The Ultimate Guide to Necklaces for Women

The perfect necklace will complement any clothing and make you feel gorgeous anytime you wear it. Necklaces are typically comprised of a pendant and chain, though standalone chains are sometimes favored.

If you’re seeking to invest in some lovely new necklace styles, you might be thinking about which ones to get. The answer is very dependent on your personal preferences, style, and desired aesthetic.

Fortunately, we’re here to assist you in selecting your favorites. We’re here to aid you in picking the perfect types of necklaces for your style, whether it’s modern, classic, or contemporary.

Whether you’re looking for necklaces to complement an outfit or ways to style a necklace that doesn’t seem to match anything, our ultimate guide to necklaces for women will help you choose a style that appears best on you and offer styling advice.

We also have the ultimate guide to fashion accessories if you’re incorporating more embellishments in your style and tips for doing a full fashion makeover.

Types of Necklaces

 

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Necklaces are classified based on their style and length. Necklace styles range from the shortest to the longest and include the matinée, choker, princess, collar, and rope. Each of these necklace styles is available in a variety of designs.

Consider the aesthetic you want to achieve, the length of your decolletage and body shape, and the sparkle you want to exude to determine which type is perfect for you.

Choker Necklaces

Average length: 14 inches

The choker necklace has a long history that is rich with symbolism. It has been painted on Degas’ ballerinas for delicacy and worn by ancient pharaohs for protection and power.

During the French Revolution, the crimson ribbon choker expressed hatred for beheadings, but it was also worn for elegance by the Victorian aristocracy. Choker necklaces have made a resurgence in practically every decade of the 20th and 21st centuries, indicating that the choker is here to stay.

Choker Styles

A simple snake chain forms a basic but lovely choker. Some chokers are flat on the neck, while others are embellished with beads, gemstones, or metal to add thickness. They can also feature a pendant for added length.

How to Put on a Choker

  • You should not be reluctant to stack them. Multi-layered chokers are a great way to dress up your neck: layer similar simple links together or a plain chain with a more elaborate gemstone or beaded choker.
  • Chokers look best on women with lengthy necks. If this isn’t the case for you, you can still wear a choker—make sure it’s simple and thin.
  • Chokers appear to be effortless, but they aren’t. It’s easy to imagine a choker giving off beachy or punk vibes, but chokers go beyond that. Remember, they’ve improved the refinement and elegance of royal wardrobes.

Collar Necklaces

a woman wearing a collar necklace and holding a banana to her ear

Average length: 16 inches

Collar necklaces are softer and more delicate than choker necklaces, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less eye-catching. If you prefer a short necklace that isn’t nearly as snug as a choker, a collar necklace can provide you with just the right amount of breathing room. They fall precisely at the collarbone, drawing the eye up to the face without the extra tightness of a choker.

Collar Necklace Styles

Collarbone necklaces can be ornate or plain. Many collar necklaces have hanging decorations or fringe to simulate a blouse collar.

Riviere and Fringe necklaces are two styles that make a statement. A Riviere necklace is a collar of gems that can be one or several colors.

How to Put on a Collar Necklace

  • Replace a regular collar under a sweater with a collar necklace, or use one to enhance a dress or shirt collar. Collars and necklaces, as well as apparel, provide a touch of sophistication. Collar necklaces can be worn as an addition to a round neckline at any time of year, or you can wear them to dress up a collar for a more professional look.
  • If you’re the individual who can never have too much bling, wear a gemstone collar. Stack your collar necklaces for added color and glitz.
  • Wear an off-the-shoulder shirt with a collar necklace to amp up the drama.

Princess Style Necklace

Average length: 18 inches

The princess-style necklace is the jewelry equivalent of the little black dress. It’s appropriate for every situation but far from boring. This is the most popular form of a necklace for women since it looks great on everyone, and the length goes with everything.

A princess necklace may conjure up images of excessive jewelry, yet the princess style may be modest. Possessing a simple princess necklace is similar to investing in a decent pair of jeans; you won’t be sorry, and it may become your most frequently worn piece in your closet.

Princess Length Necklace Styles

 

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Some of the most flexible necklaces are princess design necklaces with simple pendants. You can’t go wrong with them no matter what you pair them with.

Bib necklaces are a form of princess style that you should only wear on special occasions. They are eye-catching and function best when paired with simple clothing.

How to Put on a Princess Necklace

  • Wear an open neckline to show off your princess necklace. In a v-neck, the princess length normally falls just before the dip.
  • You can wear it with either a high or low neckline. The princess design drapes at the sweet spot and looks great with any neckline.
  • Make a professional bib necklace. Workwear can become monotonous at times, and a bib can provide interest. Most people believe that bib necklaces are too busy for the office, but they can be dressed up by wearing them under a collared shirt or with a jacket.

Rope & Matinee Necklaces

Matinee average length: 20-24 inches

Rope average length: 36+ inches

Rope and matinée necklaces are both long and come in various styles; much of the same styling criteria apply to both. These lengthy necklaces exude a sense of casual elegance. They are best for semi-formal or formal situations unless looped around the neck to change the length.

Rope Necklace Styles

Rope necklaces do not require a clasp, but they may have one. In any case, because these necklaces glide perfectly over the head, you might never unfasten them. If your rope necklace includes a clasp, you can unfasten it to change the look.

