Everyone's body comes with its own beautiful story. Every bump, scar, and curve makes us uniquely ourselves. So, it's only natural we want to show off our stunning stories with a bathing suit to match.
However, our bodies don't come with instruction manuals. And with so many prevalent fashion and bikini trends, it can feel tricky to know whether we're giving our bodies the right chance to shine. Luckily, we've compiled our own comprehensive manual to discover the best bikinis for curvy bodies.
Bring out the best in your body, curves, and all.
A Loving Guide to Embracing Your Curves: Bikini Edition
If you've ever slipped into an ill-fitting bikini, you may feel quick to judge your curves rather than the suit itself—one word of advice: don’t. When it comes to human anatomy, curves are as natural as breathing. What may feel unnatural to some is thinking about bikini shopping differently.
Rather than conforming to in-style trends, you should seek to put your body's needs first. When you understand your body's shape and nature, you can find ways to flatter it (and boost your confidence while doing so).
So without further ado, let's dive into some common curvy shapes and determine how you can give your body all the love it deserves.
Inverted Triangle
If your upper half has more curves than your bottom half, you may align closely with the Inverted Triangle body shape. This shape is often characterized by:
- A large bust
- Broad shoulders
- Smaller hips
The best bikinis for Inverted Triangle shapes balance the silhouette by accentuating the bottom. The main components of your dream bikini may include:
- Simple tops – Because you're particularly well-endowed, you don't need a fussy top that grabs attention or adds volume. Steer clear of ruffly tops or push-ups. Instead, go for a classic top that offers ample support and lifts your bosom adequately.
- Voluminous bottoms – To balance out your triangular shape, you should add visual interest to the bottom of your bikini. Try bottoms with ruffles, frills, or bold colors. Even a sexy side-tie thong could transform your look into a cohesive masterpiece.
- Asymmetrical bikinis – If you want to add visual interest to your top without overdoing it, you could try an asymmetrical bikini top. These tops will strengthen your sexy shoulders while keeping your bust secure.
When swimsuit shopping, you should have two main objectives. First, you should aim to achieve a balanced silhouette. And perhaps most importantly, you should aspire to find a suit that imbues you with confidence.
If you identify as an Inverted Triangle, you can kill two birds with one stone with a simple top and detailed bikini bottom.
Pear Shape
Up next, we have the yin to the Inverted Triangle’s yang. While Triangles have most of their curves up top, Pear shapes carry theirs on the bottom half of their body.
Perhaps the most common body type for women, Pears typically have:
- Wide hips
- Narrow shoulders
- Smaller bust
Like Inverted Triangles, Pears can achieve a balanced look by emphasizing their less-curvy areas. Therefore, when shopping for Pear-friendly bikinis, look for suits that have:
- Bold tops – Bikini tops with vibrant colors, prints, or detailing help draw the eye upward, leading to a more cohesive look. Tops with ruffles, ties, or even an off-the-shoulder fit could work well in your favor.
- Form-fitting bottoms – When looking for bikini bottoms, search for one that doesn’t add volume to your waist. Instead, opt for something like swim briefs with a classic fit that provides coverage and fits the bottom snugly.
- High-leg cuts – Another way to flatter your bottom half is to lengthen your legs. Some bikini bottoms (even those with ample coverage) can make your legs look longer with a sneaky high-leg cut. Let loose with a lovely thong to keep your legs looking long.
With stylish tops and simple bottoms, any Pear can find their perfect pair—and it doesn’t stop there.
If bikinis for curvy bodies aren't enough for you, check out stunning one-pieces that offer the same showstopping effects as balanced bikinis. This One Piece Tank Lemonade has a high-leg cut and a striking square neckline to make your shoulders look as sexy as ever.
Apple Shape
As long as we’re going with the fruit-inspired shapes, let’s move on from Pears to the juicy, delicious Apple shape. Apples tend to hold their curves throughout their body rather than being concentrated in one main area.
As a result, many Apples may experience:
- A larger bust
- Uniform hips, shoulders, and bust
- An undefined waistline
Unlike the two previous body shapes, finding the swimsuit for an Apple shape is less of a balancing act. Because Apples have curves throughout their body, it's more about finding new bikini styles that create the illusion of definition without taking away from the natural beauty of the curves themselves.
