Here is a fact that changes how you read every swimwear guide. In one of the largest body scan studies ever done, covering more than 6,000 women, only about 8% had an hourglass shape.
Nearly half were rectangle shaped. About one in five were pear shaped. Yet most swimwear is designed and photographed on the rarest shape of all.
So this guide is not a list of rules about what you are allowed to wear. Every body is a bikini body. What we can do is explain what each cut actually does and where it draws the eye, so you can choose what you want to highlight. As the model Hunter McGrady puts it, "If you have a body, you have a bikini body."
One note on us: Bareneath is our brand, and we link our own pieces where they fit the advice. Everything we make is seamless, double lined and unpadded, in sizes XS to XL.
First, find your shape
Grab a tape measure. Measure your bust at the fullest point, your waist at the narrowest point, and your hips at the widest point with your feet together. Do not pull tight and do not suck in.
| Shape | The pattern |
|---|---|
| Pear | Hips clearly wider than bust |
| Apple | Waist is the widest or near widest measurement, slimmer legs |
| Hourglass | Bust and hips similar, waist clearly smaller (roughly 23cm or more) |
| Rectangle | Bust, waist and hips all fairly similar, little waist definition |
No tape measure? Stand in front of a mirror and note where you are widest: shoulders, middle, or hips. That tells you most of what you need.
Pear: hips fuller than bust
The advice for pear shapes has the strongest agreement of any shape. Draw the eye upward, and keep the bottom half simple. The goal is balance, not hiding.
Rae Bottom in Espresso, £45. Deep shades recede, which balances a fuller hip.
On top
Put the colour, print or detail up here. A lighter or warmer top pulls the eye upward and balances the silhouette. Try a warm shade like Cacao Shell or Paprika on top.
On the bottom
The surprise here: less fabric often looks better than more. A higher cut leg lengthens your legs and visually narrows the hip line. Heavy full coverage adds bulk exactly where you do not want it.
Keep bottoms simple and deep in colour, like the Rae Bottom in Espresso. Gathered or tie side details sit nicely on the hip curve too.
The mistake to avoid
Buying a matching set in one size. Most pear shapes are one size on top and another below. Buy separates, sized independently. This is the single most repeated tip across every fit guide we checked.
Apple: weight carried at the middle
The trick for apple shapes is vertical lines. Draw the eye down the centre of the body, not across it.
Yana Bottom in Espresso, £45. Double lined fabric skims rather than clings.
On top
A V neckline reads as length instead of width. Structured tops with wider straps give lift without bulk. Skip bandeau styles, because a straight horizontal band emphasises width.
On the bottom
Choose a rise that sits comfortably without cutting in. A bottom that digs at your softest point creates a line that clingy fabric then shows.
Fabric matters as much as cut here. Thin single lined fabric clings to the middle. Smooth double lined fabric skims over it, which is why every Bareneath bottom is double lined and seam free.
The hero piece
If one item does everything for this shape, it is a deep V one piece. The neckline lengthens, the continuous fabric skims, and there is no waistband at all. Apple shapes also tend to have great legs, so show them.
Hourglass: balanced with a defined waist
If your bust and hips are similar with a clearly smaller waist, almost every cut works. Your only job is proportion.
Zoe Top in Espresso, £49. Fitted shapes follow the bust rather than flatten it.
What works
Fitted, supportive tops that follow the bust. Bottoms that sit on the hip, like a Brazilian cut, show the curve you already have.
Keep the top and bottom in a similar style weight, so the natural line stays unbroken.
What to skip
Boxy, shapeless coverage that hides the waist. It is the one thing stylists agree an hourglass should never do.
Rectangle or athletic: straight up and down
This is the most common shape of all, and the advice is the opposite of the pear advice. A rectangle wants to add shape, not simplify it.
Bea Gathered Bottom in Paprika, £45. Ruching builds curve where there is little natural definition.
On the bottom
Gathering, ruching and soft texture create curve. A gathered bottom is the single best product match for this shape, because the ruched sides build a hip line the straight silhouette does not have. That is exactly what our Bea Gathered Bottom is cut for.
