Part of accessorizing is finding your personal style. And style is personal; it differs for every person. Using accessories such as necklaces is a great way to exude your personal tastes and fashion preferences.
With accessories, less is more – and that’s the modern way to look at looking at it. Some people may be a fan of maximalism and taking things way over the top, but if you’re looking for ways to wear necklaces in a way that the majority will deem aesthetically pleasing, here are some tips for you:
1. Check if your outfit needs a necklace at all.
If your outfit is already busy, check if a necklace can complement the rest of your outfit. But if you want your necklace to be the focal point, choose it first and select the rest of your accessories later. Meanwhile, if you’re going to wear statement earrings or a busy top, then select the necklace last and pick one that will support the rest of the outfit without competing with it. The minimalist style is trendy right now, and delicate layered necklaces are popular.
Sometimes you don’t even need a necklace at all. For instance, if your top has a high, gathered neckline, or an ornate detailing by the neckline, you don’t need to add a necklace. Instead, you can opt for big statement earrings. If your blouse is busy, it’s better to go for large statement earrings and bracelets and leave the chest area open. Often, chunky sweaters and big turtlenecks don’t even need a necklace.
2. Consider the neckline.
In choosing the kind of necklace to wear, you have to consider the type of neckline your top has. Here’s a quick guide:
Crew neck]
Crew necklines are the most versatile when it comes to necklace choices. You can play with lengths, rather than the styles. Your necklace of choice must be longer than the neckline, or just a little bit shorter. Short-chain necklaces with dainty pendants, or long-chain necklaces with pendants that rest by the chest or midsection are your chic and simple choices for a crew neck. It works well for a casual top.
If your top is dressy or if you want to dress up your attire, go for short and chunky bib necklaces. It works perfectly in accessorizing plain crew neck dresses, and it easily makes an eye-catching statement. Long station necklaces also look perfect with crew neck tops, as they are elongating and create a layered look for added interest.
For crew neck tops, simply avoid chockers and very long necklaces. Also, keep your necklaces symmetrical.
V-neck
Most necklaces suit a V-neck because of this kind of neckline pairs well with necklaces that mimic and fall naturally in a V-shape. This is why the usual short pendant necklaces look great with V-neck tops. A more modern way to accessorize is to layer a few dainty necklaces of different lengths with a V-neckline. Or you can just wear a layered necklace, so you don’t need to make the layers yourself.
For V-neck tops, avoid anything that’s too wide or doesn’t compliment the neckline’s shape. For instance, a bib necklace with round shape will look out of place when placed over a V-shape neckline.
Boat neckline
A boat neckline is a type of high neckline that’s wide across the décolletage, often showing off the collarbones of the wearer. It is often complemented by necklaces that are longer than the neckline, such as long pendant necklaces and long station necklaces.
The trick to accessorizing a boat neckline is to complement the wideness. So, avoid any necklace that’s shorter than the neckline, especially chokers.
Collared shirts
Collared shirts are more versatile than you might think when it comes to accessorizing with necklaces. You can change things up by adjusting the doneness of your buttons – you can fasten it all the way up or leave a couple undone, giving you chances to create entirely different looks with the same top. You can wear a statement bib necklace over the shirt. This works best if your shirt is plain and to make the necklace work as a feature piece. Conversely, if you wear a patterned collared shirt, it’s better to wear it open and turn the necklace into a V-neck, making it suitable for layered chains and pendant necklaces.
Off-shoulder tops
Off-shoulder tops have been popular lately. These look great with short necklaces like chokers and short pendants, which don’t break up the outfit and still showcase your décolletage as the focal point. If your off-shoulder top isn’t busy, you can wear longer necklaces with these as well. However, some off-shoulder tops come with tassels in front to give off a bohemian vibe or a lace detailing on top. If that’s the case, you don’t need to wear any kind of necklace with it. You can accessorize with a pair of statement earrings instead.
Halter top
Halter tops are tricky to pair a necklace with – most women wear statement earrings instead of accessorizing this neckline. But it depends on the detail of the top. You can wear long pendant necklaces with angular pendants or narrow widths to complement the high neckline of halter tops. Avoid wearing statement bib necklaces and short necklaces that detract detail away from the straps of the top. If your halter top features an interesting detail in the middle, there’s no need to wear a necklace with it – wear a complementing pair of earrings instead.
Turtle neck
Turtlenecks have a high collar, so it looks best with longer pendants or station necklaces to draw the eyes down and elongate the wearer’s body. It looks beautiful with layered pieces, as well. But if your turtleneck top has a cowl collar, you don’t need to wear a necklace at all.
3. Keep it simple when the top or outfit is busy and vice versa.
When you’re wearing a patterned top like a leopard or floral print, you don’t need a statement necklace to go with it. You can just opt for a delicate, shorter necklace that won’t show up against the print of your top. You can even ditch the necklace and opt for large earrings or a catchy headpiece instead.
But if your outfit is plain, a right necklace can brighten it up. A plain crewneck top or sweater can look incomplete, so it may need a bib necklace for an eye-catching accent or a layered necklace to help elongate the upper body. Check tip no. 2 for ideas.
4. Be careful when pairing with earrings.
There’s no straight rule as to how you must wear your necklace and earrings together, but you have to be careful because the two pieces may clash. Generally, you would need to choose one to be the focal piece and the other as a supporting or complementing piece. You can wear two delicate accessories together, but it will be tacky to wear two statement pieces together. When in doubt, wearing stud earrings along with your necklace will be appropriate so as not to overpower the necklace you want to highlight.
5. You don’t always need to be matchy-matchy with your other accessories.
It’s common to find matching jewelry sets that come with necklace and earrings, but it’s more modern not to choose matching jewelry. It looks dated unless your pieces are both subtle and straightforward. Nowadays, it’s better to select pieces that coordinate with each other, not match. It’s even fine to mix your high-end and low-end pieces.