Lariat necklaces wrap around the neck once or twice and have two ends that hang open on the torso. Bolo necklaces are also open on the ends but include a pendant that connects the two strands closer to the center.

How to Put on a Rope Necklace

  • With high necklines, tie it in a knot. You can knot your rope necklace to create a focal point to prevent a rectangular shape with your halter-neck formal and a rope necklace.
  • Wrap it to create numerous layers. You can create two or more alternative necklace styles from a single rope or matinée necklace by adding lines.
  • Wear it with a boxy dress or blouse to elongate your figure.

Lariat Necklace

a portrait of a woman in a fur coat wearing a lariat necklace

Average length: 36+ inches

The lariat necklace is a rope necklace that wraps around the neck to create various shapes and lengths. It’s a one-size-fits-all item because it can be adjusted to fit any outfit or body type. Long pearl or beaded lariats are appropriate for semi-formal or formal situations, but decreasing the length makes the necklace suitable for informal wear.

How to Put on a Lariat Necklace

  • Create a statement by wrapping it around your neck as a choker or matching the vertical, long necklace with a horizontal-striped top.
  • You can add extra layers to a deep v-neck.
  • Wear it backward with a blouse or dress to draw attention to a cut-out back.
  • When you’re feeling daring, wear it as a belt or bracelet, or pair it with another necklace if you can’t decide between the two.

Riviere Necklace

Average length: 16 inches

The Riviere is a collar necklace composed of gemstones that flow in a continuous stream around the neck. The oval, round, or cushion gems can be of varying sizes, either synchronous or graduating in size. The Riviere with rose-cut jewels was popular during the Regency period and is still a mainstay in former Vogue editor Anna Wintour’s collection today.

How to Put on a Riviere Necklace

  • Wear small stones for a more understated style or large gems to make a statement.
  • Wear multiple pieces in different hues to add a flash of color to your outfit.
  • For ageless elegance, pair a classic, single-color Riviere with evening clothing.

Necklace Chain Designs

There are various necklace chain styles to pick from, including the French rope chain and the cable chain. Please continue reading for our in-depth guide.

Classic Chains

Classic chain styles have been around for eons and are the most adaptable of all necklace chain styles. So, what are the many varieties of classic chains?

  • Anchor
  • Byzantine
  • Box
  • Cable
  • Curb
  • Figaro
  • French rope
  • Wheat

Modern Chains

Modern necklace chain designs are also highly popular. Their design is distinct from that of the classic style, although many modern styles are variations on the traditional.

Modern designs are popular because they frequently allow the chains to reflect light better, adding sparkle to an item. The geometric-shaped links also make for eye-catching standalone pieces.

  • Bicycle link
  • Herringbone
  • Omega
  • Panther
  • Popcorn
  • Serpentine
  • Tinsel

Contemporary Chains

As we’ve seen, there are numerous necklace chain styles, some of which are popular.

  • Bar
  • Ball
  • Beading
  • Figure of 8
  • Singapore

How to Layer Necklaces

a woman in a red suit with her hands in her pockets wearing layered necklaces

Whether you want to make a new necklace stack, add a little spice to your current collection, or learn how to create a stacked necklace look, we are here to assist you with a few fundamental tips. Here are some suggestions for creating a great necklace stack without further ado.

Various Chain Lengths Are King

Whether it’s a 27″ long chain or a 14″ choker, getting the lengths right is the key to making the ideal layer. We recommend starting with two or three chain lengths at least two inches apart.

Determine What You Are Wearing

For example, if you’re wearing nice jeans and a T-shirt, we recommend wearing longer layers rather than a low-cut top.

Select Your Favorite Piece and Work Around It

It’s all well and good to create a lovely layered design, but if your favorite piece isn’t included in the festivities, it’s no fun at all! Depending on the size of the charm, you might start with this in the center (i.e., a 20″ length) and work your way up and down from there. Start with an 18″ necklace, for example, and layer down or up from there!

Pendants of Various Sizes

This is usually the easiest phase, and we recommend putting smaller, lighter pendants on shorter chains. The explanation behind this is as follows: 1) because smaller charms stand out more when worn closer to the chin and higher up; 2) because smaller charms are lighter and don’t always lay flat on a longer chain. It’s fantastic when your charms can be mixed across chain lengths, allowing you to choose and experiment with different charms on different length chains as you please, depending on your outfit!

Texture Enhancement

 

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We think it’s a great idea to mix your chain styles with at least one of your three or more chains. It could be a string of pearls, a beaded strand from your Central American travels, or a textured chain.

Have Some Fun With It

There are no fast and hard laws for building the perfect necklace stack; simply a collection of ideas to mix and match based on your mood and the sort of top or dress you’re wearing.

What’s the best part? To keep your appearance new, you can wear the same pieces every day, layered differently! Furthermore, they are quite sustainable, especially since you can recycle your diamonds at the end of their lives.

Your jewelry reveals a lot about who you are. It reflects your style, fashion sense, and sense of what is beautiful to you. Wearing the right style of chain for you will be a pleasure, and it will complement every outfit you combine it with.

Whether you favor modern, traditional, contemporary fashion, or a combination of the three, use our guide to select your next piece confidently.

Whatever your style, your jewelry will last a lifetime and is an excellent investment in your clothing, yourself, and your future.