For women, a 27-inch waist is roughly 9″ smaller than the average female's. And even among fit women, a 27-inch waist is on the small side. So it's a good target for overall health and fitness. However, your ideal waist size depends on your body type and height.
First, your waist is not wide. By every standard measure, you actually have a waist size that would fall in the XS-SM range for standard clothing range. The average waist size for american women is around 37 in. So at 27 in, you fall in the standard of having a very small waist!
What should your waist measurement be? For men, a waist circumference below 94cm (37in) is 'low risk', 94–102cm (37-40in) is 'high risk' and more than 102cm (40in) is 'very high'. For women, below 80cm (31.5in) is low risk, 80–88cm (31.5-34.6in) is high risk and more than 88cm (34.6in) is very high.
Generally speaking, a 28-inch waist is on the small side and indicates low abdominal fat, a marker of good health. However, having a slim waist doesn't automatically make you healthy. And you must also consider other diet and lifestyle factors.
US 4 - approximately UK 8 (Waist 26”/27" and Bust 33”/34") US 6 - either UK 8 (Waist 26”/27" and Bust 33”/34") or UK 10 (Waist 27”/28" and Bust 35”/36") US 8 - either UK 10 (Waist 27”/28" and Bust 35”/36") or UK 12 (Waist 29”/30" and Bust 37”/38")
The current Guinness World Record holder for the world's smallest waist is Ethel Granger, of the UK, whose waist measured 13 inches. The record was set in 1939. However, Su has undergone a lifetime of 'waist training' by wearing corsets on a regular basis to shape her torso.
The average waist size for American women is 35.6 inches. That means a 27-inch waist would be smaller than 95% of average women. However, it's important to remember that 3 out of 4 adult women in the US are overweight or obese.
Ideal waistline measurement
According to the Heart Foundation, a healthy waistline size is: 37 inches or less for men. 31.5 inches or less for women.
For your best health, your waist should be less than 40 inches around for men, and less than 35 inches for women, although it may vary depending on race or ethnicity.
Likewise, models can be older but agencies and clients tend to like their models looking younger and more youthful. Height is typically between 5'9″-6″, bust is between 32″-36″, waist is between 22″-26″, and hips should be between 33″-35″.
Runway or Catwalk Model
Their measurements are usually no greater than 34 inches around the bust, 23 inches around the waist, and 34 inches around the hips.
Fast forward 60 years however, and we've grown. Today's British women are 5ft 5ins tall on average, weigh 11st, have size six feet and dress size 16. Most noticeable, however, is just how much bra sizes has increased - 60 years ago, women were wearing 34B bras on average, whereas today it's 36DD.
(In case you're not familiar with these sizes... a size 27 is generally a size 4, and a size 30 is generally a size 10.