The neckline is the top edge of a

garment Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials and natural ...

that surrounds the neck, especially from the front view. Neckline also refers to the overall line between all the layers of clothing and the neck and shoulders of a person, ignoring the unseen

undergarments Undergarments, underclothing, or underwear are items of clothing worn beneath outer clothes, usually in direct contact with the skin, although they may comprise more than a single layer. They serve to keep outer garments from being soiled o ...

. For each garment worn above the waist, the neckline is primarily a

style line A style line is a seam in a garment made primarily for the purpose of its visual effect, rather than for the purpose of shaping of structuring the garment. By contrast, a dart or pleat A pleat (plait in older English) is a type of fold formed ...

and may be a boundary for further shaping of the upper edge of a garment with, for example, a

collar Collar may refer to: Human neckwear *Clerical collar (informally ''dog collar''), a distinctive collar used by the clergy of some Christian religious denominations *Collar (clothing), the part of a garment that fastens around or frames the neck ...

cowl A cowl is an item of clothing consisting of a long, hooded garment with wide sleeves, often worn by monks. Originally it may have referred simply to the hooded portion of a cloak. In contemporary usage, however, it is distinguished from a clo ...

dart Dart or DART may refer to: * Dart, the equipment in the game of darts Arts, entertainment and media * Dart (comics), an Image Comics superhero * Dart, a character from ''G.I. Joe'' * Dart, a ''Thomas & Friends'' railway engine character * Da ...

s, or

pleat A pleat (plait in older English) is a type of fold formed by doubling fabric back upon itself and securing it in place. It is commonly used in clothing and upholstery to gather a wide piece of fabric to a narrower circumference. Pleats are cat ...

s. In that respect it is similar to the waistline and

hemline The hemline is the line formed by the lower edge of a garment, such as a skirt, dress or coat, measured from the floor. The hemline is perhaps the most variable style line in fashion, changing shape and ranging in height from hip-high to floor- ...

List of neckline types

Necklines can be grouped into categories according to their shape and where they cut across the body: *

Boat neck A boat neck, also called a bateau neck or Sabrina neckline, is a wide neckline that runs horizontally, front and back, almost to the shoulder points, across the collarbone. It is traditionally used in nautically inspired sweaters and knitwear, b ...

(one edge, nearly linear) : A high, wide, slightly curved neckline that passes past the collarbones and hangs on both shoulders; also called a bateau neckline or Sabrina neckline. A variation is the portrait neckline. * Deep or plunging neck :These are low necklines, in either V, U or square shapes, that reveal various amounts of cleavage, and some even extending to the natural waist line. * Funnel neck :A neckline with fabric standing high and close to the neck, cut or knit in one piece with the torso rather than as an added collar *

Halter A halter or headcollar is headgear that is used to lead or tie up livestock and, occasionally, other animals; it fits behind the ears (behind the poll), and around the muzzle. To handle the animal, usually a lead rope is attached. On smalle ...

neckline (linear, side edges converge on neck) :These feature a V-neck or scoop front neckline with straps which wrap around and connect at the nape of the neck. * Illusion neckline :A compromise between a low and a high neckline, it combines a low (usually strapless) neckline with semi-transparent fabric (

sheer fabric Sheer fabric is fabric which is made using thin thread or low density of knit. This results in a semi- transparent and flimsy cloth. Some fabrics become transparent when wet. Overview The sheerness of a fabric is expressed as a numerical den ...

lace Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is divided into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted o ...

) along the top part, thus creating a second, higher neckline. This neckline is often seen on traditional white

wedding dress A wedding dress or bridal gown is the dress worn by the bride during a wedding ceremony. The color, style and ceremonial importance of the gown can depend on the religion and culture of the wedding participants. In Western cultures and Anglo ...

es. * Jewel neckline (circular) :These are round and sit at the base of the throat, and are also called the

T-shirt A T-shirt (also spelled tee shirt), or tee, is a style of fabric shirt named after the T shape of its body and sleeves. Traditionally, it has short sleeves and a round neckline, known as a '' crew neck'', which lacks a collar. T-shirts are genera ...

neckline or

crew neck A crew neck (crewneck or crew-neck) is a type of shirt or sweater that has a round neckline and no collar, often worn with other layers. The name dates back to 1939 and was named after a type of sweater worn by rowers. The T-shirt crew neck was ...

