Best Swimsuits for Pear-Shaped Bodies 2025–2026

Shopping for a swimsuit can feel overwhelming, but finding the best swimsuits for pear-shaped bodies is simpler than you think. If your hips and thighs are wider than your shoulders and bust, you have a pear-shaped figure — one of the most common body shapes in the world. Good news: with the right styles, cuts, and colors, you can look and feel absolutely stunning at the beach or pool. This guide covers everything you need, from bikinis to one-pieces, expert advice, color strategies, and the styling mistakes worth avoiding.

Whether you're shopping for a tropical vacation, a weekend at the lake, or simply an afternoon at the pool, you deserve a swimsuit that celebrates your curves. Let's dive in.

Understanding the Pear-Shaped Body

A pear-shaped body is defined by narrower shoulders and a smaller bust relative to wider hips, thighs, and waist. Your waist is typically well-defined — which is a genuine asset in swimwear.

The goal in swimwear for this body type is visual balance: drawing the eye upward to emphasize your shoulders, bust, and décolletage, while keeping the lower half streamlined and elegant. As celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe has noted in her style columns on Vogue.com, "Proportion is everything. When you dress to honor your shape rather than fight it, everything falls into place."

This proportional principle drives every recommendation in this guide.

Top 7 Best Swimsuits for Pear-Shaped Bodies

Here are the swimsuit styles that consistently deliver the most flattering results for pear-shaped figures, ranked by their impact on visual balance.

1. High-Neck and Halter Bikini Tops

High-neck and halter bikini tops are a top-tier choice for pear-shaped bodies. The elevated neckline and structured silhouette add visual volume to your upper body, creating the illusion of broader shoulders that beautifully balance wider hips.

Look for tops with structured boning, foam padding, or underwire. Brands like Nordstrom and ASOS carry a wide range of these styles at various price points.

Pro tip: Choose tops in a bold color, graphic print, or with embellishment — ruffles, lace trim, sequins, or tie detail all add visual weight exactly where you want it.

2. Off-the-Shoulder Bikini Tops

Few swimsuit styles are as universally flattering for pear-shaped bodies as the off-the-shoulder bikini top. By exposing the shoulder line and adding structured or ruffled detail across the chest and upper arm, this style dramatically widens the appearance of your shoulders.

According to swimwear designer Melissa Odabash, interviewed by Harper's Bazaar, "The off-shoulder silhouette is one of the most powerful tools in swimwear because it reframes the body's perceived proportions in a single move."

Pro tip: Pair with a dark, minimal bottom — navy, black, or deep burgundy — to let the dramatic top take center stage.

3. Underwire Halter Tops with Bold Detail

An underwire halter top gives your bust a lifted, enhanced look while creating a strong focal point at the upper body. The halter straps tie at the neck and emphasize your shoulders and décolletage, providing excellent support alongside flattering structure.

This style is especially effective for those with a smaller or medium bust who want to create visual balance with their hip line. Choose tops with bright colors, bold prints, or ruffled trim for maximum effect.

4. High-Waisted Bikini Bottoms

High-waisted bikini bottoms are the pear shape's ultimate ally. They elongate the torso, cinch at the natural waist — your slimmest point — and provide full, comfortable coverage over the hips without looking outdated or frumpy.

Paired with a bold, colorful top, they create a gorgeous retro-chic look that's both fashionable and incredibly flattering. Look for styles with ruching or gathering at the sides, which adds a stylish touch while drawing attention away from the hip area.

Color rule: Keep bottoms dark and solid. Bold prints or light colors on the lower half draw the eye and add visual volume — the opposite of what you want.

5. Dark or Subtly Patterned Bottoms

Color psychology plays a significant role in how swimwear fits the eye. Darker tones — navy, black, deep burgundy, forest green — visually minimize the hip and thigh area. Bold prints and embellishments on top redirect attention upward.

Research on color and perception from Psychology Today confirms that darker colors on lower body zones reduce their apparent visual size — a technique used by professional stylists and costume designers for decades.

Key rule: Bold on top, simple and dark on the bottom. This single principle transforms how a swimsuit fits and flatters your figure.

6. One-Piece Swimsuits with Plunge Necklines or Cutouts

A beautifully designed one-piece swimsuit is a powerhouse choice for pear-shaped bodies. The trick is choosing features that draw the eye upward and create shape:

• Deep V or plunge necklines that elongate the torso and draw the eye upward
• Cutouts at the waist or sides that add visual interest and create the illusion of an hourglass
• Ruching along the torso that camouflages the midsection and adds dimension
• Colorblock designs with a bright upper panel and darker lower body for instant balance

Colorblock one-pieces are especially effective — a bold, saturated color on top transitions to a dark, minimal shade below, visually separating and balancing the two halves of the body.

7. Ruffled or Embellished Tankinis

Tankinis offer the practicality of a one-piece with the versatility of separates — and for pear-shaped bodies, they can be exceptionally flattering. Choose a tankini top with ruffles, embellishments, or pattern detail at the bust and chest, combined with a simple, dark bottom.

