Choose the neckline that suits you the best

A neckline is one of the best styling tools you can ever have for your wardrobe. The right neckline design will flatter you and bring out the beauty of your most striking features. 

Carefully assessing the various neck designs and choosing the ones that suit you the most for your dresses and tops assumes an importance you should not ignore – if you want to dress well and look good. 

Related post: 60+ different types of necklines and their names

Blindly following fashion when choosing the neckline of your dress is a mistake many people make. Ignoring some of the basic neckline caveats can spoil the whole effect of the dress you bought with so much joy and hope.

The first and foremost consideration when deciding on a neckline is your body shape. Check out this post to know which body shape you have if you really have no idea. You can also check out this post on the different body types as per the Kibbe system.

Small things like whether you have a heavy bust or small bust; whether your neck is long and thin or short and thick. The shape of your face like a heavy jaw, the double chin all of them are important pointers when choosing your best neckline. 

General Guidelines to choose the right neckline design for your clothes

V-Neckline Design

The V neckline plunges from the shoulder to a point in the middle. This neckline is a very popular choice for women of all shapes and sizes because it flatters almost all figures.

This neckline gives a look of elongation and minimizes the shape of the bust. 

A deep V-neckline especially narrows the torso. It is suited for people with broad shoulders as it tends to bring the shoulder together and also if you have a short neck

It is also well suited for a person with an hour glass figure.

This neckline looks good on a person with a big bust. On someone with a small bustline, the V-neckline can look good if the dress is very well fitting. 

V neckline can be used to alter the proportions of face shapes. V neck is especially good for someone with a square face shape. It can be the saving grace for a round face shape, as it can elongate the shape of the face. If you have a full round face this neckline can make your face look thinner. Also, an ideal choice if your face is heavier on the lower part like heavy/wide jaw, double chin etc. 

As it sort of makes the whole body especially the neck look elongated this neckline is an ideal choice if you have a short neck or wide neck. Avoid if you have a long and thin neck.

Related post : How to sew different types of V-necklines.

Jewel Neckline Design

Jewel Neck is a simple neckline which mirrors the curve of the neck; It is also popular as a t-shirt neck or crew neck. It is best to avoid this neckline if you have a large bust, a short neck, or a double chin.

It will make the bust area look fuller so avoid if you are heavily endowed; likewise, this neckline is a blessing for small busted figures.

Related posts : More on rounded necklines.

U-Neckline Design

U shaped neck design is a universally liked neckline and it usually suits most body shapes. A person with a heart-shaped face or diamond shaped face or pear-shaped face suits this neckline the most.

If you have a full round face you can avoid this neckline as it may make the face look bigger.

Slit Neckline Design

The Slit neck design is a combination of round neckline with a slit in the centre making a V shape or sometimes a U. This is a very common design for tunics.

A very flattering neckline, it will suit most body shapes, as it combines  V and U shapes.

Usually, there will be embroidery around the slit and this will look very flattering on a small busted figure. But if you are big  chested or have an apple shape you may not want to attract more eyes to that area with large or contrasting embroidery. 

A variation of this neckline is the keyhole neckline. The keyhole neckline includes a button or hooks on top of the slit. This neckline can bring attention to the chest area so use caution if you have a big bust. Do not wear with a low-slung sagging bust, as well.

Learn more about the Keyhole neckline here.

Sweetheart neckline Design

Sweetheart neckline resembles a top of a heart at its lower end; it is an almost perfect neckline which works for most people. It shows off your collarbones and frames the face prettily

It is especially suited for a person with a Square jawline as it can soften the severity of the jaw.
If you are a girl with broader hips this neckline can balance the proportions.

If you have a very short neck this neckline will make you look good, as it has the effect of elongating the neck. If you have a small bust and want to look shapely you can choose this neckline. Contrary I know but this neckline also looks attractive on large busted ladies also.

Related posts : More on sweetheart neckline.

Square Neckline Design

This is a neckline that looks good on most people but it benefits those with a short neck and narrow shoulders the most. The square neckline will give a look of broadness and width.

If you have heavy hips, this neckline can make it look a little less heavy considering all other factors. Avoid a square neck if you have square shoulders, boxy shape, though.

Scoop Neckline Design

The classic scoop neckline is a very flattering simple neck style. It suits best person with a pear shaped body shape.

This neckline is very suitable if you have a short or wide neck – this will elongate your neck. It can elongate a short neck or a long but fleshy neck which looks short.

If you are short of stature and you want to look tall you can choose this neckline. See more petite dressing tips here.

A nice deep scoop neck can be flattering on some one with a generous chest and broad shoulders. But If you have broad shoulders do not choose a wide scoop neckline.

A person with flabby arms can also wear this neckline. Checkout more tips on dressing styles for flabby arms.

If you have a boyish or athletic figure with a flat chest this may not be the most flattering neck style. 

Collared necklines

Girls with a long face will look good in collars; If you have a long face a close-fitting collar can make it look smaller and broader.

