The rectangle body shape has balanced shoulder and hip width, but may feel self-conscious about the lack of curves around the swimsuit season. The right swimsuits can create the illusion of waist definition, while the wrong styles do exactly the opposite. In this detailed guide, we will help you fully understand your body’s primary considerations when selecting bathing suits and walk you through the most flattering swimsuits for your unique shape.
Characteristics
- Your strength is your lean, athletic frame! You should be proud of your sporty figure as you are just naturally lean and when you work out, you can tone your muscles very well.
- That also includes slender and toned legs and arms. Because of your athletic frame, your limbs are always slim and they barely gain excess weight.
- Your shoulders, waist, and hips are nearly similar in size. This sameness in width is what makes your figure look straight and monotonous, with almost no presence of curves at all.
- You gain weight equally in your body. There’s no specific area or area in your body where excess fat shows up because you gain it evenly in your entire body. This may also be the reason why you tend to look more slender even when you gain more weight.
- One of your rectangle figure’s weaknesses is an undefined waistline. Because of the evenness of your waist and hip width, there’s no visible curve that connects the two.
- You may have a flat rear. Unfortunately, having a less pronounced bottom comes with having a straight, athletic figure.
- The size of your bust may vary from flat to full. Rectangle shapes don’t always mean that they are flat-chested. In fact, some rectangle shapes can have a full bust size too.
One-Shoulder Swimsuits
The single shoulder strap draws attention upward and across the body, which can effectively create a sense of balance in your upper body. This is also because the effect of the diagonal line created by the one-shoulder swimsuit breaks up the angular and straight lines in your body, resulting in a more dimensional silhouette.
Additionally, one-shoulder swimsuits give you the perfect opportunity to showcase your lean upper body, highlighting your collarbone, bust, and shoulders. This visual definition can give a touch of femininity and elegance to your frame, as well as create a more balanced and proportionate look.
Apart from the style benefits of going for a one-shoulder swimsuit, it’s also very apparent how it’s such a fashionable piece that will always be on trend!
Color-Blocking One-Piece Swimsuits
Lack of curves? This is definitely something that color-blocking one-piece swimsuits can visually tweak to make your waist look curvy!
Choose a color-blocking swimsuit design that incorporates darker panels or patterns at the sides of the suit to give the impression of a narrower waist. This will visually indent the sides of your waist while having the rest of the swimsuit’s bodice in a contrasting lighter color can add more depth to your look.
Additionally, color-blocking can divert attention from specific areas you’d want to downplay and enhance the areas you’d want to highlight. For instance, you can opt for color-blocking lines that mimic a bustier to enhance the appearance of your bust.
Deep V-Neck One-Piece
Your lean upper body and modelesque decolletage deserve the spotlight, that’s for sure! This is why a one-piece swimsuit that has a deep V-neck cut is ideal because it helps draw the eye upward to lead attention to the upper body.
The V-neck style perfectly accentuates the bust, which also helps add dimension to the chest area and therefore detracts the gaze from the angular straight lines you have in your body. This will let you achieve the appearance of a fuller bust and effectively balance your curves and the overall proportions of your body.
Another style benefit of wearing a one-piece swimsuit with a deep V-neckline is that it has the ability to elongate the neck to give your figure a more elegant look. It can also highlight these features and showcase the leanness and athleticism of your upper body.
Sweetheart Neck Swimsuits
Rectangle body shapes tend to struggle with the similarity in measurements of the bust, waist, and hips, which is why it will be very helpful to wear something that has curvy details. A sweetheart neckline can give you the appearance of a fuller bust and therefore create the illusion of curves, particularly on your upper body.
The sweetheart neckline features a gentle dip in the center that draws attention to the chest area. This can be particularly flattering for your athletic body shape that may lack feminine attributes as it adds a focal point and can make the upper body appear more defined and your cleavage more apparent.
The gentle curve of a sweetheart neckline visually counteracts with the harsh and straight lines of your rectangle body shape. This results in an added touch of femininity while also softening your beach ensemble!
Cutout One-Piece Swimsuits
A cutout one-piece swimsuit is a type of swimsuit that features openings or cuts in the fabric and they are often strategically placed to create visually interesting patterns or designs. For your rectangle body shape, you’ll find cutout openings on the sides very helpful in creating an optical illusion of a curvier waist.
Cutouts can break up the solid fabric of a one-piece swimsuit and add interest and shape to your overall silhouette. Because of the fact that rectangle body shapes lack the presence of pronounced curves, cutouts can detract attention from this straightness and bring more depth to your look instead.
