How to match a necklace with the neckline?

A necklace is a lifesaver when you need to add colour and sparkle to your appearance. With a gleaming necklace, you can turn your dress from day to night in just a second – so you can easily jump in to a party straight from the office with compliments showered from every direction. But how to choose the right necklace?

With the help of the WildWoman jewellery specialists, we have established some simple rules that will never fail you in finding the right necklace. The jewellery in the photos have been put together from the selection of our shop in Foorum. Our model Kadiriin was assisted by Mairi Kutberg.

Turtleneck

The turtleneck creates a simple modest background for the jewellery allowing it to shine. The best option for a turtleneck dress or blouse is a long chain, especially chunkier chains of various shape with larger and exciting pendants that are otherwise difficult to match with outfits.

High closed neckline or collar

The most difficult neckline for finding a matching necklace! Consider the cut of the collar – in case it has a prominent finish, leave the necklace out altogether and opt for a brooch. In case of a modest collar, you can add character to the outfit with a short chunky necklace or put a more dramatic pendant on a long chain attracting all the attention.

Low-cut neckline

Suitable for a larger necklace that completely covers the visible skin. Try to replicate the shape of the collar with the necklace – choose rounder shapes for a round neckline and square shapes for a rectangular neckline. Give preference to a chunkier necklace as small pendants may not fill the area.

V-neckline

This cut is bound to draw attention to the décolletage anyway so there’s no point in overdoing it with jewellery. The perfect option would be a chain following the neckline with a beautiful pendant of moderate size. When choosing the length of the chain and the size of the pendant, make sure that the pendant remains in line with the lower third of the neckline. You should prefer a chunkier necklace in case it reflects the neckline shape narrowing at the bottom, other shapes tend to compete with the dress or the blouse.

Classic shirt collar

As the shirt collar itself is already quite conspicuous, you should choose a necklace that would not stand out too much. The perfect choice would be a simple short necklace resting on or above the collarbone, also a pendant of moderate size on a short chain.

Boat or asymmetrical neckline

The first choice should be a necklace with a strong or bulky form resting clearly below the chest. Exclude all jewellery that is less than 1.5-2 cm from the neckline or only just below or above it, as it visually distorts the neckline and the general symmetry.

A sleeveless dress or top

Choose a chunkier necklace that has a dramatic effect both in the front and the back side. For instance, a pearl necklace, jewellery with large gems etc. You should prefer shorter lengths to leave more space between the jewellery and the chest of the dress allowing it to shine out.

Decorations or frills on the chest

In case the cut of the dress is already drawing attention to the neckline or chest, leave out the necklace altogether. Such dresses include, for instance, a flowy gathered or cowl neckline, ruffles or frills as well as shiny sequins etc. In case the neckline already stands out alone, you should perhaps opt for snazzy earrings for the sparkling effect.

When selecting the necklace, consider also your body shape!

• A short, choker necklace – suits only women with a longer and slimmer neck.
• A short dramatic necklace – suits women with a smaller chest as it adds visual form and weight to the chest area. 
• A classic pendant and chain combination – suits practically everybody. We recommend choosing a chain of 45-50 cm which is the universal length.
• Long chains – the ideal choice for women who don’t have a very full bust as they add mobility and playfulness to the chest area.