Best Swimsuits for Pear Shaped Plus Size: How to Shop Right

This post is for you if you wanna know how to choose the most flattering swimsuits for a pear-shaped plus size. You’re a plus size pear/ triangle if your body shape meets the following criteria.

• your shoulders are noticeably narrower than your hips,
• you have small to average breasts,
• your waist curve is well-defined despite a weight gain,
• and your hips and thighs are the widest part of your body where you carry and gain the most fat.

In a hurry? Jump directly to the swimsuits specifically recommended for a plus size pear by clicking here.

Otherwise, read on to learn the best styling principles for your body type.

Pear body’s advantage

First off, consider yourself lucky for having one of the body types that retain the waist definition after a weight gain. Sure, the bulging tummy is there, but with the magic of the right swimsuit, that can be remedied easily.

Your shoulders are also slimmer (unlike apple and inverted triangle), making you look more feminine and less flat.

Pear’s problem areas

Most pear-shaped ladies consider their tummy and massive hips as their main problem area. If your goal is to make your hips and tummy appear slimmer, keep the following in mind when shopping for a swimsuit:

• Wear one piece and bikini tops that enhance your upper body—meaning, your shoulders and cleavage.

• Look for swimsuits with attached tummy control panel.

• Choose bikini bottoms devoid of extra details and showy colors. You want the focus to go to your bust, not to your hips.

Note: Some pear ladies want to keep their hips as the most pronounced part of their body. If that’s the case for you, and you just wanna slim down your tummy, read this instead: Slimming Swimsuits for Plus Size Women: Any Body Shape

Otherwise, read on. Here are the flattering swimsuits for a plus size pear body type.

How to slim down your tummy fats

To slim down your tummy fats, wear one piece and high waisted bikinis with attached tummy control. Tummy control panels tuck in the tummy bulge comfortably while retaining the definition of your waist.

You can also go for a high waisted bikini if you want a sexier version of a one-piece.

Want more tummy control swimsuits? Here’s a curated list of swimsuits with tummy control panels that suits any body type.

How to wear prints

Use prints and colors to your advantage. You can use them to either highlight or camouflage a certain body part. Here’s how you can manipulate prints and colors if you’re a pear shaped plus size.

Wear bright-colored and/ or printed bikini tops

The goal is to enhance your upper body (shoulders and breasts) as well as draw the attention away from your hips. This way, you can achieve a more balanced proportion.

When it comes to your bikini tops, go for bright colors and prints. The louder the color is, the more emphasis you’re drawing to your bust.

Wear plain, dark-colored bottoms

The opposite is true for your hips. You don’t need any eye-catching embellishments on your lower body.

• Instead, choose plain, darker colors as they draw the least attention and therefore downplay your hips.

• Avoid bikini bottoms with decorative details at the hips (i.e, strings and ruffles) as they’ll only increase the bulk of your hips.

Does this mean you can’t wear printed bottoms? You can. However, when you do, always bear in mind that your bikini top should always outshine your bikini bottom.

But how exactly do you look for such bikini tops? The following designs should do just that.

How to enhance your breasts and shoulders

Bikini and tankini tops with crochet, ruffles, and frills add volume to your bust and make it less narrow and more defined. They also capture the eyes’ attention and hold them there. Meaning, away from your hips.

Crochet bikini top

Ruffled off shoulder top

Crisscross-patterned tops

Push-up bikini tops

Pear-shaped plus size ladies tend to have small to average breasts. If you don’t like wearing ruffled pieces, go for push-up bikini tops instead. They enhance your bust by defining your cleavage.

Or you can go for Upbra. Upbra functions like a push-up bra, but only better— in terms of comfort, material, and mechanism. It allows the wearer to adjust her cleavage at 4 different levels. The farther apart the hooks are, the more enhanced the cleavage appears.

How to play with stripes

Vertical and diagonal stripes are slimming while horizontal stripes are widening. If you’re a pear shaped plus size, remember these when incorporating stripes with your swimsuit.

• Choose bikini bottoms with vertical stripes. Vertical lines will elongate and slim down your hips.

• Horizontal stripe top is okay though as long as you wear it as your bikini top, not as your bottom. It’ll help define and widen your shoulders and balance your proportion.

• Lastly, diagonal stripes distract the eyes from focusing on the bulk of your hips. Thus making them look slimmer.

How to play with booty coverage

Should you go cheeky or full coverage? The answer is both.

Going full coverage with your bikini bottom shouldn’t be a problem as your lower body will always retain its shape.

But if you want to show some butt cheek, expect to still look great in it. Cheeky bikini bottoms create the illusion of a toned and firm booty.

Shopping tips for a pear-shaped plus size:

• To avoid the likelihood of return, I highly recommend that you buy your bikini in separate sizes.

• If a store doesn’t offer its swimsuits in separate sizes, make sure that the fabric is stretchy enough to accommodate your hips. If the swimsuit has a material of at least 70 nylon or spandex, the stretch should be enough.

• Avoid swimsuits with 100% polyester at all cost! They’re not stretchy enough. If you must buy them, then buy them in separate sizes.

A list of recommended swimsuits for a plus size pear

Now that you know which designs will flatter your body type, here’s a list of swimsuits that meet the above-mentioned criteria. 

I specifically curated them to fit only a plus size pear for a seamless shopping.