells for me too! I think it's a similar thing as saying "waist length" as a catch-all term for "down the back". like yes, OK it is down the back, but waist is one spot, and the back is several feet long on almost everyone. haha. It's always my preference to be technically correct.. it's the best kind of correct ;)