With that in mind, some go-to options for Apple shapes may include:
- Sweetheart top – A bikini top with a sweetheart neckline emphasizes the lovely shape of your bust while also providing a distinction between your chest and midsection. A balconette bra like this Sculpting Top can also provide sexy shaping to your beach day fit.
- High-waisted bottom – If you're hoping to accentuate your hips' natural waist, a high-waisted bikini bottom could become your new best friend. This retro look was commonly reminiscent of the '50s swimsuit style but has started to align closer to the high-waisted bottoms of the 80s. They're cute, trendy, and go well with virtually any bikini top.
- Color blocking – If you're looking for another fun way to break up your uniform silhouette, let us introduce you to color blocking. Bikini bottoms (or one-pieces) with bold colored sections help create gorgeous visual lines that give the impression of a structured beach body.
With careful consideration, you can strut your stuff on the beach without a care. Just make sure to put on sunscreen, so you don’t turn into a Red Delicious.
Hourglass Figure
As we've gone through the most universally known curvy body types, we've talked a lot about 'balance.' As far as curves are involved, this next body type already has the balanced part down.
Like Apple shapes, Hourglass figures hold their curves on both the upper and lower half of their bodies. However, those with an Hourglass also have more distinction in their mid-section, which creates a super curvy silhouette Marilyn Monroe herself would have adored.
You may have an hourglass figure if you have:
- Wide bust
- Defined waist
- Wide and curvy hips
Since Hourglass figures already have striking balance throughout their bodies, they can feel free to lean into their curves and enhance them in whatever way they see fit.
You’ll likely see Hourglass figures sporting the following styles on the beach:
- Supportive tops – Since Hourglasses typically have a large bust, supportive bikini tops are a must to avoid swimsuit slip-ups. Bikinis with underwires remain popular, but you can also show off your curvy cleavage with a plunging neckline.
- Waist-defining bottoms – If you have a well-defined waist, you should make sure to emphasize it. You can achieve this by wearing high-waisted bottoms that cinch near the smallest part of your waist. You could also opt for a low-rise bottom and let your defined waist speak for itself.
- Romantic style – Many classic swimwear pieces look lovely on a curvy Hourglass figure. Feel free to go bold with beloved bikini staples like stripes, bold prints, and bright colors.
If you can't decide between bikinis, you could always opt for an effortlessly chic One Piece Coral Suit. With a plunging scoop neckline and a flattering high-cut bottom, you can give your curves some love and show them off to the world.
Extra Shopping Tips for Curvy Queens
We hope our crash course on curvy bodies leaves you feeling more in touch with your own body and how you can seek to honor it. However, knowing the best bikini for a curvy body shape isn't enough. You should consider other factors when shopping to ensure you're giving your curves the special treatment they deserve.
Before starting your swimwear shopping spree, consider these additional guidelines:
- Take your measurements beforehand to get a better idea of what parts of your body you should accentuate.
- Make sure your swimsuit is true to size by doublechecking the size chart or comparing fit with other customers.
- Ask yourself, “do I really like it, or is it just trendy right now?”
- Compare bikinis to other swimsuits you already have and decide whether you need it.
- Consider which colors tend to look best on you (feel free to take your summer tan into account.
- Keep an open mind—you’ve got this.
With these practices in your back pocket, nothing is holding you back from discovering the perfect bikini for your beach body. The ocean's not ready for what you have in store.
Love Your Curves with Gooseberry
Whether your curves hug you here, there, or everywhere, make sure to hug them back. Your body's a sacred, sensual space to live in, so make sure you do everything you can to show it off to the world.
Make a swimsuit statement and take up space with Gooseberry.
With our sultry Seaside Collection, you can take your curves out for a day in the sun. For quality minimalist swimwear that will kiss your curves and give you what you deserve, look no further than Gooseberry.
Sources:
MasterClass. 21 Types of Swimsuits: A Breakdown of Swimsuit Styles. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/types-of-swimsuits
Vogue. Put Away Your Boy Shorts Bottoms: The ‘80s Bathing Suit Is Back! https://www.vogue.com/article/80s-inspired-bathing-suits-for-summer-high-cut-high-waisted
Gabrielle Arruda. How to Color Block Your Outfits With Style. https://gabriellearruda.com/how-to-color-block-outfits/