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Firstly the neckline is essential as it will catch immediately
the eye of everyone and draw attention to the bride’s
face, bust, shoulders and back. Whether you decide to
“reveal” more of your shoulders and bust with
a strapless neckline or less with a scoop neckline with
sleeves, any neckline you will choose will contribute
to the general harmonious balance of the whole bridal
outfit. The following list will guide you through the
most popular necklines ,help you to become familiar with
them and decide of which will be the one!
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1.Sweetheart:
As you can guess by its name, this graceful classic design
has the shape of the bottom of a heart. It is very popular
and very flattering on most brides .It will look good
on women who have a larger bust as It will draw attention
to the upper part of your silhouette and enhance your
“décolleté” in an elegant manner
and makes your neck appear longer. It is seen often on
strapless dresses. Embellishing details such as fine lace,
beads, pearls or embroidery, will accent the sweetheart
neckline. It can be a bit pricey but it will add an unvaluable
styling startling touch to your dress.
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2.Off the shoulder:
As its name suggests, the shape of this neckline rests
below the shoulders across the top of the bust line and
consequently will draw attention to your uncovered shoulders
and collarbone, away from your bottom half.
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This very elegant and feminine
neckline, completed by small sleeves which only cover the
upper part of the arms, is flattering on most figures, especially
if you are petite, pear-shaped or full-figure, you will
gain from showing off your shoulders.
But this neckline tends to make shoulders appear broader
so if you are conscious about revealing your shoulders but
wish to wear a resembling style, you might consider the
following neckline we are looking at: the portrait neckline.
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It is all about balance and proportions. On
the contrary if you are thin, it is not a very safe option
as this open neckline might accentuate your noticeable
collarbone. If you opt for the off-the-shoulder neckline,
the bodice will need to be fitted and boned for proper
support and comfort when wearing your dress.
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3.Portrait:
Not unlike the off-the-shoulder style, this neckline folds
around the shoulders and meets in the front middle point
of the bust, like a large headscarf worn loosely over
the tip of the shoulders.
This style enhances the bride’s face features and
neck and might also be a better option than the off-the-shoulders
for brides who are self-conscious about showing broad
shoulders or fuller arms.
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For instance it will look very flattering
on an hourglass figure. A good choice also for brides
with a smaller bust as it will give the impression of
a larger bust. The portrait neckline will also heighten
narrow shoulders .
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4.Scoop:
This is a low wide round in cut neckline stretching softly
to the shoulders and its height can vary at the front
and back.
This classic neckline exposes in a most flattering way
shoulders and neck, lessening hips and waist and looks
good and elegant on most figures. The open neckline is
a good option for women with a large bust as it gives
the illusion of a smaller bust.
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5.V-Neck:
Cut in the shape of the letter V at the back or front
or both, the depth of this neckline varies, sometimes
half way down the bodice, sometimes plunging down to the
waistline, bringing a very feminine and seductive touch
to the outfit.
This open neckline is flattering for full figured shapes.
In a similar way to the Scoop, this is a very good choice
for wider hips, as a fitted V-neck bodice will draw attention
to the face away from your hips and stomach , and will
enhance chest and neck with the result of a very feminine
silhouette. Also a good choice for larger busted women,
as by dividing the chest area it will reveal a good cleavage.
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You might also want to add details to the neckline such
as embroidery, a beaded edging, or decorate the bodice
with beads or wear jewellery; all these touches will also
contribute to draw the eye away from your less flattering
parts.
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6. Halter neck:
This sleeveless style is formed by straps, which fasten
round the back of the neck or a bodice with a high neck,
which reveals very generously the upper arms and the back,
producing a very feminine and sexy effect.
This glamorous neckline will attract attention to the
shoulders, which is a good thing if you have great shoulders
or are conscious of a maybe too large bust and too wide
hips and waist but not such a good idea if you have narrow
shoulders.
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You need to ensure that you will be wearing
a good bra designed specially for this particular type
of neckline. This neckline can look stunning on taller
women with broad shoulders and toned upper arms.