Your bust area will appear bigger in a collared neckline, so if you have a big bust and is looking for a neckline that will solve this problem, avoid collars. If you have a small bust a collared neckline would suit you. 

Do not choose a collared neckline or its many variations if you have a short or wide neck. If you have narrow shoulders this neckline would be the right

Related post : All the 50+ different kinds of collars.

Boat Neckline Design

It is also referred to as princess or bateau neckline or slash neck.  This neckline goes straight across the body from one shoulder to the other close to the neck and will make your shoulder look wider than it is.

A boat neckline may make you look shorter if you are already short and stocky. A high bateau neckline can make a very long face look shorter. If you are very tall by stature & want to look short then this is ideal.

If you have a pear-shaped body shape (ie broad hips and narrow shoulders) this neckline would be ideal as it will make your shoulder on par with your hips and create balance, But if you have broad shoulders please avoid this neckline.

Do not wear a slash neckline if you have square and or large shoulders. Period. This neck is good for those with small sloping shoulders. On some, it may shorten the neck.

As this neckline draws attention to the bust area this will work great for a small-busted figure giving it an illusion of fullness. You can show off a beautiful collarbone or a long neck with this neckline so work them to your advantage with this neckline.

Cowl Neckline Design

The cowl neck is a very flexible design which will suit a variety of body shape according to the depth of the cowl. A small-busted shape will be much benefited by this neckline. Ideally, this is the neckline most suited for a girl with a small bust shape and well-toned arms.

Avoid heavy drapes on the bust area if you are large busted. This neckline will have an extra layer of fabric over the bust area and so if you have a big bust and you do not want to bring more attention to it so better avoid it.

Cowl neckline enhances a long neck; if you have a short neck this neckline can make your neck look even thicker, if the cowl is around your neck.

Strapless Design

This neckline has no sleeves and sometimes sport slim spaghetti straps to hold the bodice in place. It would not suit all body shapes.

Not for those with large bust sizes and/or narrow shoulders.

A strapless neckline is best suitable for a tall person with broad Shoulders. For a broad-shouldered girl, a strapless neckline with a straight cut would look very flattering; Sweetheart necklines in this style are also popular.

If you have flabby arms it is better to avoid this neckline; Well toned arms look better with this neckline. Good shoulders and a not heavy bustline also suits this neckline.

Off-shoulder Design

This neckline comes way below the shoulder line and cuts across the body in a horizontal line in a very flattering style for some body shapes. This is not a suitable neckline for top-heavy figures but can look good on a shape with broad hips (pear shape).

The off-shoulder neckline can broaden the shoulders and make you look short as it sits as a horizontal line across the shoulders. A frilly gypsy off-shoulder neckline can soften a severe look

Related post : Different types of off-shoulder necklines. 

Asymmetrical Neckline

This is a style that usually depicts a one-shouldered look with a diagonal neckline. This neckline style is suitable for those with narrow shoulders and thin arms. It can also be good for square shoulders. A nice collarbone can be shown off in style with this neckline. This style would not  suit a figure with broad shoulders.

Halter Neck designs

This neckline is best suited for those with a small bust shape, slim arms, and good shoulders. Top-heavy body shapes can look somewhat awkward in this neckline. If you have sloping shoulders it is better to avoid this neckline; avoid if you have large or square shoulders.

Which neckline would you choose?

To simplify everything further, Let us look at some common scenarios in choosing a neckline.

What are the Best necklines for a  short neck?

A wide scoop neckline can make your neck look long and slender. A V neckline is also good to give the look of a long neckline. The necklines you should avoid are collar necks including roll collars and turtlenecks and any high necklines. But you can wear a shirt collar and open up the top button to give the effect of a V-neckline, which in effect makes your neck look longer

What is the best neckline for a rectangular or square face shape?

If you have an oval face shape you are in luck. Most of the necklines suit you. But if the shape is a little longer with more width at the temple and the jaw you have a rectangular shape which is slightly difficult to dress. High necklines can make your long face look shorter. But that does not mean high collars. Avoid high collars and deep V necklines

With a square face shape, your face has similar dimensions along its width and length. If you wear square necklines the angularity of your features will be more emphasized. So avoid this neckline. Round necklines can soften the shape. 

What are the Best necklines that look good with short hair?

Short hair and high necks like roll collars, turtlenecks and halternecks go together, provided they also compliment your body shape. You can also wear collars with short hair.

Which are the Best necklines for reducing the effects of a full round face?

A round face can easily look too wide and short. To counter this you will need to wear narrow necklines like a V-neck or a sweetheart neckline. Jewel neckline, U neckline, and a very wide square neckline can make the face look wider and shorter. Avoid round necklines at all costs. In fact do not wear anything with a round shape on your bodice like a peter pan collar, round pockets, etc.

Related posts : How to fix a gaping neckline; Different types of collars ; Finding your face shape ; 7 basic body shapes – which one do you have?