How To Choose The Best Leggings For Your Body Type

Leggings come in a lot of different shapes and sizes, just like our bodies. But not every style of legging is going to flatter you as much as your beautiful curves deserve. Luckily, there are so many styles to choose from that you don’t need to settle for less than the best for your body type.

Looking fabulous in leggings that hug and accentuate all of the right things can also provide a lot of motivation to get out there as much as possible, whether that’s hitting your favourite trail or heading to the gym for a workout.

The first step to finding the most flattering leggings is to identify your body type. These “body types” are not meant to label, categorise or restrict you. They just provide a general guideline to point you in the right direction. Everybody is different, beautiful and doesn’t necessarily fit into a specific “category.”

Identify your body type

The following are the most common body types. Choose the one that you think matches your shape the most and scroll down for the leggings that will suit that body type the best.

Common Body Types 

Rectangle

Your shoulders, bust, waist and hips are similar widths.

Best leggings for a rectangle body shape

Go for leggings that sit right below your belly button. This creates the illusion of your hips being wider than your waist, which creates an hourglass effect. A cropped legging will also enhance the illusion that your waist and upper legs are curvier.

Pear

Your shoulders and bust width are narrower than your waist and hips. In other words, you gradually curve outwards from your shoulders down to your hips in a triangle shape, with the widest point being your hips.

Best leggings for a Pear body shape

If you are rocking a pear shape, your best bet is a full length or ⅞ length leggings. This helps elongate your legs and streamline your frame. Solid colours will be most flattering as patterns tend to create a lot of volume in unpredictable places. Also, go for high waisted leggings that offer coverage and light compression. Lower rises might dig in at mid-waist and create a muffin top effect.

Inverted Triangle

Your shoulders and bust width are wider than your waist and hips. Essentially the reverse of the pear shape. You gradually taper from your shoulders to your hips in a triangle shape, with the widest point being your shoulders.

Best leggings for an Inverted Triangle body shape

If you have an inverted triangle body shape, then you’re blessed with beautiful broad shoulders. You may want to balance out your lower half to compliment your strong upper body. The best way to do that is to add the illusion of volume on your legs, which can be done with detailed high waisted leggings. A crop length legging will also help to balance your silhouette because it put visual emphasis your thighs and calves.

Hourglass

Your hips and bust are a relatively similar width, and your waist is narrower relative to your hips and bust, like the curving shape of an hourglass.

Best leggings for an hourglass body shape

If you are lucky enough to have an hourglass shape, you may want to emphasize those luscious curves even more. Go for full-length leggings that elongate your legs and a high waist that shows off your hips and draws attention to your slim waist.

Round

Your midsection is fuller and can be wider than your shoulders and hips. You may have a larger bust that is wider than your shoulders (but not always). Generally, round body shapes taper in at the shoulders, curve out at the midsection and then taper back in at the hips.

Best leggings for a round body shape

If you have a round body shape, go for high waisted style leggings that will provide support and coverage in the mid-section. Give patterns a miss because they could add volume in unwanted places. Try mesh as an alternative if you want more than just a solid colour.

Try New Things

The body shapes and corresponding legging suggestions are merely that: suggestions. There are no official rules dictating what you can and cannot wear. The perfect leggings are the ones that feel good to you and look the way you want them too, regardless of what anyone else thinks. 

So play, experiment and try different styles. Use this guide as a starting point, and go from there. Have fun!