While there’s no rulebook for swimwear shopping, we know one thing for sure: learning how to shop for your body type is the key to finding a swimsuit you love, and that will make you feel confident this swimwear season. So, if you’ve found yourself asking, How do I choose a swimsuit for my body type? We have the short and the long answer.
The best swimsuit for your body type is the whichever design balances your figure by highlighting your assets while drawing attention away from “imperfect” areas. So whether you’re part of the pear, apple, rectangle, inverted triangle, or hourglass figure, there’s a swimsuit style that’s best for you.
From supporting bikini tops for fuller busts to tummy-control swimsuits for undefined waists or mismatched styles to harmonize unbalanced figures, we’ve found the best swimwear for all body types! But first …
What are the different body types?
No two bodies are the same. While we come in many different shapes and sizes, we also tend to fall into one of 5 main body type categories: rectangle, inverted triangle, hourglass, pear, and apple.
If you already know which body type you have – great! You can continue down the page to discover the best swimsuit for your body type. If not, let’s figure out which body type you can claim as your own.
A Guide to the 5 Main Body Types
Since you’ll be shopping for the best swimsuit for your body type, it’s time to figure out which group you belong to! First, stand in front of a full-size mirror in only your underwear. After your initial inspection, you can determine your body type by comparing yourself to the run-down of body types below.
Inverted Triangle Body Shape
The inverted triangle body shape is exactly as it sounds – wider on the top and narrowing downwards. As a result, it’s often referred to as the athletic body type.
Features of the inverted triangle body:
Broader shoulders than hips.
Little to no waist definition with a flat tummy.
Shoulders may be straight across or “squared.”
Overall athletic appearance.
Celebrities with inverted triangle bodies: Angelina Jolie, Naomi Campbell, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Apple Body Shape
Women with apple body shapes tend to carry most of their weight around their waists, meaning they have larger tummies contrasted with slender arms and legs.
Features of the apple shape body:
Shoulders and bust that are larger than the hips.
Figure that widens around the tummy area.
A waist that is not well defined.
Slender arms.
Narrow hips and defined legs.
Celebrities with apple-shaped bodies: Amy Schumer, Mindy Kaling, and Oprah Winfrey.
Note: This body shape almost always wears at least one size bigger on the top than on the bottom.
Rectangle Body Shape
The Rectangle body shape is streamlined from top to bottom. There are little to no curves, making this figure a fashion industry favorite – clothes look fantastic on you!
As well, this figure shares the nickname of “athletic” with the inverted triangles since many professional athletes are of this body type.
Defining features of the Rectangle Body:
A small bust.
Little waist definition – often slim.
Narrow hips and a relatively flat bum.
Near-equal top, middle, and bottom measurements.
Celebrities with a rectangle body shape: Cameron Diaz, Natalie Portman, and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Pear Body Shape
Classic pear shapes are identified by a slimmer top half that widens into a full, curvy bottom half – they’re very well-rounded, just like a pear! So if you tend to carry most of your weight around your hips and thighs, you can be confident you’re the proud owner of a fabulous pear figure.
Defining features of the Pear Body:
Proportionally narrow shoulders.
Wider hips, larger thighs, and full bum.
A smaller bust.
A moderate to well-defined waist with a flat tummy.
Celebrities with pear body shape: Kim Kardashian, Eva Longoria, and Beyoncé.
Hourglass Body Shape
Hourglass figures are identified by equal bust and hip measurements that narrow in the waist. If you’re one of the lucky women to have been blessed with this figure, your swimsuit shopping will be a breeze as most styles flatter your silhouette.
Defining features of the hourglass figure:
Well-endowed bust and bum.
Waist is cinched and well-defined.
Shoulders and hip proportion is well-balanced.
Your shoulder-waist-hip proportion is 2-1-2.
Celebrities with an hourglass body shape: Scarlett Johansson, Salma Hayek, and Kate Winslet.
Select options
This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
What is The Best Swimsuit for My body type?
Best Swimsuit for Inverted Triangle
Your goal: There’s a divide among those of the inverted triangle body shape when it comes to deciding what makes the best swimsuit for inverted triangle body shape. Some wish for their swimsuit to enhance their broad, elegant shoulders. Others wish to downplay the width of their upper half, hoping to even out their figure by adding volume to their bottom half.
We’ve considered both goals and found the best styles for both preferences.