Belted Swimsuits
Cinching the waist is very important for rectangle body shapes to make sure that your waistline gets its much-needed definition. This is why belted swimsuits are definitely ideal for your rectangle body shape because they can help create the illusion of curves and define the waistline.
A belt cinched at the waist helps to visually narrow your midsection, resulting in a curved transition line along the waist. In addition to its style benefits, a belt can also be a stylish and eye-catching detail on your swimsuit, drawing attention to the waist and adding an element of design to your swimming attire.
Just remember to look for a belted swimsuit that fits perfectly well, especially because the level of the waist cinch will significantly depend on the hold of the belt. It’s also wise to go for a belt that can be adjusted well, and not the ones with notches that offer limited adjustability.
Flounce Off-the-Shoulder Swimsuits
Off-the-shoulder swimsuits can also be a good choice for rectangle body shapes because of how they nicely show off your shoulders, collarbone, and decolletage. Add a touch of flounce fabric along the neckline and you can easily give your frame better depth and shape.
The off-the-shoulder style, along with the flounce fabric detail on it, adds a feminine and romantic touch to the swimsuit. This can help soften the straight lines of your rectangle body shape and enhance your curves in a visually appealing way.
In addition to this, the flounce fabric can vary in terms of scale – from intricate ruffles to wavy flounces. Whichever it is, they can give your monotonous straight frame a sense of movement, therefore tricking the eyes into thinking that you’ve got defined curves.
Wrap Swimsuits
The wrap style is a universally flattering design for swimsuits because it offers a more customizable fit. With this style of swimsuit, you can adjust the tightness of the wrap to accentuate your waist and create the illusion of a more defined waistline.
The design element of wrap swimsuits also creates a V-shaped neckline that can showcase your decolletage and give your frame a more feminine touch. The V-neckline can also play a pivotal role in elongating your figure, giving the impression of an extended upper body.
Halter Bikini Tops
The halter style excels at adding shape and dimension to your upper body while also providing proper support for your bust. The straps of the halter bikini top tie around the neck, which results in two adjoining diagonal lines that can effectively break up the straight vertical lines that make your frame too angular.
Halter bikini tops can also lead the gaze to the shoulders and collarbone, and if you pick one that has a curved neckline, you can further enhance your feminine curves. This design detail visually broadens your upper half in a subtle manner, resulting in the illusion of a more tapered waistline.
Bikini Tops with Ruffled Straps
Here’s another cute way to flaunt your rectangle-shaped body without emphasizing your angular and athletic frame too much. Of course, you can still show off your body’s leanness, but if you’d like to incorporate a touch of dainty style in your look, then here’s something you may want to try for your next beach trip!
Ruffled straps introduce an element of texture and volume to your bikini top and this can be particularly helpful if you’d like to add curves to your look. This extra dimension helps distract attention away from the straight lines in your rectangle body shape to achieve a more visually curvy and dynamic look.
This diversion of attention can help steer the gaze away from the monotony in your figure and instead, boost its shape! Just remember to go for ruffles that aren’t too overwhelming so you won’t end up looking top-heavy.
Bikini Tops with Padded Cups
It’s quite common for rectangle body shapes to have a small bust, although that’s not always the case. Whatever your bust size is, bikini tops with padded cups can be very helpful in terms of bringing more shape and depth to your upper half.
Padded cups can add volume to the bust and provide a proper lift to enhance the appearance of your cleavage. This additional lift can balance out the upper and lower halves of the body to make your upper body appear slightly fuller.
Bikini tops with padded cups can also come in various styles, including push-ups, halters, and a lot more, so you can definitely pick one that suits your personal preference. In addition to this, the extra support and coverage not only add shape to your figure but also make you feel more comfortable to move around.
Avoid Bandeau Tops
Because you have a less curvy silhouette, the last thing your frame will ever need is anything that looks squarish or boxy – just like bandeau bikini tops! Bandeau tops are typically worn in a way that looks straight across the chest while also providing minimal support and shaping for the bust, hence not being the best choice for rectangle shapes.
Bandeau tops can sometimes accentuate the harsh straight lines in your figure, specifically the horizontal line that makes you look boxy and shapeless. This could also potentially make the bust area appear flatter and less defined.
Avoid Swimsuits with Horizontal Lines
Remember that your style goal should always be about incorporating curves and depth into your figure, and wearing a swimsuit that has horizontal prints will contradict this goal. Horizontal stripes or prints, especially if they are too wide, can make your body appear even more straight and boxy.
If you wear a swimsuit that has horizontal patterns placed on your midsection, this can further emphasize your lack of waist definition. So instead of horizontal prints, try to experiment with patterns that are more geometrical and curved as they can be more effective in adding volume and shape to your frame.
