The Best Lingerie for Your Body Type: How to Choose

By Maggie Rife Ponce

*Images credit Refinery29 in The Best Sexy Lingerie For Your Body by Ellen Hoffman

Types of Lingerie: How to Choose for Your Body Type 

Flattering Lingerie for each body type. 

Are you planning a boudoir photography shoot soon? To do this and feel great in your own skin, you need to pick the best kind of flattering lingerie to match your body type.

Considering that, this guide will explore the different types of lingerie to match your figure and how to choose lingerie to make you look and feel sexy.

Flatter Your Figure by Selecting The Ideal Lingerie For Your Body Shape

You’ve likely heard of people talking about an hourglass figure, but surely that’s not the only body type? After all, not everybody has a figure like Jennifer Lopez! There are other body types, such as the pear, the apple, the rectangle, and the inverted triangle. These terms may seem to change all the time, but don’t worry – this guide will help you better label and identify different female body types to help you choose the right flattering lingerie to look even more amazing!

We know that few people are happy using labels to define body shapes. If you aren’t sure how best to match your body shape to the most flattering lingerie, please read on. We want to help you enhance your natural, beautiful build and show you how to choose lingerie with ease!

Common female body types and lingerie recommendations

Each of these descriptive terms for each female body type was chosen due to its appearance. A pear body shape looks like a pear; an apple looks like an apple, and so on! It’s not totally surprising, but the real value of knowing these shapes comes from the industry experts and their fashion advice on how best to dress these various forms and which types of flattering lingerie look best on each.

Apple Body Type

Ladies with apple-shaped figures tend to have wider waistlines and narrower, smaller busts and smaller hips. Some of the most notable Apple-shaped celebrities include Jessica Simpson and even Adele. So, if you have this build and you want to know how to choose lingerie that enhances it, you may want to look into lingerie that elongates the middle of the figure. Envision body suits with detailing around the center, creating more angles. Shapewear and pieces with a band or garter belt at the waist help bring the stomach inward. This will create a slimming effect and help balance out your smaller upper body.

Apple Shape Lingerie Shops

A few brands aim to cater to the types of lingerie that would look great on someone with an apple body shape. Pinsy’s are a great alternative to a traditional bra and knickers set, with a bodysuit with skin-smoothing lace. Pinsy’s flattering lingerie looks great and helps shift the focus to all your (and your partner’s) favorite bits without preventing you from breathing!

Busty Body Type

If you are a lady that has a D cup or higher, you will know from experience that the sexy chiffon or satin-based lingerie isn’t really

 designed for women who have a larger bosom. The French-inspired pieces with minimal to no support, or even cut-out cups, look great on small busts but don’t look very good if you have heavier breasts.

There is some good news! If you’re fuller on top, the lingerie market seems to be finally offering more options with newer technology, which has underwire and built-in cup support to help you feel sexy in the bedroom or at a boudoir session.

How To Find Bust Friendly Lingerie

Finding the best lingerie to match a bustier build can be tricky. If you have a heavier bust, you also need to know your breast shape or type to get the most out of lingerie. Do you have wide-set breasts? Are they dense, tear-shaped, or a mix? Luckily, our team at Revealed Studios has some tips!

Curvy Kate offers a mix of traditional corsets or bustiers and bondage-based pieces. If you love Burlesque, they have a range of Dita Von Tesse options, and Skims adds a modern take to everyday wear. 

There is also a brand known as Bravissimo, which offers virtual fittings and has a great range of bras for sizes D and up.

Short Torso Lingerie

If you are blessed with longer legs or have a natural higher waist, you may want to shop for pieces that create the illusion of having a longer midsection. 

How does that work? Low-rise briefs and thongs! These make the exposed torso look longer, whereas the opposite occurs if you wear high-waisted undies!

You can play around with hipster or cheek-exposing undies, or why not try items that cut high on the hips and accentuate your long legs?

Ballerina or Sporty Body Types

If you have a slender and muscular frame, you have been given the gift of being versatile in the types of lingerie you can wear.

You may feel a bit challenged due to the lack of curves, but sexy lingerie is not your enemy! You can opt for tight-fitting pieces that showcase your angles, such as bodysuits and bras with less coverage—essentially, lingerie types that wouldn’t look out of place on a ballerina. 

