What Necklace To Wear With What Neckline?

"What necklace to wear with what neckline?" is something we often get asked by clients. Choosing what type of necklace to wear with different necklines can be tricky. But all you need is a few guidelines and you'll be away! Here we will give you some pointers as to what necklaces look best with different dress necklines.

What necklace should I wear with a round neckline?

Round necklines can sit right up to the base of the neck so there is no part of the top of the chest or collarbone visible. You might have a turtle necked top or a high necked T shirt. You might also be looking for help choosing a necklace which works with a lower round neck or a scooped round necked top where you can see more of the décolletage.

Choosing a necklace to wear with a high round neck

If you are choosing a necklace to wear with a neckline which sits really high then it is unlikely that the necklace is going to get looped inside the top so you don't need to worry about that. Chokers work well for high round necked tops. They can cover the join between top and neck and also make a real statement. Choose one with an adjustable length so you can get it to sit in exactly the right for the round necked top. You'll also enjoy using it when you're wearing it with other outfits in your wardrobe.

If you're after a more casual look or don't like statement necklaces close to your neck there are some other options for you:

Choose a necklace which sits well below the line of the top. Our advice is if you choose a necklace that sits at least 3 or 4cms below then it will have sufficient space to look right. There is also an opportunity here to layer necklaces. Layering works really well particularly on plain coloured tops where it's a great idea and adds interest. A plain coloured round neck top can be a perfect place for you to show off your favourite necklaces! It's a blank canvas where the jewellery can really 'ping' out and look stunning!

How do I layer necklaces with a round neck?

Create a layer using two or three pieces which work well together. Think about the contrast or similarity in colours, stones and metals and give each piece sufficient room to 'breathe' so they don't get in a mess. You can enjoy creating a longer layer with the bottom piece on either a 70cm or 80cm chain if you're tall but it doesn't have to be this long for the look to work well. If you prefer to draw attention away from your chest, then keep the layer short. Choosing an adjustable chain is a great way to give you real flexibility in where the necklaces sit. You can alter their length depending on your outfit and the other necklaces you're wearing.

Choosing a necklace to wear with round neck

If your round necked top sits at the base of the neck but is not particularly high, then the most important thing is to choose a piece which either sits well above or well below the edge of the top.

Don't choose a combination where the jewellery is going to get tucked up inside the knit or T shirt!

Go for a length of necklace which either sits above the neckline by about 4cms or sits well below.

This way you can show off the necklace and it can also echo the shape of the neckline. Nothing will 'disappear' and the overall effect will be stylish and you'll have a look which has been thoughtfully created.

If you're wearing just one necklace and you want it to sit above the top then choose a round necklace. This will work with the shape of the top.

How do I choose the right necklace for a scooped neckline?

A scooped round neckline gives you lots of space to work with. You don't have to echo the shape of the neckline here and you don't need to worry about necklaces becoming caught in fabric. A layered combination of two pieces works well. Two, rather than three, can be best so that all the jewellery stays within the décolletage rather than one longer necklace sitting on top of the fabric. Combining a 'round-shaped' necklace with a pendant which sits in a 'V' can look great. Look out for necklaces which have a variety of different fastening points. This lets you alter their length depending on if you want to layer with other necklaces. Different fastening points give you great flexibility to wear the necklace with different necklines in your wardrobe.

Looking for a new round neck jumper?

Check out the range of lovely clothes at Marie and Lola! Our jewellery works brilliantly with so many pieces in their collection.

What necklace should I wear with a sweetheart or a square neckline?

When choosing a necklace for a sweetheart neckline, or a square neckline, we like to use a pendant style necklace. This creates a great angle which contrasts well, and works with, the lines of the neckline of the top. We'd suggest that the jewellery keeps within the décolletage rather than overlapping with the neckline. Square and sweetheart necklines tend to make a statement on their own and it works well to allow them to do this without necklaces confusing the shape that they create.

Necklaces for deep V necklines

Avoiding things disappearing is the challenge here! Whilst a long necklace layered look can look fabulous with a deep V neckline, you won't want to be embarrassed by the pendant on the chain disappearing down the V! We'd suggest creating a layered look with two or three necklaces and using the space above the V to create a real statement. Picking out a colour from your outfit in the necklace can work well and consider mixing different metals too - don't be afraid to mix silver and gold as, with the right outfit colours, this can work well. Choose adjustable chains to give you the flexibility to wear the necklaces at lengths which work with the other pieces and with your deep V neckline. It works well for the top necklace in a layer to be a round shape and then build from there down. We like the lowest necklace to be a pendant so that it echoes the shape of the V.

What style of necklace should I to wear with a roll neck?

It can be difficult to know what style and length of necklace works with a roll neck. Generally speaking, longer is good here. Wearing a shorter necklace near the bulky roll of the polo neck fold can look messy and untidy. Give your jewellery space by choosing a longer piece. Enjoy creating a layered look that will have the effect of lengthening your overall look. If you don't like wearing long necklaces then keep the necklaces mid-length.

If you're wearing a chunky knit, go for a style of necklace which isn't too delicate. It will get lost. It is best to pair both jewellery and jumper in terms of equal weight. However, you may well prefer to set necklaces aside if the knit is quite bulky and choose a pair of statement earrings instead. By wearing a pair of larger earrings the look is balanced. But if your polo neck is smooth and has a slimmer silhouette, you can embrace more delicate styles of necklace and achieve a smart stylish look.