A Brazilian cut also suits athletic builds with muscle through the glutes, since it showcases rather than flattens.
On top
Soft unpadded tops with gathering create bust shape naturally. Bold colour on the bottom half works well here, which is the reverse of the pear rule.
What to skip
Square necklines, thick straight waistbands and boy shorts. They all repeat the straight line you already have.
Petite: under about 5 foot 3
For petite frames the enemy is fabric that swamps. Unbroken vertical lines and higher cut legs read as height.
Rae Bottom in Cacao Shell, £45. More leg on show reads as longer legs.
What works
Smaller scale tops that sit in proportion to your frame. A higher leg line, which makes legs look longer instantly. And the deep V one piece, often called the most flattering petite style, because it lengthens the neck and torso in one continuous line.
What to skip
Oversized ruffles and huge prints, which overwhelm a small frame. And note one caveat: very high waisted bottoms can shorten a short torso, so a mid rise is the safer default.
Small bust: shape beats padding
Here is the advice most guides get wrong. The fix for a small bust is not more foam.
Izzy Demi Top in Paprika, £49. Cut and gathering create shape, not foam.
What works
Badly fitting padded cups gape, shift and often look worse than no padding at all. What creates natural shape is gathering, seaming and a well cut top that sits close to the body.
This is where our range is at its best, because every Bareneath top is unpadded by design. A demi cut like the Izzy frames a smaller bust rather than drowning it.
Your advantage
Small busts can carry any bottom style, any print and any neckline. That is a freedom worth using.
Fuller bust: support is weight distribution
Real support comes from how weight is spread, not how tightly fabric squeezes.
Irene Top in Cacao Shell, £49. Coverage anchors better than string ties.
What works
Wider adjustable straps, a firm underband, and full lining that holds. Scoop styles with more coverage anchor better than string ties. Size your top for your bust, not your dress size.
An honest note
Our range is unpadded and runs XS to XL. It works well up to a full bust, but if you need underwire and cup sized engineering in a D cup and beyond, a cup sized specialist will serve you better. There is no shame in mixing brands.
One more tool: the sarong
A sarong adjusts to every shape, because you decide where it ties.
Elle Sarong in Espresso, £49. Tie it where it works for you.
Knot it at the waist with a side slit for pear shapes. Under the bust for apple shapes. Low on the hip for an hourglass. Above the knee for petite frames.
Our Elle Sarong comes in Espresso and Ember Shell, and we cover every tie in our how to tie a sarong guide.
How we wrote this guide
We compared more than ten swimwear fit guides and stylists, and kept only the points where multiple sources agree.
We also kept the modern framing in mind. "Flattering" too often just means "makes you look thinner", and that is not the goal here. The goal is knowing what each cut does, so the choice is yours. Bareneath is our brand, and we linked our own pieces only where they truly fit the advice.
Frequently asked questions
How do I work out my body shape?
Measure your bust at the fullest point, waist at the narrowest, and hips at the widest. Hips clearly bigger means pear. Waist widest means apple. Bust and hips similar with a much smaller waist means hourglass. All three similar means rectangle. A mirror check of where you are widest works too.
Do I need a padded bikini top if I have a small bust?
No. Badly fitting padded cups often look worse than unpadded tops. Gathering, seaming and a close fitting cut create shape naturally, and double lined fabric adds smoothness without foam.
Are Brazilian bottoms only for certain bodies?
No cut is off limits. The higher cut back lifts and lengthens the leg line, which is why it gets recommended for athletic and pear shapes. But the real rule is to wear the coverage you feel best in.
What is the most universally flattering one piece style?
The deep V comes up again and again. The neckline draws the eye vertically, which lengthens the neck and torso, defines the bust without padding, and skims a fuller middle.
Can I buy my bikini top and bottom in different sizes?
You should if your top and bottom half differ, and for most people they do. Buying a matched set in one size is the most common fit mistake in swimwear. Shop separates and size each piece on its own.
Next, read our guides to which bikini colour suits your skin tone and the best seamless bikinis that don't go see-through.