The best swimsuit styles for the inverted triangle body
What to look out for: If you’d like to bring your shoulders closer together, your swimsuit’s neckline should be your primary focus. You want it to be dramatic and eye-catching to take attention away from your shoulders, making them fade into the background in comparison. Blouses and tops with U, V, scoop, plunging, or asymmetric necklines should do the trick.
Stick to Wide and thick straps also have the same effect of essentially “outshining” your shoulders.
Peplum tops can also help to draw attention away from your shoulders, toward your hips. Be sure to play around with color, sticking to dark, plain-colored tops and lighter bottoms that create the illusion of a fuller bottom half and narrower top. The swimsuits that look best on you are those with flared skirts or peplum (or adding any of our skirts to a two-piece swimsuit). If you don’t prefer a skirt or peplum, halter tops are always flattering.
But what if I want to highlight my shoulders?
We can’t stress this enough: go strapless. Or, if you’d rather claim a little extra support, halter is your best bet for showcasing your elegant shoulders.
What to avoid: Narrow straps will make your shoulders look larger in comparison.
Best Swimsuit for Apple Body
Your goal: The best swimsuit for apple shaped bodies draws attention away from your midsection toward your upper and lower regions. On top, you want to highlight your chest, neck, and arms. Below, the aim is to draw eyes toward your hips and thigh area. But don’t worry, if you’re also looking to mask your thighs, we have just the solution below!
The best swimsuit styles for the apple body:
What to look out for: Ruching high-waisted bottoms or wrap styles that can cinch in the midsection and waist. That said, no swimwear style flatters the apple body shape quite like shapewear swimsuits with tummy control.
Tops with colorful designs and patterns also draw focus to your top half – it’s always best to stick to solid, plain colors around your midsection.
Cup-sized, underwired swimwear with padding emphasizes your bust. Pair this with wide shoulder straps and scoop or low necklines, and you’re onto a figure-flattering winner! Tankinis can also offer invaluable coverage and work best when paired with a high waist and wide tie-side bottoms to highlight your legs and hips.
What to Avoid: Thin shoulder straps will make your shoulders appear wider than they are, while string bikinis will draw the eye across the chest, again visually widening the shoulders and strapless swimsuits.
Best Swimsuit for Pear Body
Your goal: To highlight the beauty of your bottom curves while also evening out your figure, sending some of that fabulous curvature upward through stylish illusions and high cuts that all form part of the best swimsuit for pear shaped body.
The Best Swimsuit Styles for the Pear Body
What to look out for: When possible, always go for a high-cut waistline that defines your lower half nicely while spreading your curves more evenly, drawing attention toward your slim tummy area.
Strapless bandeau tops are perfect for Pears. Mismatched bikinis are also ideal. Bikinis are the best friend of every pear-shaped woman. They offer her a simple, stylish, and endlessly creative way to sculpt her figure, flattering her natural-born curves while creating new ones. The figure-balancing effect of bikinis also applies to tankinis. What’s more, these much-loved two-piece swimsuits can also be figure-hugging, meaning your slim waist is highlighted. Or, if you’d prefer, opt for a tankini with slightly looser material around the middle that “eases” the lines of your figure, helping your silhouette to look more balanced.
All you have to do is play with your bikini’s colors. Keep the top half light and the bottom half dark. Along the same vein, keep the prints, textures, and embellishments for the top piece while adhering to a solid color palette for your bottoms.
Push-up bikinis and padded bikini tops with bold patterns, intricate styles, and sexy, plunging necklines are fantastic for emphasizing your bust’s natural curves.
What to Avoid: Ruffling, decorative features, or other eye-catching, volume-boosting embellishments around your hips and waist are a no-no. Instead of flattering your hips, bikini bottoms with side ties and horizontal waistbands will simply make them look larger.
Select options
This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Best Swimsuit for Rectangle Body
Your goal: Because a rectangle-shaped body is well-balanced, you can wear almost any bikini or swimsuit you’d like, and it will look great. However, because you have a relatively straight silhouette, you may want to either highlight your elegant streamlined figure or create the illusion of curves. Luckily for you, the best swimsuit for rectangle body type, is usually a matter of personal preference.
