Our series on shopping by shape continues. This week: the inverted triangle shape — that is, a body with wide shoulders and slim hips.

Wide-set straps and a little skirt flatter the inverted triangle shape

As with the pear shape, the goal is to balance out the body and even the proportions.

In this case, it is the top that is heavier, not the bottom. You are blessed with an ample bosom, ladies; the trick is not to look too top-heavy. In addition, we want to make wide shoulders appear narrower in relation to hips.

• Balance the bust. In the case of the bustline, first make sure you’re well supported — not just for aesthetics, but also for comfort. look for a well-constructed, built-in bra and a sufficient degree of spandex or other supportive fabric. Avoid busy patterns, ruffles or deep V necklines that will draw unwelcome attention up top.
• Build up the bottom. Try a little skirt or other embellishments on the bottom part of your suit to give the illusion of wider hips.
• Shape the shoulders. Skip the halter tops — they’ll only make your shoulders look wider. Instead try a boatneck or wide-set straps.

Ladies, if this is your body type: what suit styles have worked best for you?

Swimsuit season is here, but never fear, my dears!

Last week, we started with the 5 Secrets of Swimsuit Shopping; secret #1 was to choose the best style for your frame.

LandsEnd Penelope print tankini top

This week, we begin a series that solves swimsuit shopping by identifying features that work best for a variety of body types. And we start with the so-called “pear shape” or triangle: wider on the bottom than on the top.

Following our mantra of accentuating the positive, our goal here is not so much to cover you up, but to balance your overall proportions. So we look for ways to draw attention to the top portion of your body, in order to give it equal weight to your bottom. And we also want to make sure your hips are flattered, too.

Because while no suit can transform you into a supermodel, the right swimwear can go a long way to making your beach body more beautiful.

Here are a few points to look for when shopping for your ideal suit:

• Draw the eye upwards. Look for decorative necklines, such as halters (if you have wide shoulders) or boat necks (if you have narrow shoulders). Because a pear-shaped woman is often smaller-busted, ruching or other decoration around the upper body can also maximize this feature.
• Use color. Try a two-toned suit; keep the bottom half a solid, dark color and look for bright patterns and colors on top. The dark colors will recede and look smaller, and the colorful pattern will seem larger and thus more balanced overall.
• Watch the leg line. A high leg opening is often recommended to lengthen the leg line. But be careful: while your curves may be gorgeous, a high cut leg opening can also be in danger of showing off too much of them. Try a slighly lower cut, or even a flirty swim skirt — as long as that skirted bottom doesn’t make you look even bigger, thus defeating the purpose!
• Stick to a one-piece or tankini. Unless you’re in Brazil, the bikini is not your friend. So make sure that tankini top overlaps the bottom!

Of course, when trying on any garment, whether swim or not, be sure to take a good look in a 3-way mirror. What may flatter from the front may be less so from the rear.

(And here’s an extra tip: Lands’ End has an entire section of its swimwear catalog for the triangle shape.)

Ladies, if this is your body type: what suit styles have worked best for you?