With so many necklace styles, designs, and lengths to choose from, it can be hard to know which looks best. Simple, staple necklaces are wardrobe essentials, but they should never be worn as a cop-out to avoid choosing a necklace. When you find yourself wearing the same necklace day after day, you may be stuck in a styling rut. We’re here to help you out of the rut---because styling your necklace shouldn’t be a hassle. The most important rule: follow your neckline. Your neckline creates an outline to help you decide which necklace to pair with your outfit. We’ll show you how to wear necklaces for different necklines and give you additional tips on how to wear different necklace styles to help make your selection simple.
When choosing a necklace to match your neckline, you should
consider a few questions along the way.
What do you want your necklace to do for you? A necklace
is never merely decorative--it guides the expression of your
style. Decide if you want your necklace to steal the show or
shine the spotlight on you or your outfit. Do you want it to
highlight your best features, emphasize your outfit, or make a
statement all its own?
Where do you want to create a focal point?
Necklace length is important. Remember that eyes will
naturally fall where your necklace falls. Consider what you may
or may not want people to notice when choosing a
necklace.
What’s the shape of your neckline? If you’re confused
about whether or not your necklace looks good or are unsure about
why it doesn’t look quite right, your neckline is the first
factor to consider. The length, width, and shape of your neckline
should guide your decision. Here are a few guidelines to follow:
A v-neck narrows and elongates and so should the necklace you
wear with it. Choose a necklace that creates a smaller V and
falls neatly inside your V neckline. Don’t wear a necklace wider
or longer than a V neck, or your necklace will rival your
neckline.
Our recommendation:
Black and Gold Avalon Wrap Necklace
If you’re wearing a round neckline, like a crew neck or scoop neck, make sure your necklace is also a round shape. Don’t choose a V-shaped necklace or one with a pointed pendant.
A crew neck shortens the neck and gives the illusion of a fuller chest. This neckline looks good with a short or long necklace, so your decision depends on whether you want to create a full chest with a long necklace or avoid it with a short one. You can also use a necklace to create a collar on a crew neck. Riviere-style necklaces add the perfect sparkly collar.
A scoop neck emphasizes the collarbone. If you want your
collarbone to be more pronounced, choose a short, round necklace.
Long necklaces also look great with this style of neckline. But
if you’re wearing a low scoop neck, your necklace should not hang
lower than the neckline. Otherwise, you’ll create a distracting
amount of empty space above the neckline. A scoop neck provides a
great setting for a statement piece, like a fringe or bib
necklace.
Our recommendation:
Multi-Strand Labradorite Necklace with Sterling Silver
High necklines, like a halter necks or turtlenecks, create an upside-down V that narrows your shoulders and lengthens your torso. Select a long necklace that does not compete with a high collar. Rope or lariat necklaces are a great choice.
Halter tops show off the shoulders and make them look slimmer, so choose a V-shaped necklace that also elongates your shape.
With a turtleneck, choose a necklace that draws the eye downward
and away from the neck to avoid overcrowding it. This neckline
looks great with layered necklaces and long pendants.
Our recommendation:
Black Onyx Druzy Pendant on Black Spinel
Choose a necklace that adds to and enhances the curves of the
sweetheart neckline. A necklace with sharp angles will cause a
blunt and confusing disruption. A mid-length necklace looks best
since it leads the eye right to the heart of the
neckline.
Our recommendation:
Black and Gold Keum-Boo Diamond Disk Necklace
A square neckline contrasts the natural curves of the body and
creates a more angular look, so your necklace should also have
edges. Square or rectangular pendants suit this neckline
well.
Our recommendation:
Long Triple-Strand Bead Necklace
If your neckline falls off the shoulder, go bolder. One-shoulder
dresses leave space for a statement necklace. The same rule
applies to strapless dresses. Both necklines leave empty space
that can be filled with a stunning statement necklace. It’s a
good idea to keep your necklace collar length with a one-shoulder
neckline so you don’t create two focal points (the necklace and
the shoulder) that distract from one another.
Our recommendation:
5-Stick Rose-Cut Sapphire Necklace with Tourmaline
A boat neck widens the shoulders, so you may want to choose a
necklace that draws the eye inward and adds length. A princess or
matinee necklace with a pendant can help you achieve this
effect.
Our recommendation:
Dream of Moorea – Silver and Baroque Pearl Pendant
Necklace
A cowl neck draws attention to itself, and your necklace
shouldn’t compete with it for attention. Choose a necklace that
lies above the cowl neckline, not on top of it. A short and
simple pendant will look nice and clean. But if your cowl neck is
large or high, you may want to opt for earrings instead of a
necklace. If this neckline is soft and subtle, choose a simple
princess-length necklace.
Our recommendation:
Gold Ringlets on Woven Chain
The collar and the buttons down the center of a collared shirt
already embellish the shirt like accessories, so it can be
challenging to find the right necklace. A simple necklace is a
safe and elegant choice, but a statement necklace can also work
if it fits within the opening of the collar or sticks out from
beneath the collar.
Our recommendation:
Black and Gold Simple Avalon Necklace
Layering necklaces is simpler than you may think. The number of layers you wear is limitless. Wearing multiple pieces of jewelry at one time looks beautiful and is sure to attract compliments if styled tastefully. Here are a few options for layering necklaces.
Our recommendations:
Spinel and Pearl and
Spinel, Ruby & Gold layered necklace
How to wear multiple necklaces without tangling
Adding a necklace to any of these three styles also adds chaos and clutter to your look.
There are always exceptions to styling rules, and when it comes to your style, you know best. Since you’ve learned the rules to necklace styling, you can break them tastefully. Now that you know how to pair necklaces with different outfits, you can put your knowledge into practice with current necklace trends.
Looking for must-have necklaces of 2021? We’ve got you covered.