The Best Swimsuit Styles for the Rectangle Body
What to look out for: We can’t be sure, but we’d argue that belted swimsuit styles were invented for women with rectangle bodies. Their ability to cinch the waist and create the illusion of curves on either side is unmatched. The same could be said for deep, plunging necklines that flatter your more subtle curves. Also, always keep an eye out for underwired bikinis or swimsuits with padding in the bust area that can lift and support your bust while adding extra volume.
A skimpy triangle-style top will add flattering curves to your bust, giving you a more feminine silhouette. Halter bikinis and tank tops also look fantastic on rectangle body types. Choose tops in lighter colors with patterns, frills, ruffles, or diagonal lines to generate the illusion of curves. Go for halterneck tops with thin straps and sweetheart-shaped cups to create a more stylish and feminine look that’s always right on trend.
What to Avoid: When it comes to choosing swimsuits for a straight silhouette and bathing suits that flatter small breasts, avoid square, boxy necklines, thick waistbands, and boy shorts – you’re looking to add curves, not reduce them. Avoid bandeau-style tops as they will emphasize your lack of upper body curves – making your body look boyish. Stay away from horizontal stripes; they will widen your waist and make you look boxy.
Best Swimsuit for Hourglass Body
If you’re lucky enough to have been blessed with an hourglass figure, you can essentially shop swimsuits according to your preferences – everything will look good on you.
Your goal: To highlight your curves and flatter your figure.
The Best Swimsuit Styles for the Hourglass Body
What to look out for: The sky’s the limit! For those with hourglass figures, swimsuit shopping is just that bit easier. Since you don’t need to balance your figure or draw on illusions, you’re free to shop for all styles. All swimsuits’ shapes, cuts, and styles will look flattering on you.
What to avoid: There’s really no swimsuit style, no matter what the design, that doesn’t do the hourglass figure justice. So, all you have to avoid is what you’d not like to wear – simple!
Your body is unique in all of its beautiful curves, lines, and perfect imperfections. This swimwear season, you deserve to do it justice and help yourself to feel confident and utterly fantastic in the process. So, make swimsuit shopping easy, and maybe even enjoyable, by shopping for your body type this year.
Having a few extra layers on hand is always a smart idea, whether you’re at the lake, the beach, the pool, or just lounging in your backyard. In your swimwear, a cover-up is the perfect item of clothing to have on hand. Perhaps you want to have a drink in a cabana, eat lunch on …
We often spend considerable time and money when selecting the perfect swimsuit. Once we’ve found it we want to make sure to take good care of it. One of the most important steps in keeping your swimsuit in mint condition is to wash it properly. There are different ways one can wash a swimsuit. The …
I’m sure we’ve all been there. Having to pack a wet swimsuit into a bag or suitcase. Maybe it’s because you wanted to take that last dip in the ocean before going home from your vacation. Or you’re just an avid swimmer who goes to and from the pool after practice. Whatever the reason, it’s …
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Best Swimsuit for Your Body Type
While there’s no rulebook for swimwear shopping, we know one thing for sure: learning how to shop for your body type is the key to finding a swimsuit you love, and that will make you feel confident this swimwear season. So, if you’ve found yourself asking, How do I choose a swimsuit for my body type? We have the short and the long answer.
The best swimsuit for your body type is the whichever design balances your figure by highlighting your assets while drawing attention away from “imperfect” areas. So whether you’re part of the pear, apple, rectangle, inverted triangle, or hourglass figure, there’s a swimsuit style that’s best for you.
From supporting bikini tops for fuller busts to tummy-control swimsuits for undefined waists or mismatched styles to harmonize unbalanced figures, we’ve found the best swimwear for all body types! But first …
What are the different body types?
No two bodies are the same. While we come in many different shapes and sizes, we also tend to fall into one of 5 main body type categories: rectangle, inverted triangle, hourglass, pear, and apple.
If you already know which body type you have – great! You can continue down the page to discover the best swimsuit for your body type. If not, let’s figure out which body type you can claim as your own.
A Guide to the 5 Main Body Types
Since you’ll be shopping for the best swimsuit for your body type, it’s time to figure out which group you belong to! First, stand in front of a full-size mirror in only your underwear. After your initial inspection, you can determine your body type by comparing yourself to the run-down of body types below.
Inverted Triangle Body Shape
The inverted triangle body shape is exactly as it sounds – wider on the top and narrowing downwards. As a result, it’s often referred to as the athletic body type.
