We’ve got a thing about size in this country.

There is a LOT of time spent comparing house size, car size, and the size of all sorts of other <ahem> things. Who hasn’t ever felt a stab of envy at spotting a friend’s simply ENORMOUS, sparkly, new engagement ring?

Let me give you a tip: where accessories are concerned, bigger is not necessarily better.

Do you have a huge collection of necklaces and bracelets that you hardly ever wear? You love them, but you never wear them. Do you sometimes put something on and it just feels wrong? Why does this happen? You take it off and you love it again. You try it on for a second time, and you feel like a Christmas tree. 

You could be regularly NOT wearing lots of the jewellery you own (and love!) because it doesn’t work with your outfits or your personal style.

I’ve helped hundreds of women to work out their personal style rules, and once you know what these rules are, choosing perfect pieces is easy.

The thing about accessorising is that there is a surprisingly large amount you need to know!

In order to accessorise confidently and perfectly you should take into account: your style, your body shape, your scale,your colouring and the neckline of the top or dress you’ve chosen to wear.

I can’t go into it all here because this post would turn into an e-book. (Good idea, huh?) 

So, today I’m tackling just one of these areas: how to recognise the right kind of necklace to wear with each particular neckline.

 Open Necklines. 

Round necks, V-necks and square necks usually look best with medium-length necklaces. Your personal scale [the size of prints, patterns or accessories that suit you best] will determine the size or weight of jewellery that will work for you, so, just how chunky you should go varies from person to person.

High Necklines.

For dresses and tops with high necklines – including polo necks, turtle necks, boat necks and slash necks, (and let’s  face it, this is Britain, we get COLD!) you can wear a longer line necklace.

Some women look great in a choker worn with a higher neckline such as a slash neck or a round neck but avoid this at all costs unless your neck is long and your skin is still springy and youthful – otherwise you are in serious danger of ‘turkey neck’.

Incidentally, which necklines suit you best will depend on the breadth of your shoulders and the size and position of your bust.  

Asymmetric necklines.

It’s best to avoid wearing any kind of necklace with this shape. Adding one will only detract from the asymmetry which deserves to be centre stage. Wear earrings instead.

By the way, asymmetry in outfits will only work for you if you suit a dramatic and edgy style of clothing. 

Buttoned up shirts

Right now, it’s fashionable to wear a shirt buttoned up to the neck but this will only work well for you if you have a small, neat chest

One look I’ve seen recently and really like (although it doesn’t suit me!) is to tie a length of ribbon into a bow around a butted up collar in lieu of a necklace. It’s very cute. This’ll work for you if you suit a girly style of clothing.

Embellished or unusual necklines.

Leave necklaces off and decide whether a pair of earrings is appropriate. If your neckline is highly embellished I would avoid earrings too. Let the neckline take centre stage.

Instead use jewellery further down your body, such as cocktail rings, bracelets or watches.

There is SO much more to say about how accessories can add va-va-voom to your wardrobe, but there simply isn’t enough room here to do the subject justice!