Ruffled tankini tops create stunning visual balance. The volume they add to the chest and shoulder area makes your hips appear proportionally narrower — the optical illusion that works beautifully for pear-shaped figures.

Colors and Patterns: The Pear-Shape Playbook

On top — to add volume and draw the eye:

• Bright, saturated colors: coral, cobalt blue, sunny yellow, bold red
• Bold graphic prints and large florals
• Horizontal stripes (on the top only)
• Metallic or shimmering fabric
• White or light pastels paired with a dark bottom

On the bottom — to minimize and streamline:

• Black, navy, deep burgundy, or forest green
• Solid dark tones without pattern
• Subtle tone-on-tone textures
• Small, dark prints (avoid large or light-colored patterns)

Avoid: Large bold prints on the bottom, light colors at the hip line, or matching loud top-and-bottom sets that distribute attention evenly across the body.

Swimsuit Styles to Avoid for Pear Shapes

Not every swimsuit style flatters a pear-shaped figure. These are worth sidestepping:

• Tiny triangle bikini tops: Minimal coverage and no visual weight on top, making the hip imbalance more apparent
• Low-rise bikini bottoms: Low cuts sit across the widest part of the hip, emphasizing rather than minimizing
• Thin spaghetti straps: Slim straps reduce the apparent width of the shoulder line
• Bold matching sets: Identical bold print on both top and bottom distributes attention evenly, eliminating the balancing effect
• Strapless bandeau tops: Without shoulder coverage, strapless tops make the shoulder line appear narrower

Expert Styling Tips for Pear-Shaped Bodies

Beyond specific swimsuit styles, these broader strategies help pear-shaped figures look and feel their best on the beach or by the pool.

Shop separates whenever possible. Many pear-shaped women need a different size on top than on bottom. Buying bikini tops and bottoms separately lets you size each piece to your body. Retailers like Nordstrom and ASOS make this easy with dedicated mix-and-match swimwear lines.

Embrace the triangle top + high-waisted bottom combo. This is the gold standard for pear shapes. A bold, embellished triangle top with underwire or padding, paired with a dark high-waisted bottom, creates the ideal hourglass silhouette.

Use cover-ups strategically. A kimono-style cover-up, a wide-brimmed hat, or an off-shoulder beach dress continues the proportional balance strategy off the beach mat and onto the boardwalk.

As swimwear designer and co-founder of Summersalt, Lori Coulter, told Elle, "Shopping by your body type is about finding joy in dressing, not restriction. When a swimsuit fits beautifully and makes you feel amazing, everything else fades away."

Consider a sarong. A colorful sarong tied at the hip adds volume in a stylish, artful way. Opt for bold, patterned sarongs — the visual interest they create at waist level draws attention to your waist, your most defined feature.

FAQ: Best Swimsuits for Pear-Shaped Bodies

What swimsuit styles are most flattering for pear-shaped bodies?

The most flattering swimsuits for pear-shaped bodies include off-the-shoulder bikini tops, underwire halter tops, high-waisted bottoms, and ruffled tankinis. One-piece suits with deep V-necks, plunge necklines, or colorblock designs also work beautifully. The key principle: add visual volume and interest to the upper body while keeping the lower half dark and minimal.

Should pear-shaped bodies wear bikinis?

Absolutely. Pear-shaped bodies can rock bikinis with confidence. Choose tops with embellishments, ruffles, or bold patterns to draw attention upward, and pair with dark, high-waisted bottoms. Avoid tiny triangle tops or low-rise bottoms, which can exaggerate the hip-to-shoulder difference. The right bikini is a celebration of your curves, not a compromise.

What colors are best for pear-shaped swimwear?

For tops: bright, saturated colors, bold prints, or metallic fabrics that draw the eye upward. For bottoms: dark, solid tones like black, navy, or deep burgundy that visually minimize and streamline. The contrast between a bold top and a dark bottom is a classic, highly effective technique that flatters virtually every pear-shaped figure.

How do I minimize my hips in a swimsuit?

Choose dark-colored bottoms (black, navy, deep burgundy) and avoid low-rise cuts. Opt for high-waisted styles that sit at the natural waist. On top, add visual weight with bold colors, ruffles, or embellishments. This combination creates a balanced, elongated silhouette that shifts the eye's focus from the hips to the upper body.

Are one-piece swimsuits good for pear-shaped bodies?

Yes — one-pieces can be incredibly flattering for pear-shaped figures. Look for designs with a plunge or V-neckline, colorblock patterns with lighter or bolder upper panels, and ruching along the torso. Cutout details at the waist add interest and create the illusion of an hourglass shape. Avoid one-pieces with wide horizontal stripes or bold patterns concentrated on the lower half.

Find Your Perfect Swimsuit with LOOQS

Shopping for swimwear should feel exciting, not stressful. LOOQS uses intelligent style matching to recommend the most flattering swimwear picks based on your body type, color preferences, and personal style — so you can skip the guesswork and go straight to looking great.

Whether you're heading to the beach, the pool, or a resort, LOOQS helps you find swimsuits that look like they were made for you. Because every body deserves to feel stunning in a swimsuit — including yours.

→ Discover your perfect swimsuit at LOOQS

Last updated: February 2026