Necklace Size Guide

• 14″ Necklace – Fits most like a choker

• 16″ Necklace – Falls perfectly around the base of the neck like a collar. On a petite women it with hit your collarbone while for plus size women it might feel more like a choker.

• 18″ Necklace – A common choice for women that will fall just below the throat at the collarbone.  This length is popular for adding pendants which will hang over a crew neck.

• 20″ Necklace – Will fall a few inches below the collarbone and allow a little more breathing room. Perfect for a low, plunging neckline or if you want to wear it over a turtleneck.

• 22″ Necklace – Falls at or above a low necklace.

• 24″ Necklace – Falls below any neckline.

• 30″ Necklace – Falls below any neckline.

• 36″ Necklace – Common with pearl stands and will hang below the bosom. They can be worn as a single strand or you can double them for an 18 inches necklace.

 

Standard options depending on the length of the necklace

LENGTH	STYLE	PLACEMENT	WORN BEST WITH…
14 inches	Collar	Tightly around the neck	Open-neck clothing such as scoop necks, V-necks, off-the-shoulder and boatnecks
16 inches	Choker	Tightly against base of throat	Almost everything
18 inches	Princess	On the collarbone	Almost everything
20 to 24 inches	Matinee	Between the collarbone and the bust	Great for both business and casual wear
28 to 36 inches	Opera	On the bust or an inch or two below	High necklines and evening wear
36 to 42 inches	Rope	Wrapped to sit on or just below the center of the bust	Elegant business and evening wear

Tip : The jewelry industry has standard necklace lengths measured in inches, which are more often even numbers than odd. However, chain can be cut to any length, and custom-designed pieces can be whatever the designer decides.

For a super-quick way to figure out the perfect necklace length ;

First of all, Please measure the extended length of the necklace you wear most often ( or the clasped length, then double it). That is likely the most flattering necklace length for you, or the one that works best with your wardrobe.

For a more measured process of this, think about your entire body type – from the shape of your face to the size of your bust to your height to your general body type.

But start with your neck. All necklaces actually touch your neck, so what’s going on there counts a lot. Necks have length and necks have width. And some necks have wrinkles. Long necks can wear just about anything. Short necks and wrinkly necks have issues to work out, so not every necklace will be a good fit. And do remember, as with any “general” advice, there are always exceptions so it’s best to try necklaces on, if possible.  

Then, How do you avoid making these same mistakes twice? Let’s look at your options to find the best necklace length for you.

How to choose a necklace for each body type?

There are more techniques to find the perfect necklace length for you, especially if you’re playing around with new jewelry styles. However, to use these, you have to take into account your entire body, including the face shape and body type.

Honestly, the best thing to do might be to start where your necklaces sit: your neck. Get up close and personal. Analyze the length and width of your neck, along with any blemishes or wrinkles that may have accumulated.

That will be a good starting point for determining if a certain necklace will be a good look for you.