The best lingerie for your body shape

All your bra and underwear woes, sorted.

best lingerie body shape

All your bra and underwear woes, sorted.

Shopping for lingerie is tough enough at the best of times, let alone when you have a body shape that doesn't exactly match the ridiculously perfect mannequins.

If you're apple, pear, banana or hourglass-shaped, you might despair that you'll never find the perfect lingerie set to suit you - or that there are styles that you simply can't get away with.

But fear not, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

This little guide from Sparkling Strawberry tells you exactly which bras and knickers you need to be buying to flatter your shape - and suspenders aren't ever off the menu. So scroll down to find out what you should be shopping for.

Apple body shape

For apply body shapes, bodysuits with deep V-necks are the ideal solution. If these aren't up your street, V-cut knickers are another option, as they lengthen the gap between the bottom of your bra to the beginning of your knickers.

Pear body shape

For pear body shapes, try wearing bandeau bras - they will help widen your upper torso, meaning the difference between your upper and lower body will seem less distinct.

Banana body shape

Banana body types should go for longline bras or bralettes - these are longer at the waist, extending one or two inches further down the waist than other bra types. The extra material is not only attractive, but helps to fill out your shape without using a padded bra.

Hourglass body shape

Meanwhile, hourglass figures can add a bit of sexiness to their outfit with a suspender belt that matches their underwear set. This will keep attention on the tiny waist, creating a classically sexy style.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.