how accurate is the whole 'wrist=body frame size' thing?

my wrist is tiny [5 inches in circumference] and my thumb and middle finger easily overlap whenI wrap them around it. However, I'm pretty sure I don't have a small frame. Is there any other way to tell what sort of frame you have?

I'm curious about this as well.  I have tiny wrists and ankles, but have a larger ribcage and wider hips than "most" people who have small frames.

You can go on www.dietitian.com, pull up there Healthy Body Caculator, and on the second page there's a part where it tells you how to measure your elbow width to figure out frame size. It tells me I'm medium-framed - so do the wrist measurements.

Well that's weird... that calculator says I'm small frame. No way I'm small framed.

I also have the wider rib cage. Just today, I was at Ann Taylor and the saleswoman *insisted* I needed a size 0 for a dress I liked. I told her no way - the size 0's never, ever zip up - they get stuck on my rib cage. She *insisted* I try it on because it was "running big." And NOPE, it would not zip up... there was a good 3 inch gap. It would've fit my 14 year old daughter though... she is very definetly small framed.

The size 2p also didn't zip up, but it was perfectly proportioned everywhere else. The size 4p zipped perfectly, but the proportions were all off everywhere else - too long in the waist, too long in the length, too wide in the hips.

Sigh... what I usually end up doing is choose only dresses in size 2p in knit fabrics, because they are more forgiving and the stretch is usually just enough.

Wow, that had to feel awkward.  I at least have large hips to compensate. 

I take a S/M on top and a M/L on the bottom, so sometimes dresses look odd on me too, shame because they're my favorite thing to wear =)

I usually have a hard time finding skirts/shorts/pants.  Most shirts that are fitted look nice on me.

i think that ethnicity comes into it.  people from certain heritages tend to have small hips, legs, arms, etc. and bigger trunks. 

Shoulda mentioned I'm only 5 feet tall.... hence, the size 2 & 4p's. A small-framed person of my height would take a 0p or even a 00p. I'm thinking here of my daughter, before she outgrew me (or even now, if we are talking tops only). Hold up her hand to mine and there's a huge difference. She has slender long fingers, teeny tiny wrists, narrow shoulders, graceful shoulders, etc. She's very delicate-boned, compared to me.

I dont trust the wrist size thing either.

I actually get comments that my wrists are unusally small from perfect strangers. Im 6' tall, have a large chest, wide hips, broad shoulders and big thighs. There is absolutely no way I am "small framed" as my wrists seem to indicate. The other sites that were posted say that I am Medium framed (though I dont feel it)

I can kind of relate to you guys on the ribcage thing. I have very large hips and a large chest naturally. Shirts never fit right because of my chest, and with pants I usually have to get them a little baggy in the legs and waist for them to fit in the hips. Dresses are almost impossible. I usually wear a 14-16 and in dresses I have to get an 18 or 20 and then take in the waist myself so that it doesn thave flappy fabric at my middle.

I don't think it's right either - ti says I'm meduim framed but I am really curvy, large hips, huge shoulders - size 20-22 (english sizing btw) for fitted blouses, but I have a size 10 stretchy top that fits nicely round my stomach, and strap tops in size 12.  Anything that doesn't include shoulder size is about 6-10 sizes smaller!!

I can't figure out what my proper bra size should be because of my big rib cage. If you go by the standard measurement guidelines, I supposedly need a 42 negative-A or something.    

How funny!  This site that was mentioned gives me two different readings!

 If I put in the elbow (3") I get a large frame, enter in my wrist circ (6") and I get a small frame (69" tall).  So YAY, something is fishy!  I think I have large bones and just small boned in my hand and feet and neck... I guess I am a circus freeK LOL

 

Sumisan, the elbow measurement can be tricky to do without a caliper, or at very least, without someone else to do it for you (I had my DH do mine because I kept getting different measurements when I tried to do it myself). I think that's why the wrist measurement is used more often - it's much easier to get an accurate measurement.

Also my understanding is that measuring in centimeters will be far more accurate than inches. I don't recall whether that site gives that option though.

Or you simply have really knobby elbows. :-)

I've been thinking lately I'm a circus freak too though! For me, it's because I have weird proportions, very short legs. My DH is 9 inches taller than me and when we sit, we are the same height. Then I stand up... sigh... stupid 27-inch inseam. :-( And my arms are also short. Just call me stubby...

I honestly don't know what frame I am lol. When I do the finger wrap around, they just touch so that would make me a medium frame. But when I measure my elbow breadth and my wrist, they both say I'm large framed. I guess I'll pick a happy medium then and say that I have a medium-large frame. Haha.

 LOL yay that is true, I have some body fat calipers but they didn't work my elbow was to big.  Oh well, I guess small+large= medium right LOL

The NIH uses wrist measurement to get frame size, so it must be pretty accurate.

I found the wrist measurement to be misleading too... (i mis read it at the beginning and though it meant spanning your waist with your hands..then i was really confused as to how people could do that) but i have unproportionally small wrists with a large everything else- broad shoulders,  big ribcage and  thick legs. (dress shopping i have also had people assuring me i'd fit into sizes that dont do up at all, my grad dress i  had to exhale in order to zip it up every time) i think i'll see what the other method says

I was wondering about this too.  I'm only 5'2" but have a 7 inch wrist.  Although the elbow measurement is the same way - off the charts.  I measured my dad today and his is off the charts too - so I guess it is genetic!

I was so worried because for a second i thought it was to wrap your index finger and your thumb i was going to panic! haha mine says I'm a medium frame but I can't even wear a medium properly..im a teenager and im thick..5'7" im not necessarily chubby but i definitely have some meat on me...I don't look horrible in amedium just i have a "curvy" stomach aka its mostly flat in the front but i have small love handles on either side....and its like elastic one minute it looks like i have a nice stomach and the next i look realli huge..this may be just cuz im super self conscious but back to what i was saying..lol..i cant really tell from th wrist thing either

does anyone know a way of determining for teens? or is that like impossible being as our bones are growing??

i think it's bull.  how can you tell an overweight person to use that to evaluate their frame and all they'll get is a large frame.

exactly i was overweight and had large, was under and had small, now im average, 15 by the way. im just going to go with my gut instinct