What necklace to wear with a halter neckline?

We'd suggest that the best style necklace for a halter neckline is a choker. This will sit at the base of the neck and not interfere with the lines across the shoulder created by the halter neck top. Usually you'll need to go for a choker with some substance or impact to it otherwise it will be unbalanced. Alternatively, one of our favourite looks with a halter neckline is to set aside your necklaces and select a pair of fabulous earrings. This allows the neckline of the top to stand alone, uncluttered and the earrings will draw the eye up to the top of the dress or top (where the interest is) and finish the look.

What necklace should I choose for a high neck top?

Like with the halterneck top, a pair of statement earrings works well here but the shape of the high neck top may also mean that a longer necklace looks fabulous. Check out this video for more ideas on how to style jewellery with a high neck top.

What length necklace should I buy?

We're all different! So for some people a 14" or 35.5cm short necklace will be a perfect piece to wear at the base of the neck. This is sometimes called a collar. For others it will sit lower and for many it will simply be too small.

From our experience, those of a slim-ish build will find a 14" or 35.5cm necklace is a good collar length.

For the majority of our clients, a 16" or 41cm necklace will sit around the 'nook' of the neck, near the collarbone. If you like your necklace to sit lower choose 18" or 46cm chain or enjoy a longer look at 56cm.

Whilst we occasionally sell 80cm or 35.5" chains we generally find that 60cm or 70cm chains give our clients the length they like for a longer piece. Given this huge variety, you can see why we are such fans of our adjustable length chains! Not sure what each length looks like, then check out our handy guide here which explains it!

Choosing necklaces for necklines is worth spending time doing. Getting it right makes all the difference to how your whole 'look' hangs together. If you'd like any more advice or to explore the range of necklaces we have to see what would work for you with your proposed outfit, get in touch. We have lots of ideas and can help you to choose what necklace to wear with what neckline. We'd love to help you to answer your styling question as well as any others!

Best wishes
Lou and Sal x

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I layer necklaces with a round or scooped neckline?

Yes! Layering necklaces look great when you’re wearing a scooped neckline. Choose your top necklace to sit inside the scooped neckline by at least 3 or 4cm. You can choose to have it higher and layer one below but still above where your top fabric sits.  If you’re going for a triple or quadruple layer then choose pieces which sit well below the start of the fabric to achieve a stylish layered look.

What necklace goes best with a sweetheart or square neckline?

A square neckline, with its straight line and angles can lend itself to a necklace with dramatic shapes and geometric designs. If you’re searching for a necklace to work with high square neckline consider choker which will not confuse the square-necked top.

Pendants which sit within the space created by a sweetheart neckline look balanced and emphasise the pretty shape of the top.  Whenever you’re choosing necklaces to wear with a particular outfit, think about the balance between the outfit and the jewellery. A dress or top which has a busy pattern or very decorated design can sometimes benefit from more simple shaped jewellery, whereas a more ornate necklace can be offset perfectly by a more plain or colour-blocked outfit.

What should I consider for V-neck dresses and tops?

There are no rules when choosing your jewellery; just a few things to think about as you create your own style and vibe!

We love to layer necklaces when wearing V-necked tops. Using adjustable chains allows you to make sure you achieve the length so it sits either above or below the V.  Why not layer two necklaces which don’t have pendants or drops and the centre and then add a long pendant to complete the look? Or choose two pendant necklaces which work together to sit above the V? 

Can I wear a necklace with a collared shirt?

Wearing a necklace with a collared shirt is the perfect way to complete an outfit and create a stylish look whatever the occasion. You can either choose for the necklace to sit inside the collar if it’s worn open, or sit outside it, at a longer length, if you choose to fasten the collar all the way to the top.

How do I choose a necklace that suits my body type and face shape?

Choosing necklaces to suit different face shapes:

Oval face

Lots of styles will work for you if you have an oval face. Why not think about creating a fabulous layered look and mixing styles to create your own vibe?

Round face

Choose necklaces which elongate the look. Add longer pendants to your layering necklaces to draw the eye downwards for balance

Chokers and short collar necklaces can emphasis the roundness.

Square or angular face

Go for softer shapes here to soften the look. Avoid geometric shapes as they will not bring the softness.

Heart-shaped face

Balance the broader forehead by adding width at the collarbone. Go for collar and non pendant shaped necklaces when choosing necklaces to wear short. When layering, think about not choosing too long a necklace for the longest one in the collection.

Long or rectangular face

Use shapes that don’t emphasise the length of the face. Choose shorter necklaces like chokers and collars to balance the shape of the face.  Multi-strand necklaces can work well here.

Choosing necklaces to suit different body shapes

Petite frame

Don’t go too chunky. You can still achieve an on trend statement look but choose individual pieces which are lighter weight so they don’t overwhelm.

Tall frame

Long necklaces work well. Create layering looks to work beautifully on your frame.

Fuller frame

Most importantly, choose styles that make you feel comfortable. Avoid necklaces that rest awkwardly. Adjustable chains are ideal useful here allowing you to achieve the length that works for you.

Narrow shoulders

Add volume and presence with chunkier or layered styles that widen the frame. Chokers can work well here.