Features of the inverted triangle body:
Celebrities with inverted triangle bodies: Angelina Jolie, Naomi Campbell, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Apple Body Shape
Women with apple body shapes tend to carry most of their weight around their waists, meaning they have larger tummies contrasted with slender arms and legs.
Features of the apple shape body:
Celebrities with apple-shaped bodies: Amy Schumer, Mindy Kaling, and Oprah Winfrey.
Note: This body shape almost always wears at least one size bigger on the top than on the bottom.
Rectangle Body Shape
The Rectangle body shape is streamlined from top to bottom. There are little to no curves, making this figure a fashion industry favorite – clothes look fantastic on you!
As well, this figure shares the nickname of “athletic” with the inverted triangles since many professional athletes are of this body type.
Defining features of the Rectangle Body:
Celebrities with a rectangle body shape: Cameron Diaz, Natalie Portman, and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Pear Body Shape
Classic pear shapes are identified by a slimmer top half that widens into a full, curvy bottom half – they’re very well-rounded, just like a pear! So if you tend to carry most of your weight around your hips and thighs, you can be confident you’re the proud owner of a fabulous pear figure.
Defining features of the Pear Body:
Celebrities with pear body shape: Kim Kardashian, Eva Longoria, and Beyoncé.
Hourglass Body Shape
Hourglass figures are identified by equal bust and hip measurements that narrow in the waist. If you’re one of the lucky women to have been blessed with this figure, your swimsuit shopping will be a breeze as most styles flatter your silhouette.
Defining features of the hourglass figure:
Celebrities with an hourglass body shape: Scarlett Johansson, Salma Hayek, and Kate Winslet.
Maldives
$60Pearl
$60Santorini
$60Turtle Swimsuit
$49What is The Best Swimsuit for My body type?
Best Swimsuit for Inverted Triangle
Your goal: There’s a divide among those of the inverted triangle body shape when it comes to deciding what makes the best swimsuit for inverted triangle body shape. Some wish for their swimsuit to enhance their broad, elegant shoulders. Others wish to downplay the width of their upper half, hoping to even out their figure by adding volume to their bottom half.
We’ve considered both goals and found the best styles for both preferences.
The best swimsuit styles for the inverted triangle body
What to look out for: If you’d like to bring your shoulders closer together, your swimsuit’s neckline should be your primary focus. You want it to be dramatic and eye-catching to take attention away from your shoulders, making them fade into the background in comparison. Blouses and tops with U, V, scoop, plunging, or asymmetric necklines should do the trick.
Stick to Wide and thick straps also have the same effect of essentially “outshining” your shoulders.
Peplum tops can also help to draw attention away from your shoulders, toward your hips. Be sure to play around with color, sticking to dark, plain-colored tops and lighter bottoms that create the illusion of a fuller bottom half and narrower top. The swimsuits that look best on you are those with flared skirts or peplum (or adding any of our skirts to a two-piece swimsuit). If you don’t prefer a skirt or peplum, halter tops are always flattering.
But what if I want to highlight my shoulders?
We can’t stress this enough: go strapless. Or, if you’d rather claim a little extra support, halter is your best bet for showcasing your elegant shoulders.
What to avoid: Narrow straps will make your shoulders look larger in comparison.
Best Swimsuit for Apple Body
Your goal: The best swimsuit for apple shaped bodies draws attention away from your midsection toward your upper and lower regions. On top, you want to highlight your chest, neck, and arms. Below, the aim is to draw eyes toward your hips and thigh area. But don’t worry, if you’re also looking to mask your thighs, we have just the solution below!
The best swimsuit styles for the apple body:
What to look out for: Ruching high-waisted bottoms or wrap styles that can cinch in the midsection and waist. That said, no swimwear style flatters the apple body shape quite like shapewear swimsuits with tummy control.
Tops with colorful designs and patterns also draw focus to your top half – it’s always best to stick to solid, plain colors around your midsection.
Cup-sized, underwired swimwear with padding emphasizes your bust. Pair this with wide shoulder straps and scoop or low necklines, and you’re onto a figure-flattering winner! Tankinis can also offer invaluable coverage and work best when paired with a high waist and wide tie-side bottoms to highlight your legs and hips.
What to Avoid: Thin shoulder straps will make your shoulders appear wider than they are, while string bikinis will draw the eye across the chest, again visually widening the shoulders and strapless swimsuits.
