A pear shape means your hips and thighs are wider than your shoulders and bust. It is one of the most common body shapes, and it is also one where shapewear choices make the biggest difference when you get them right versus wrong.
What You Are Actually Working With
The goal for a pear shape is usually one of two things: smoothing the hip and thigh area under fitted clothing, or creating a more balanced silhouette where the upper and lower body feel more proportionate. Shapewear handles the first goal directly. For the second, it is more about what you wear on top, but smooth hips and thighs give that clothing a better base to work from.
The Pieces That Work Best
High-waisted shorts or briefs: These are the core piece for pear shapes. They cover the widest part of your hips and thighs with consistent compression, eliminate visible lines under skirts and dresses, and end at or just above the knee so there is no compression cutting into the widest part of your thigh mid-leg.
Full bodysuits: If you are wearing something form-fitting from top to bottom, a bodysuit gives you smooth coverage from chest to thigh in one piece. No bunching, no gaps between a separate top and bottom.
High-waisted thigh shapers: For days when you want targeted coverage from waist to mid-thigh without a full bodysuit. Good under midi skirts and trousers.
What to Avoid
Waist cinchers that stop at the hip without covering the thigh. These create a compression edge right at the widest point of your body, which is the opposite of what you want. You end up with a smooth waist and a visible line at the hip.
Sizing Note for Pear Shapes
Always size for your hips and thighs, not your waist. If the size chart puts your waist in a small and your hips in a medium, buy the medium. The waist area of most shapewear has enough range to fit comfortably even if your waist measurement is on the smaller end for that size.
See the full Shapies bodysuit collection or use the size guide to find your fit.