. * Keyhole neckline :These are similar to halter necklines, but the converging diagonal lines meet in front of the neck, forming a "keyhole". More generally, these feature a central hole, usually just below the collar bones. These necklines are seen infrequently. * Off-the-shoulder (one edge, nearly linear. Also known as Carmen neckline) :These are similar to boat necklines but are significantly lower, below the shoulders and collar bone. Usually these pass ''over'' the arms but, in the strapless neckline style, may pass under the arms. These necklines reveal and accentuate the wearer's shoulders, collar bone and neck. * One-shoulder neckline (one edge, nearly linear) :These are asymmetrical linear necklines that cut across the torso diagonally, usually from one shoulder to under the other arm. *

Polo neck A polo neck, roll-neck (United Kingdom, South Africa), turtleneck (United States, Canada), or skivvy (Australia, New Zealand, United States) is a garment—usually a sweater—with a close-fitting collar that folds over and covers the ...

(circular) :These are high close-fitting collars that wrap around the neck itself, and are also called turtlenecks. They are most common for sweaters (also called jumpers) or jerseys. * Portrait neckline :A portrait neckline is a V-neck with the edges of the V placed out at the points of the shoulders rather than closer to the neck; it can be combined with a surplice neckline. *

Scoop neck A scoop neckline is a rounded neckline on a garment which is conspicuously lower in the front than in the back. Typically, this style of neckline is associated with skin-baring clothing, including undergarments and activewear. Other appl ...

(curved, concave up) :These have a curved U-shape, with the arms of the U hanging on the shoulders. The depth of the U can vary, ranging from demure styles to plunging. * Square neck (linear side edges neither converge nor diverge) :These are characterized by three linear edges, the bottom edge meeting the side edges at right angles. The bottom edge cuts across the figure horizontally and the side edges pass over the shoulders. A special case of this is the slot neckline, in which the side edges are very close (roughly the width of the collar-bone points), forming a narrow slot. * Surplice neckline :These are similar to how a bathrobe's neckline is formed by one side of the garment overlapping the other. For a dress, the lower layer is usually sewn to the top layer just under the bust. * Sweetheart neckline (side edges linear, curved bottom edge concave down) :These have a curved bottom edge that is concave down and usually doubly scalloped to resemble the top half of a heart. The side edges often converge on the neck, similar to halter necklines. Sweetheart necklines accentuate the bosom. * V-neck (2–4 linear edges, side edges diverge) : Originating from the Middle East, these are formed by two diagonal lines from the shoulders that meet on the chest creating a V shape. The depth of the V can vary, ranging from demure styles to plunging. The V may also be truncated by a small bottom edge, forming a

trapezoid A quadrilateral with at least one pair of parallel sides is called a trapezoid () in American and Canadian English. In British and other forms of English, it is called a trapezium (). A trapezoid is necessarily a convex quadrilateral in Eu ...

Modifications of necklines

The shape of a necklines can be modified in many ways, e.g., by adding a

scarf A scarf, plural ''scarves'', is a piece of fabric worn around the neck or head for warmth, sun protection, cleanliness, fashion, religious reasons, or used to show the support for a sports club or team. They can be made in a variety of diff ...

, overlaying it with a gauzy material or decorating the edges with scallops,

picot picot is a loop of thread created for functional or ornamental purposes along the edge of lace or ribbon, or croché, knitted or tatted fabric. The loops vary in size according to their function and artistic intention. 'Picot', pronounced '' ...

s or ruffles. The neckline can be a sharp edge of fabric or a more gentle cowl, and can also be accentuated by pattern(s) in the fabric itself. Ruffs were popular in the

Elizabethan The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The symbol of Britannia (a female personific ...

era.

Trends

Off-the-shoulders

Blue Off the Shoulder Crop Top, Leopard Skirt, & Short Red Hair

The off-the-shoulder trend dates back to the

Regency A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

and

Victorian Era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwa ...

. They were the height of fashion in the early to mid-nineteenth century.

Charles Frederick Worth Charles Frederick Worth (13 October 1825 – 10 March 1895) was an English fashion designer who founded the House of Worth, one of the foremost fashion houses of the 19th and early 20th centuries. He is considered by many fashion historians to ...

, the father of

haute couture ''Haute couture'' (; ; French for 'high sewing', 'high dressmaking') is the creation of exclusive custom-fitted high-end fashion design that is constructed by hand from start-to-finish. Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, Paris became th ...

, designed many elaborate dresses, many of which featured bodices with off-the-shoulder sleeves and were very popular with prominent figures like . Then in 1960s, French actress

Brigitte Bardot Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot ( ; ; born 28 September 1934), often referred to by her initials B.B., is a former French actress, singer and model. Famous for portraying sexually emancipated characters with hedonistic lifestyles, she was one of the ...

put her own twist on this style, wearing off-the-shoulder tops with everything from midi skirts to pants, reviving the style. The style icon made off-the-shoulder sexy and trendy again and off-the-shoulder style also became known as the “Bardot” style.

References

External links