What Necklace to Wear with Which Neckline

December 5, 2016 @ 5:45 PM

A pendant goes with everything, right? Well, technically yes, but for this holiday season, let's aim higher. All of us. Let's use our necklaces to achieve a show-stopping, head-turning look that's completely runway-worthy material. And the easiest way to do that: by drawing inspo straight from said runways.

Evidently, Nicole Richie is way ahead of us on this. For a night out, the star-slash-designer slipped into a plunging gown and then filled the negative space with an impressive stack of necklaces—a look that designer Isabel Marant demoed on the fall 2016 runway. We considered every neckline imaginable and found its jewelry counterpart—some expected, others surprising, and all very "now" for the holidays. Learn from our necklace-neckline pairing lessons, illustrated below.

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Alexa Coe; Time Inc. Digital Studio

1. Neckline: Deep V

Necklace type: Layered strands

Runway inspiration: Isabel Marant

Carefully staggered lengths fill the blank space created by a plunging neckline without overcrowding it.

Shop necklaces: Etro, $207 (originally $345); net-a-porter.com. Etro, $276 (originally $460); net-a-porter.com.
Alexa Coe; Time Inc. Digital Studio

2. Neckline: Turtleneck

Necklace type: Geometric choker

Runway inspiration: Loewe

How to amp up this winter layering basic? Match its minimalism with a clean-lined statement piece.

Shop the necklace: Faris, $298; farisfaris.com
Alexa Coe; Time Inc. Digital Studio

3. Neckline: Crewneck

Necklace type: Metallic collar

Runway inspiration: Stella McCartney

Play up a conservative silhouettte's simplicity with an elegant strand that hits right at the collar.

Shop the necklace: John Hardy, $1,895; johnhardy.com
Alexa Coe; Time Inc. Digital Studio

4. Neckline: Off-the-Shoulder

Necklace type: Statement collar

Runway inspiration: Miu Miu

An open neckline leaves room to experiment. Do so with a strand of pearls, as seen on the Miu Miu runway, or with striking jewelry in oversized shapes.

Shop the necklace: Annelise Michelson, $1,385; annelisemichelson.com
Alexa Coe; Time Inc. Digital Studio

5. Neckline: Collared

Necklace type: Delicate pendant

Runway inspiration: Balenciaga

Refreshing your favorite button-down is as easy as letting a hint of sparkle peek out from beneath.

Shop the necklace: Common Muse, $42; commonmuse.co
Alexa Coe; Time Inc. Digital Studio

6. Neckline: Asymmetrical

Necklace type: Long strands

Runway inspiration: Chanel

Offset the imbalance of a one-shoulder top with ropes of gems that draw the eye center and down.

Shop the necklace: Lagos, $275; lagos.com