A necklace can work as a fantastic fashion accessory and can really breathe new life into any outfit choice.
The key is finding the right necklace and wearing it with the right outfit. Different necklace styles and lengths work best with different outfit types, so finding the perfect match is vital.
Necklace chains are focal points and statement pieces. When you wear a necklace, you want eyes drawn to you.
If you wear the wrong type of necklace chain with the wrong type of shirt, people’s eyes will be drawn to you for all the wrong reasons.
To make sure you look your best while wearing your new chain, here’s a look at how to wear a necklace chain with different shirt and outfit types.
How to wear a necklace with a polo
For a more natural and casual look, why not unbutton your polo shirt and wear your chain underneath?
This will not reveal the full necklace so any pendants will be hidden from view.
If you want to create a more urban, trendy look, you could button up your polo and wear your chain under your collar, rather than directly around your neck.
As far as chain lengths go, if you’re wearing your necklace under your polo, a 20-inch length will work great.
If you’re wearing it under the collar and over the shirt, longer lengths work best, so look for a 26-30-inch length.
How to wear a necklace with a suit
Necklaces aren’t conventionally paired with suits. However, if you know what you’re doing you can create a stylish aesthetic that looks fab.
Traditionally, people wear suits with buttoned-up shirts, so obviously there’s no point wearing a chain underneath.
However, for a smart casual look, ditch the tie and undo a button or two to open up the collar.
Now you can wear a short chain underneath that will just be visible, without being obvious.
For a more daring look, you can wear a necklace outside of the suit by wearing it over the top of your shirt.
You can wear a longer necklace of around 26 – 30-inches in place of a tie with a buttoned-up shirt.
You can also lose the dress shirt and wear a plain tee or jumper under the suit jacket instead. If you’re doing this, chains between 20 and 24-inches are ideal.
As far as chain thickness goes, just remember that the thicker the chain is, the more attention it will draw.
Thinner gold or silver chains work best as they look subtle, while still being noticeable.
Of course, if you want to make a statement, a thick, blingy, gold pendant necklace will certainly stand out.
How to wear a necklace with a hoodie
Seen as the ultimate in casualwear, people tend not to wear jewelry with them, which is a shame as necklaces can work extremely well when paired with hoodies.
If you want to wear a necklace with a hoodie, you have a couple of options. The first is a choker.
Chokers look great on men and women, and as long as your hoodie has a fairly low neckline, your choker will be visible and will really stand out.
Your second option is to make a statement by wearing a long gold pendant necklace of around 26-28-inches in length, with an eye-catching pendant attached, such as a dollar symbol.
Silver dog tags with a plain black hoodie also work extremely well.
How to wear a necklace with a shirt
Necklaces are currently very popular with plain shirts, both short and long-sleeved.
The type of necklace you wear will depend on the type of shirt that you are wearing.
If you’re wearing a round-necked tee shirt, long pendant necklaces or dog tags are absolutely perfect.
For v-neck shirts, look for a necklace chain that follows the size and the shape of the shirt’s neckline.
This means that chokers are off limits, as well as short necklaces.
Instead, opt for a 20-inch necklace chain, perhaps featuring a small charm or pendant.
How to wear a necklace with a collared shirt
People often wrongly assume that collared shirts can only be worn with necklaces if the collar is exposed, this is not the case at all.
If you’re looking to show off a necklace with a collared shirt, opt for a thicker and bolder necklace chain.
With a collared dress shirt, for example, tuck the chain inside and under the shirt collar.
You also need to make sure it isn’t too long, otherwise, it may be hidden if you’re wearing a suit jacket. 20 – 22-inches is ideal here.
If you’re feeling especially bold, why not layer your chains?
Start off with a long chain of around 36-inches, followed by a 30-inch chain, finished off with a 26-inch chain.
Avoid patterned shirts, otherwise your necklace will be washed out and won’t be visible.
How to wear a necklace with a dress shirt
There’s nothing that says you can’t wear a necklace with a dress shirt.
Ideally you should wear a necklace with a shorter length, to ensure that it doesn’t hang too low below the shirt’s collar.
For a more subtle, yet stylish look, opt for a thin gold chain of around 22-inches, with a small pendant and wear this with the collar up, underneath your dress shirt’s collar.
How to wear a necklace with a button up
Button up shirts may be associated with more formal dresswear, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t wear a necklace with them.
If you’re wearing a button up shirt, you’re best wearing the necklace outside of the shirt, opting for a fairly longer length of around 26 – 30-inches.
If the shirt is plain, you could use a necklace to make a fashion statement by opting for a statement necklace.
As far as materials go, sterling silver, gold, or rose-gold are always the best choices of necklace when pairing with a button up.
How to wear a necklace with a button down
For a slightly more casual look, a button-down shirt may be worn and accessorized with a variety of different necklaces.
People assume that you can’t pair a long statement necklace with a button-down shirt, but you absolutely can.
If you want to wear a long statement necklace, make sure to wear it over your shirt, with the top one or two buttons undone.
If you wish to tuck a short necklace of around 20 – 24-inches, opt for a basic chain that’s not too thick. To complete this look, it’s recommended that you undo the top two-three buttons of your shirt.
How to wear a necklace with a tie
Believe it or not, but you can wear a necklace with a tie, and create a very reserved look in the process.
The size and the length of the necklace is very important here. The longer it is and the thicker, the more obvious it will be.
You want your necklace to accentuate your tie, not the other way around, so look for a thin necklace of a medium length.
A 22 – 24-inch gold or silver chain works best here. You want the chain to fall just below the knot of your tie.
How to wear a necklace with a tux
A tuxedo is often worn for very swanky events, though that doesn’t mean that you can’t wear a necklace with one.
Tuxedos are often accompanied by bow ties. Bow ties work best when paired with slightly thicker chains of a medium length.
A simple 24-inch gold chain worn under the collar of your shirt works very well with a bowtie and tuxedo.
To finish off your outfit you can pair it with a pair of gold cufflinks.
How to wear a necklace with a high neck dress
When wearing a high neck dress, the obvious choice of necklace is a long pendant style necklace that ideally sits just above the bust.
Look for a pendant necklace ranging from 26 – 34-inches, depending on your bust size.
Those with a smaller bust may wish to go shorter and opt for a pendant necklace that finishes just above the bust.
Thinner sterling silver, rose-gold, or gold chains work best here as the star of the show should be the pendant.
How to wear a necklace with a sweatshirt
If you wish to wear a necklace with a sweatshirt, you really need a long 30 – 36-inch pendant necklace with a medium/thick chain.
Place the chain snugly around your neck before untucking the front section of the chain at the front of the sweatshirt.
The back of the chain around your neck should be hidden from view.
If your necklace chain does have a pendant attached, make sure it is kept down the middle of the sweatshirt.
For women wearing a V-neck sweatshirt, a princess necklace or a pendant necklace is a great choice as they create a similar shape to the neckline.
These should be shorter necklaces of around 20 – 24-inches as you want them to end just above the neckline of the sweatshirt.
