Each body has its own special characteristics. This means that each body requires a different style of swimsuit when heading to the beach. Since we all come in different shapes and sizes, dressing for our bodies is a great way to highlight our best assets, making us feel more comfortable and confident!
Generally, bodies are most commonly divided into four body shape categories: apple, pear, hourglass, and rectangle. Each of them has specific traits that define them and a style that suits them best. In this post, we’ll be looking at what makes a rectangle-shaped body special and how to work with it when getting ready for your next beach trip!
The Different Body Types
To get a better understanding of how diverse the body types are and how the rectangle shape body is different from the other types, we’ll go over the other body types and their characteristics.
First, we have hourglass bodies that tend to be cuvier. They have a proportional hip to bust ratio and well-defined waists, which is a good asset to highlight. Their upper body is normally balanced with the length of their legs.
Pear-shaped bodies tend to have a triangular shape. Typically they feature a smaller upper body and larger hips and thighs.
Apple-shaped bodies are known for their broad shoulders, with similar measurements through their shoulders, bust, and waist, and similarly sized or potentially smaller hips. It’s normal for this body to feature a shorter, softer waist and slim legs.
What Is an Rectangle-Shaped Body?
When dressing for a specific body type, it’s important to understand what sets it apart and defines the body shape in particular so we can work with it and not against it. The rectangle body type, also referred to as the athletic body type commonly has a straight silhouette, with minimal difference between waist, hip, and bust measurements. Their waist tends to be the least defined of the body types, they normally have slim shoulders and a small-to-average butt.
How To Choose a Bikini for an Rectangle-Shaped Body
Due to its naturally balanced proportions, rectangle-shaped bodies can pretty much wear any bikini or swimsuit without many issues. However, if you are looking to add some curves to your relatively straight silhouette, it’s good to know which styles will work best for creating curvier-looking hips, waist, and chest.
Best Bikini Types for Rectangle-Shaped Women
While you can wear whatever style of bathing suit you feel most comfortable and confident in, going for a specific style will help you give your body your desired look! We’re going over what to look out for specifically in each category of bathing suits for rectangle-shaped bodies to get you ready for your next beach trip!
One-Piece Swimsuits
If you’re going for a one-piece swimsuit, pick one that’s cut higher on the hips and has a deeper neckline. This style is perfect for adding emphasis to a smaller chest and hips. One like our Prism Palm Bandeau Mio is a great option for a higher cut on the hips and the opposing design will also create movement.
Going with a suit that has a belt, like our Terra Italia Lingerie One-Piece, will make your waist look even smaller, creating the illusion of curves. For the ultimate silhouette shaping, go for a bathing suit with some type of side cutouts, like a monokini.
Bikini Tops
If you lean towards a rectangle body shape it’s likely you have a smaller chest. If you’re looking to create some illusion of volume with your bikini tops a good bet is a triangle style top. Our Eclectic Shore Halter Triangle Top is a great adjustable option with a bold and colorful print. This bikini style is great at adding flattering curves to your bust, creating the desired illusion.
Other great styles are halter bikinis and tank top styles. Our Terra Italia Reversible Banded Halter Triangle Top is a great versatile option. These will also look great on your body type and if you don’t have a big chest you don’t have to worry about the weight on your neck with the halter tops.
Bikini Bottoms
For bikini bottoms, the best way to get that curvy body look is by minimizing your waist and maximizing your hips and butt. To achieve this, try out some classic straight-across, tie-side bikini bottoms, just like our Eclectic Shore side Tie Hipster Bottom. These are ideal for highlighting the natural curve and width of your hips. Wearing bold patterns and colors, or details such as ruffles, frills, and ruching are another great way to add volume to your hips, creating a bigger size difference between your waist and hips. Check out the Island Goddess Shirred Band Hipster Bottom for a colorful shirred option!
Bikini Types To Avoid When You Are Rectangle Body Shaped
While most bikinis and bathing suits will suit rectangle body types, if you’re looking to add curves to your silhouette there are styles you should steer clear from. For suits that flatter a smaller chest, avoid square and boxy necklines. To create more curves around your hip area, steer clear from thick waistbands and boy shorts since these will most likely reduce them visually.
What Else?
There are a couple of other tricks you can try out if you have a straighter silhouette when it comes to your swimwear and making it work in your favor.
- Go asymmetrical: Asymmetrical styles are a great option if you have a rectangle-shaped figure. The diagonal line will contrast the overall vertical lines of your body, creating the illusion of movement. Our Eclectic Shore One Shoulder Keyhole One-Piece is a great example!
- Create an illusion: Look for swimwear that creates a gathering effect on the side, see our Island Goddess Shirred One-Shoulder One-Piece, or in the middle of it, check our Island Goddess Draped Twist Belt One-Piece. This might not seem like an important detail but it draws attention to a specific point with the lines it creates, giving you the illusion of a smaller waist.
- Go bold: If you’re going for a one-piece swimsuit, look for one that’s either light-colored or bright-colored with bold patterns and stripes, like our Tropea Breeze V-Plunge One-Piece. This will give something for the eye to follow, again creating a movement for it to focus on. However, avoid horizontal stripes since they might not have the intended effect.
- Side details: Another great way to give the illusion of curves is by having pieces that have side cut-outs and panels. These will create the sense of a more streamlined body from the front and the back of the suit, making it seem like you naturally have curves at the waist. Look to our Island Goddess Cutout One Shoulder Mio or our Island Goddess Twist Shirred One-Piece for the perfect examples.
Conclusion
While it may seem like a complicated concept at first, finding swimwear for your own body type isn’t that hard. Following these tips on how to pick out the best bathing suits for rectangle-shaped bodies will guarantee you’re highlighting the best assets of your body!
When looking for bathing suits remember that creating the illusion of curves through rushing, cut-outs, and belts is a great solution. Looks with a deep V neckline are a great option to highlight a smaller chest and draw attention to that area.
Styles that are cut higher on the hips are perfect for adding emphasis to your hips, making them look wider. Making these illusions work is all a question of working with proportions. Figuring out what it is you want to achieve will make it easier to find how to accomplish it. If you are looking to add more curves to your body, focus on making it seem that your chest and hips are larger than your waist.
Even though these tips are all great for getting the desired effect you might want to create for your body, they are in no way compulsory. The best swimsuit for you will always be the one you like most for whatever reason it may be. Above all the most important thing is wearing what makes you feel comfortable and confident and a bathing suit you love! This is what will make you stand out and look and feel your best!
Sources:
How to Dress, Swimsuits, Jeans, Celebrities with Rectangle Body Shapes
Women's Body Shapes: 10 Types, Measurements, Changes, More | Healthline