Knowing how to measure necklace length is essential if you want your new necklaces to fit you perfectly. Of course, you can always attach a necklace extender if it’s too short, but if you can get your new necklace in the perfect length, that would be much better.
If you are buying a necklace as a gift to someone special, adding a necklace extender would be a great idea to give the recipient of the necklace room to adjust the chain’s length if he/she wants it longer or shorter, depending on his/her preferences.
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Different Styles of Necklace Length
Stop agonizing about what length is best suited for you. Pick the right necklace length based on your dimensions and the purpose of the necklace. Necklace lengths vary depending on the impact that the wearer wants to produce when he/she wears the necklace. Necklaces have the power to accentuate and emphasize different parts of the upper body, not just the length, skin tone, and general appearance of the neck.
There are several standard necklace lengths, from the shortest to the longest. The collar necklace is the shortest. Collar necklaces measure thirteen to fifteen inches and are designed to fit tightly around the wearer’s neck. The collar necklace works best with open clothing like boat necks, V-neck shirts, and scoop-necks. Off-shoulder tops also work well with collar necklaces.
On the other hand, the choker necklace measures a minimum of fifteen inches to around seventeen inches. This length allows the necklace to settle at the base of the neck. Choker necklaces can be worn with almost any kind of clothing.
The princess necklace is the midpoint in the family necklaces and measures seventeen to nineteen inches. The princess necklace is the most popular length for the average female jewelry enthusiast. It also settles on the collarbone, like the choker necklace. Princess necklaces can be used for all kinds of casual wear and office wear or formal wear.
The fourth on our list is the matinee necklace, which hangs lower than the princess necklace on the chest. It measures twenty to twenty-four inches, and it’s supposed to hang somewhere between the woman’s collarbone and the bust.
The opera necklace is the biggest jump in length, as the minimum for this variant is twenty-eight inches to an average maximum of thirty-seven inches. The opera necklace is designed to sit atop the bust or perhaps below it if the wearer has an average or flatter bust. Opera necklaces are recommended for individuals who have high necklines and for evening wear-type attires.
And finally, we have the longest necklace in the group, and it is aptly called the rope necklace. Rope necklaces measure thirty-seven to sixty inches, and they hang around the waist or below it. Longer necklaces like the opera necklace and the rope necklace are designed to emphasize or accentuate the body and the person’s dress or look.
They help lead the eyes downward so that people will pay more attention to the clothing details. Because of this, we recommended rope necklaces for elegant business wear and evening wear as well.
Standard Necklace Lengths for Men
Necklace lengths for men vary, and they don’t have names, unlike the average lengths for women. The shortest average length measures seventeen to nineteen inches. This length will settle at the base of the neck, much like the choker necklace. Wear the shortest necklace for crew neck t-shirts. Beaded necklaces for men usually measure seventeen to nineteen inches.
Next in line is the nineteen to a twenty-one-inch necklace, which settles on the man’s collarbone.
Unbuttoned shirts and low-lying V-neck shirts look gorgeous with this type of necklace. The next length is twenty-one to twenty-three inches. This necklace settles down nicely just below the collarbone and can be worn with anything, whether it’s worn above the fabric or underneath, showing just a fraction of the necklace.
And finally, we have the longest type of necklace for me, the twenty-three to the twenty-five-inch necklace. This necklace sits on the chest.
How to Measure Necklace Length for Yourself
The easiest method to measure the length your necklace
- is to use a popular necklace that matches your preferences already. Take note that the thickness of the chain has a bearing on the fit of the necklace, so if you are using a reference necklace, buy a similarly-fashioned one in terms of the dimensions of the chain. If you don’t have a necklace to use as a reference, we recommend just measuring your neck and adjusting the length using a piece of cord or string.
- Create an ideal measurement of a necklace with a string by holding one end of the string to your nape and letting the rest of the string fall to your collarbone area or chest. Adjust the length and pull up the other section to the nape. Mark the midpoint and cut the string. This is the natural measurement that you can use when you visit a jewelry store or department store. You can also use this as a reference when buying jewelry online. Just a ruler to get the precise measurement of your string in centimeters or inches.
- An old necklace can also serve as a reference – lay the necklace flat and straight on the table and measure how long it is with a ruler. The figure after measurement can be used to check if a necklace is too short or too long.
How to Choose Necklace Length for Others
The best way to select the length of necklace for others is by still measuring the recipient’s old necklace. If this is not doable, we recommend that you pick either collarbone-level necklaces and princess-length necklaces as these work for most people on the average. These two lengths will ensure that what you are going to give to your friend or significant other will be wearable, and the necklace won’t end up stuck in a box somewhere.