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7.Spaghetti or shoe
string straps: Very small straps which run straight
over the shoulders and down the back or can be tied around
the back of the neck. This minimalistic look is splendid
on slender silhouettes but not such a good choice for
brides with a fuller bust or narrow shoulders.
If you have planned a traditional ceremony in a church
where revealing more of your upper body might be regarded
as unsuitable, or you wish to protect yourself from the
elements, you might consider covering your shoulders for
the time of the ceremony with a soft drape, a sheer stole,
or a bolero jacket which will bring an element of precision
and proportion to the general shape of the outfit.
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8.Strapless.
Combined with an A-Line skirt, the strapless neckline
has become increasingly popular, as many shoulders look
attractive when uncovered.
Very fitting, with no sleeves or straps, it might come
straight in the front or shaped. Again, it will be flattering
if you have a larger bust in the way this neckline appears
to “break” the chest area and lessen the width
of the bust and give the illusion of a smaller bust .
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But do ensure that you will be wearing a
perfectly fitting bra as you do not want to be distracted
all day long by the discomfort of having to adjust the
upper half of your dress. To those who have a curvy figure,
this neckline matched with a shaped boned bodice, which
very good support makes the use of a bra an option, will
look stunning.
It is not such a good choice for narrow shoulders, however,
where as we have seen previously a portrait neckline is
more flattering, and for smaller chested women for a very
simple reason: a strapless dress is generally boned and
designed to enhance the bust.For similar reasons to the
spaghetti straps neckline we looked at previously, you
may wish covering you bare shoulders with a drape or a
bolero.
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9.Bateau:
Running gently from one shoulder to the other, in a similar
way back and front, this very classic neckline adopts
the shape of a shallow curve along the collarbone to the
border of the shoulders.
Very flattering for women with smaller chests as less
revealing than for instance the off-the shoulders line,
as it will give the illusion of larger chests and draw
the eye up to the face and neck.
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For this reason, it is not such a good choice for women
with larger bust and the same goes for broad shoulders,
as they will appear even wider. This neckline will also
create a delicate stylish effect when worn without sleeves.
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10 .Illusion:
Really any style of neckline, (scoop, sweetheart, V neck
etc….) which is covered with a sheer net or chiffon
and will usually stops at the bust line. The very distinctive
effect of this fine netting"coverage" will draw
attention towards the upper half of your body if you are
conscious of you hips and waistline. This neckline contributes
to add a soft and sophisticated look to the dress.
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11.Jewel or T-shirt neckline:
This neckline actually looks like a T-shirt, featuring
a high round neckline which follows closely the shape
of neck and shoulders and rests at the base of the throat.
This more conservative look was originally created to
enhance the effect of jewellery. The simplicity of this
neckline contributes to give a very elegant and charming
touch to the dress, above all when worn sleeveless. The
silhouette of brides with narrow shoulders and smaller
busts will be flattered by this neckline as it creates
an illusion of fuller chests when on the contrary brides
with larger chests might avoid this option. The same goes
for brides who wish to de-emphasise broad shoulders.
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12.Queen Anne Neckline:
consists of a high collar in the back and sides of the
neck coming round in the front in an open sweetheart neckline
shape. This traditional style, originating from Queen
Anne’s reign period in the 18th century has a very
stylish look. Giving the impression of lengthening the
neck, it will convey certain poise and be stunning on
almost every bride.
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13.Square neckline
As its name suggests, this neckline
is cut into a half-square shape with right angle corners.
It is very flattering for most figures. In a similar way
to the scoop neckline, this style makes the neck look
longer by drawing the eye to the upper part of the body
and diminishing hips and waist.
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Whether you have an hourglass figure, a
smaller bust, a fuller bust or a wider waist, this style
will make you feel confident and allow you to accentuate
the parts of your body you love and wish to show off and
de-emphasise those you do not wish to play up .This style
also works well combined with a Halter neckline.
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[All dresses shown in this article are or have been for
sale in The Dressmarket]
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