One of the greatest designers to have ever lived, Coco Chanel, said, “Fashion lasts for seasons but style lasts forever.” And yet, we more often chase trends rather than creating our own unique style that defines us and can last forever. The key step in creating your style is to match your accessories perfectly with your outfit. Also, remember not to overdo the accessories. After all, you want to draw attention but not confuse the onlooker. So, pick one statement piece of jewelry to accent your appearance. For instance, if you are wearing a statement necklace, skip the earrings. Even if you wear earrings, make sure they are small and don’t compete for attention with the necklace, unlike Marilyn Monroe, who wore both diamond drop earrings at par with her diamond necklaces.
How to Choose the Right Necklace for the Neckline of Your Outfit
Now, if you’ve chosen to wear a necklace, you’ll need to consider the neckline of your outfit to choose the perfect accent piece. So, here’s an easy guide to matching your necklace, based on the neckline of your outfit.
Top 12 Neckline Styles & Matching Trends in Necklaces
Every woman deserves to be able to complement her look with a diamond necklace. If diamonds aren’t your thing, choose from other gemstone necklaces, such as those with sapphires, emeralds or rubies, to complete you look.
- Round neckline: Round neck blouses and tees are best paired with beaded fashion necklaces, long or short in length, for a casual look. If you are looking at an outfit that is more formal or need something to go with your evening wear, consider a solitaire necklace or a heart necklace, which has a distinct pendant.
- Boat neck: You can always rely on trendy necklaces like Star Wars jewelry with movie-themed pendants. If Cinderella’s fairy tale romance is your calling or a beautiful little cross and bow themed after the movie Brave, check for the diamond necklace online and choose from the Jewelili. However, make sure the length comes to below your boat neck line and is asymmetrical, especially if it is casual wear.
- V-neck: If you are going for a deep V-neck line, you can opt for gemstone necklaces, in contrast with your outfit. If the V-neck is not too deep, a bright geometrically designed garnet fashion necklace could help you stand out from the crowd. For a deep V-neck, consider chain length of about 18 inches, which will sit perfectly just above the neckline. For a not-so-deep V, a 16-inch chain could work very well.
- Strapless: A simple, elegant diamond necklace should do the trick with a strapless dress or top. Deep red lipstick and smokey eye shadow for makeup and you’re good to go for a stylish look for the night. Avoid lengths that go beyond the neckline of the strapless outfit, since it might look a little clumsy.
- Scoop: Always choose a contrasting color for the stone in your fashion necklace to amp the oomph up with a scoop neck. Chokers and fashion jewelry also suit this sort of neckline, if you are going for a Sunday lunch or night-out with your girlfriends.
- Collared blouse or shirt: This one is slightly on the trickier side, so either wear a necklace that goes around the collars, on the outside or one that sits around the base of your neck. Also, keep in mind that color contrasts play a very important role in such outfits.
- Wide-shoulder: Pick the color of your bottom wear for the gemstone or diamond necklaces, in contrast with the wide shouldered neckline, since this will accentuate your neck, giving it a more elegant look. Don’t be afraid to play with different designs, since wide-shoulder necklines allow a lot more versatility than any other style.
- Split-neck: Diamond necklaces embellished with different colored gemstones, such as topaz or black stones, make a powerful personal statement, without you having to try too hard. Play with colors and don’t worry about the seasonal clichés. Wear a snowflake shaped pendant in summer with a split-neck and the sun in winters. Wear a diamond cross necklace in spring or a pine tree shaped pendant in the fall, or simply break all rules and go with a symmetrical metallic necklace with modern metallic elements.
- Sweetheart: This sort of neckline again calls for necklaces that are shorter than the neckline, whether you choose fashion jewelry or a diamond necklace. You can play with diamonds or subtle colors in gemstones when it comes to sweetheart necklines.
- Halter neck: This can be a difficult neckline to match the perfect necklace to. Consider long chains with a chunky pendant that falls well below your neck or consider a short chain than sits perfectly around the base of your neck with a slim pendant.
- Turtle neck: With this style, there isn’t any neck to show-off but you can still make a bold style statement with embellished necklaces. Make sure they sit well below the “turtle” part of your top. A really long one that falls well below your sternum could also work really well.
- Crew neck: Now, this is much easier to accessorize than the previous few. Anything that sits close to the base of your neck will work. Both round diamond or gemstones necklaces and angular ones, such as cross necklaces, will work.
If you’ve gone through the entire list, you definitely need a bonus tip. So, here’s one – how do you choose a necklace for a one-shoulder dress? Our tip – don’t. Accessorize this one with statement diamond or gemstone earrings. Also, consider bust size while making your choice of necklace. For petite women, longer and chunkier necklaces work wonderfully, while those with larger bust sizes can consider two to three layers or something that sits perfectly on the collar bone. Whatever your outfit, remember to carry it off with utmost confidence and a smile. According to many image consultants, what is missing in conventional good looks can be made up with tasteful accessorizing and a confident but pleasant smile.