Best Swimsuit for Pear Body
Your goal: To highlight the beauty of your bottom curves while also evening out your figure, sending some of that fabulous curvature upward through stylish illusions and high cuts that all form part of the best swimsuit for pear shaped body.
The Best Swimsuit Styles for the Pear Body
What to look out for: When possible, always go for a high-cut waistline that defines your lower half nicely while spreading your curves more evenly, drawing attention toward your slim tummy area.
Strapless bandeau tops are perfect for Pears. Mismatched bikinis are also ideal. Bikinis are the best friend of every pear-shaped woman. They offer her a simple, stylish, and endlessly creative way to sculpt her figure, flattering her natural-born curves while creating new ones. The figure-balancing effect of bikinis also applies to tankinis. What’s more, these much-loved two-piece swimsuits can also be figure-hugging, meaning your slim waist is highlighted. Or, if you’d prefer, opt for a tankini with slightly looser material around the middle that “eases” the lines of your figure, helping your silhouette to look more balanced.
All you have to do is play with your bikini’s colors. Keep the top half light and the bottom half dark. Along the same vein, keep the prints, textures, and embellishments for the top piece while adhering to a solid color palette for your bottoms.
Push-up bikinis and padded bikini tops with bold patterns, intricate styles, and sexy, plunging necklines are fantastic for emphasizing your bust’s natural curves.
What to Avoid: Ruffling, decorative features, or other eye-catching, volume-boosting embellishments around your hips and waist are a no-no. Instead of flattering your hips, bikini bottoms with side ties and horizontal waistbands will simply make them look larger.
Pineapple Palm Mint Swim Shorts
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Turtle Swimsuit
$49Best Swimsuit for Rectangle Body
Your goal: Because a rectangle-shaped body is well-balanced, you can wear almost any bikini or swimsuit you’d like, and it will look great. However, because you have a relatively straight silhouette, you may want to either highlight your elegant streamlined figure or create the illusion of curves. Luckily for you, the best swimsuit for rectangle body type, is usually a matter of personal preference.
The Best Swimsuit Styles for the Rectangle Body
What to look out for: We can’t be sure, but we’d argue that belted swimsuit styles were invented for women with rectangle bodies. Their ability to cinch the waist and create the illusion of curves on either side is unmatched. The same could be said for deep, plunging necklines that flatter your more subtle curves. Also, always keep an eye out for underwired bikinis or swimsuits with padding in the bust area that can lift and support your bust while adding extra volume.
A skimpy triangle-style top will add flattering curves to your bust, giving you a more feminine silhouette. Halter bikinis and tank tops also look fantastic on rectangle body types. Choose tops in lighter colors with patterns, frills, ruffles, or diagonal lines to generate the illusion of curves. Go for halterneck tops with thin straps and sweetheart-shaped cups to create a more stylish and feminine look that’s always right on trend.
What to Avoid: When it comes to choosing swimsuits for a straight silhouette and bathing suits that flatter small breasts, avoid square, boxy necklines, thick waistbands, and boy shorts – you’re looking to add curves, not reduce them. Avoid bandeau-style tops as they will emphasize your lack of upper body curves – making your body look boyish. Stay away from horizontal stripes; they will widen your waist and make you look boxy.
Best Swimsuit for Hourglass Body
If you’re lucky enough to have been blessed with an hourglass figure, you can essentially shop swimsuits according to your preferences – everything will look good on you.
That said, some swimsuit styles do look better than others. So, we’ll be focusing on them here to find the best swimsuit for hourglass body type.
Your goal: To highlight your curves and flatter your figure.
The Best Swimsuit Styles for the Hourglass Body
What to look out for: The sky’s the limit! For those with hourglass figures, swimsuit shopping is just that bit easier. Since you don’t need to balance your figure or draw on illusions, you’re free to shop for all styles. All swimsuits’ shapes, cuts, and styles will look flattering on you.
What to avoid: There’s really no swimsuit style, no matter what the design, that doesn’t do the hourglass figure justice. So, all you have to avoid is what you’d not like to wear – simple!
Read more: What to wear under a woman’s swimsuit?
The Bottom Line
Your body is unique in all of its beautiful curves, lines, and perfect imperfections. This swimwear season, you deserve to do it justice and help yourself to feel confident and utterly fantastic in the process. So, make swimsuit shopping easy, and maybe even enjoyable, by shopping for your body type this year.
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I’ll write about anything and everything related to swimwear!
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