If you are looking for underwear, choose items that aren’t too high in the back can look great, aka cheeky style, as you don’t want your bottom looking flat!

Carrot Body Type

A carrot body shape is like an inverted triangle, slimmer on the bottom but wider on the top. So, if you want to look and feel sexy in lingerie, aim to flatter your broad shoulders. 

Halter tops, strapless tops, and barely-there pieces can help. If you want to draw attention to your bottom parts, wear some cheek-peek undies!

Small Chest Body Types

Some ladies have smaller boobs, and so when finding the best lingerie to make you feel sexy, you will want the focus to be on the breasts. 

If you want, you have the enviable option to go braless or to wear a push-up bra or bralette. You can also opt for a minimal (or no) bra and put the focus on some fun bottoms while wearing something sexy on top, like a leather jacket or shirt. For inspiration, check out this post.

Long Torso Body Type

You can go one of two ways for those with a longer torso. If you’re feeling confident with your tummy, show off all that abdomen with barely-there bras and underwear. If you’re not too keen on that idea, however, consider high-waisted underwear, which can shorten your torso and create the illusion of longer legs if you choose a fit that cuts higher on the hip.

Ruler Body Types

Ladies with a ruler body shape are straight throughout- think of Gwyneth Paltrow. The key to enhancing the symmetry across the boobs, waist, and bust is to look for bralettes or longline bras that extend down the torso. Think retro options.

Then, you have lingerie crop tops and high-waisted underwear, which can bring focus to your midsection without push-up bras or anything else being needed!

Hourglass Body Type 

If you have an hourglass figure, your chest and hips are about the same size, and your waist is the narrowest part, this shape can be emphasized and enhanced with suspended belts or matching bra and panty sets. When choosing lingerie, lace can be used to show off that enviable waist that comes with hourglass bodies, while a suspended belt can draw attention to your hips.

Petite & Compact Body Type 

If you are looking for lingerie for a body type that is thin or petite, you have more options than you may think, as you don’t need heavy-duty bras!

Yes, padded bras may help you highlight your features, but bra options now are about the more natural look. So, when asking what is the best lingerie for my body type, have fun and go with the demi-cup. You can also experiment with bra structures and fabrics, such as lace, mesh, and strappy numbers.

Pear Body Type

Think of an inverted carrot, and you will have a pear.

Women with pear body shapes have a fuller bottom, hips, and smaller bosom. So, when it comes to choosing the best lingerie for your body, you will want to choose a brand that shows off your narrow waist and collarbone. 

Lingerie types that fall into longline bras, bandeaus, or halters make for a pear’s most appealing lingerie combos. If you feel confident showing off your bottom, a panty set made up of thongs, briefs, or high-waisted pieces always looks great on pears!

To learn more tips for styling your boudoir photoshoot, to ask us about boudoir photography, or to select the best lingerie for your body type, send us an inquiry at [email protected]. We have a full-style guide we’re happy to share with you! 

How To Wash Lingerie

With wires, frilly bits, and elastic, it can be hard to know how to best care for your lingerie. To avoid shrinking or warping your linger, always wash on a gentle cycle. 

Also, be sure to use warm (not hot!) water. This will help remove stains and prevent wires from warping and elastic from shrinking. Or, if you are able, you can hand wash it with cool water and detergent. Do not tumble dry lingerie; allow it to drip dry!

How To Store Lingerie?

This will depend on the material of the lingerie, its cost, how often you wear it, and, of course, your space!

Some ladies prefer to store their Basques and bustiers in their wardrobe, hanging with dresses and skirts. However, storing your lingerie in bags and placing the items in a drawer may be preferable. This will stop lacey material from snagging on bra hooks. Some women put their lingerie in their drawers with more everyday items. We recommend putting larger pieces, like body suits, underneath your bras and knickers to prevent tears.

How To Pose in Lingerie? 

Whether it is a special occasion, like Valentine’s Day, or you want to show off your sexy lingerie, you may be puzzled about how to pose. That’s what we’re here for! We’ll guide you through poses like a fitness instructor leads a class. Sometimes, the poses may feel awkward at times. We know. But trust us when we say, “Crawl like a cat, or drop that strap off your shoulder,”that you look amazing.