Your body type is important to consider when shopping for all clothing and swimwear. Whether it be a new pair of jeans, an evening dress, or a bikini, it's essential to know what looks good for your shape.

So what kind of bikini style should you be looking for when shopping for a new bikini? Anne Cole has many stylish bikinis that are sure to fit every shape and size perfectly. In this guide, we'll explore how to know what body type you have, what bikini is best for your body type, and how to flatter your shape to feel gorgeous and confident in the skin you're in. 

What Kind of Bikini Should I Wear?

Before we dive into bikini shopping, we first need to define your body shape. When it comes to your body shape, it's always good to take measurements of your silhouette before shopping for any new clothing or swimwear.

Let's break down some of the common body types you may be able to identify with. These illustrations from Healthline are a good reference point to understanding the different body shapes.

There are typically around five body types but in reality, not everybody is going to exactly fit the mold provided. Some of the common shapes are hourglass, apple, triangle, and pear.

However, as you can see from the images above, there are lots of different shapes, such as the bottom hourglass–an extension of the hourglass shape–the inverted triangle, diamond, and athletic. 

What Bikini Is Best for My Body Type?

With all these different body shapes, that can make it a little more challenging to know the best swimsuit for your body type. To find the perfect fit, keep in mind that you should also follow our swimsuit size guide. So what is the best bikini for your body type? We've grouped the shapes above to showcase which swimsuits would suit each body type.

Swimsuits for the Hourglass Body Type

The hourglass body type, a shape made iconic by Marilyn Monroe, is one that resembles that of an hourglass, whether the top, bottom, or both. With that in mind, there are a few types of bikinis that would work well for this shape.

A halter bikini and high waisted bikini bottoms are a great way to compliment an hourglass figure because they help define your silhouette and curves to the fullest. Whether you opt for straps or strapless, it’s important to find a bikini that cuts as close to the waistline as possible to pull in the waist and accentuate those curves.

Any bikini that has a sweetheart neckline is a great way of showing off a top hourglass. For more support and comfort, pick a bikini with straps. Our bright floral halter bikini on the left above is a great option and a popular one amongst our collections. A bandeau style is also a good choice.

Our customers love these bikinis for curvy bodies. Take a look at what one customer has to say:

Nancy K

Verified Purchase

Beautiful bathing suit fits me perfectly. I love it. Love it soo much, I want another one. I did the same with two of their bathing suits!!!!

Fabric is wonderful, and the style is great!!!!

Swimsuits for the Apple Body Shape

For the apple body shapes, a mix of top and bottom bikinis styles will showcase the figure in the best way.

We love this bikini’s twist front and plunging neckline combined with ample cup coverage to help show off the generous top of the apple shape. Thick straps and underwire can help keep everything supported whilst adding length to your shape.

High waisted bottoms are a go-to but anything that cuts off a little higher at the hip will help define your silhouette and draw away from the tummy area.

Mixing and matching your bikini sets are a must and who says you have to cover up when it comes to fuller body shapes? Shop our plus size swimsuits and don’t be afraid to show off!

Swimsuits for the Triangle Body Type

Whether you're an inverted triangle or a traditional triangle shape, your bikini could focus on highlighting and adding volume to the bottom of the triangle.

A halter neck is a great option for triangles, particularly as it draws in the top and a flowy skirted swim bottom perfectly compliments this.

For inverted triangles, scoop neck bikini tops are more suitable. The scoop in the neckline and the straps that sit on the shoulders will show off all the right places in this area. It’s good to pair this one up with a swim skirt to give more volume to the bottom. 

Many of our customers love the center front beaded bikini tops and halter top style. See what one of our customers has to say.

Donatella D

Verified Purchase

Beautiful as usual.. just not my favorite one. It fits great, true size, it matches perfectly with the fold over bottom with the same pattern.

Swimsuits for the Athletic Body Type

The typical athletic body will combine broad shoulders with a straight silhouette. With that in mind, it's good to pick a style that's going to help compliment the shoulders without drawing too much attention to them. 

A v-neck cut is a great way to draw attention away from the shoulders and to also provide more volume around the chest.

Thin straps can also help highlight the best features of an athletic body type. The above options are great for finding a flattering swimsuit that will define your silhouette to give that definition you need. 

Swimsuits for the Pear Shaped Body

Those who have a pear body shape can benefit from bikinis that have a significant high-cut to the legs or follow the shape of the hips. For the top half, it's all about creating a flattering silhouette from the waistline. Halter necks swim tops are a good way to define your features while showing off your curves.

Any bikinis that have string ties or straps are a great way to flatter the pear or bottom-heavy body shapes. The side tie swim bottoms above are a great example of how you can show off your legs. Bikinis that cover the thigh like the one on the left, help to provide a more subtle pear shape.

Swimsuits for the Top Apple body Type

For a top apple shape or if you have a fuller bust, then it's important to focus on creating a neckline with your bikini top. A high neck bikini top with keyhole detail is a great choice for those with this body shape. Thicker straps are also important for top-apple body types with larger busts. Over-the-shoulder straps give support and comfort to all those who need a secure fit.

The scoop, square, or bandeau style provide the right balance up top and these are flattering necklines that are going to bring support and coverage for those who prefer it.

Opt for bold prints, such as stripe bikinis or floral bikinis, in order to blend your silhouette and to draw attention to this beautiful body type.

Shop Anne Cole Bikinis for Your Body Type

So what bikini top is best for you? Hopefully, we've given you a good indication of what to look for. However, when you start your search for the perfect bikinis, make sure to bring this cheat sheet along with you. 

We've highlighted some of the key design features that you should be looking out for when it comes to picking the right type of bikini for your body shape. But as we always say, the most important feature of any swimsuit or bikini is the ability to make you feel confident. If you’re needing a swimsuit reset, don’t be afraid to take this guide along with you. Here is a table to highlight what type of bikini features to look for:

Type of body shape	Design features required
Hourglass	Bandeau style Sweetheart neckline
Apple	High-waisted bottoms Plunge neckline Ample cup coverage
Triangle	Plunge neckline Skirt bottoms Halter necks
Athletic	V-neck neckline Thin straps
Pear	High-cut bottoms Halter neck straps Extra band below bust Skirt bottoms
Top-apple	Scoop neckline Square neckline Bateau neckline Bold prints

 

Anne Cole has a wonderful selection of bikinis that cater to every body shape. Find the best bathing suit (bikini, tankini, one piece, etc.) to fit you and read our swimsuit guide on swimsuits for short torsos, which color swimsuit you should wear, how to tell if your swimsuit is too small, if you can wear shapewear in the pool, and many more.

Citations: 

Image source: https://www.healthline.com/health/women-body-shapes#how-to-measure