The neckline is the top edge or edges of a

garment Clothing (also known as clothes, garments, dress, apparel, or attire) is any item worn on a human human body, body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin s ...

that surrounds the

neck The neck is the part of the body in many vertebrates that connects the head to the torso. It supports the weight of the head and protects the nerves that transmit sensory and motor information between the brain and the rest of the body. Addition ...

, especially from the front view. Neckline also refers to the overall visual line between all the layers of clothing and the neck and

shoulders The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle (collarbone), the scapula (shoulder blade), and the humerus (upper arm bone) as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder m ...

of a person, ignoring any unseen

undergarments Underwear, underclothing, or undergarments 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 clothing from being soiled ...

. For each garment worn above the

waist The waist is the part of the Human abdomen, abdomen between the rib cage and Hip (anatomy), hips. Normally, it is the narrowest part of the torso. ''Waistline'' refers to the horizontal line where the waist is narrowest, or to the general appe ...

, 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. It was developed during the Early Middle Ages. The term may have originally referred to the hooded portion of a cloak, though contempor ...

, darts, or

pleat A pleat (plait in older English) is a type of fold formed by doubling textile, 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. Pleat ...

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 fl ...

Types

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

Boat neck

The boat neck, also called the ''bateau neckline'' or ''Sabrina neckline'', is a high, wide, slightly curved neckline that passes past the collabones and hangs on both shoulders. It has one edge and is nearly linear. One variation is the ''portrait neckline''.

Crew neck

This neckline is circular and sits at the base of the throat. It is commonly called the ''

T-shirt A T-shirt (also spelled tee shirt, or tee for short) 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-shir ...

neckline''. It's functionally interchangeable with the '' jewel neckline'', though ''jewel'' tends to refer to a neckline that is lower and more relaxed to show the collarbones or neck jewelry.

Deep or plunging neckline

These are low necklines, in either V, U, or square shapes, that reveal some amount of

cleavage Cleavage may refer to: Science * Cleavage (crystal), the way in which a crystal or mineral tends to split * Cleavage (embryo), the division of cells in an early embryo * Cleavage (geology), foliation of rock perpendicular to stress, a result of ...

. In some cases, these necklines will extend to the natural waistline.

Funnel neck

The funnel neckline has fabric standing high and close to the neck, cut or knit in one piece with the torso rather than as an added collar.

Halter neckline

The

Halter A halter or headcollar is headgear placed on animals 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. ...

neckline is linear, featuring a V-neck or scoop front neckline with straps which either tie behind the neck, or wrap around and connect at the nape of the neck. This style hides cleavage and exposes the collarbone. The back is also generally exposed.

Illusion neckline

The illusion neckline is a compromise between a low and high neckline. It combines a low, usually strapless, neckline with semi-transparent fabric (

sheer fabric Sheer fabric is textile, fabric which is made using thin Thread (unit of measurement), thread or low density of knits, knit. This results in a semi-Transparency (optics), transparent and flimsy cloth. Some sheer fabrics become transparency (optic ...

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 split 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 dresses.

Jewel neckline

The jewel neckline is circular and sits near the base of the throat. It is sometimes used interchangeably with the term ''crew neck'', though ''jewel'' tends to refer to necklines that are lower and more relaxed to show the collarbones or neck jewelry.

Keyhole neckline

The keyhole neckline features a hole at the center, usually just below the collarbones. These are often similar to halter necklines, except that the converging diagonal lines meet in front of the neck, forming a "keyhole".

Off-the-shoulder

The off-the-shoulder neckline, sometimes called the ''Carmen neckline'', is similar to boat necklines but is significantly lower, below the shoulders and collarbone. Usually it passes ''over'' the arms, but in the ''strapless neckline'' style it may pass under the arms. The off-the-shoulder neckline reveals and accentuates the wearer's shoulders, collarbone, and neck. The off-the-shoulder trend dates back to the

Regency In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

and

Victorian Era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...

. 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 (; ; French for 'high sewing', 'high dressmaking') is the creation of exclusive custom-fitted high-end fashion design. The term ''haute couture'' generally refers to a specific type of upper garment common in Europe during the 16th to the ...

, designed many elaborate dresses, many of which featured bodices with off-the-shoulder sleeves and were very popular with prominent figures like

Empress Eugenie The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother/grandmother ( empress dowager/ grand empress dowager), or a woman who rul ...

. 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 French former actress, singer, and model as well as an animal rights activist. Famous for portraying characters with Hedonism, hedonistic life ...

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.

One-shoulder neckline

These are asymmetrical linear necklines with one edge, which cut across the torso diagonally, usually from one shoulder to under the other arm.

Polo neck

These are high, close-fitting collars which wrap around the neck itself. They are most commonly used for jerseys and

sweaters A sweater (North American English) or pullover, also called a jersey or jumper (British English, Hiberno-English and Australian English),

(also known as jumpers), and are often called ''turtlenecks''.

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's similar to the off-the-shoulder neckline, but the straps are higher on the shoulder. It can be combined with a surplice neckline.

Scoop neck

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 high to plunging.

Square neck

These are characterized by three linear edges, with the bottom edge meeting the side edges at right angles (or nearly right angles). The bottom edge cuts across the figure horizontally and the side edges pass over the shoulders. This neckline has been used in wedding dresses since at least the 1800s. A special variant of this is the ''slot neckline'', in which the side edges are very close (roughly the width of the collarbone 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

The sweetheart neckline has a curved bottom edge that is concave down and usually doubly scalloped, so that it resembles the top half of a heart. The side edges often converge on the neck, similar to halter necklines. Sweetheart necklines tend to accentuate the bosom of the wearer. The strapless version of the sweetheart neckline is common in wedding dresses.

V-neck

The V-neck is formed by two diagonal lines from the shoulders that meet on the chest to create a V shape. The depth of the V can vary, ranging from high to plunging. The V may also be truncated by a small bottom edge, forming a

trapezoid In geometry, a trapezoid () in North American English, or trapezium () in British English, is a quadrilateral that has at least one pair of parallel sides. The parallel sides are called the ''bases'' of the trapezoid. The other two sides are ...

. Deeper v-necks may reveal cleavage and are used in dresses. This style originated in the Middle East.

Modifications

The shape of a necklines can be modified in many ways, such as by adding a

scarf A scarf (: scarves or scarfs) is a long piece of fabric that is worn on or around the neck, shoulders, or head. A scarf is used for warmth, sun protection, cleanliness, fashion, religious reasons, or to show support for a sports club or team. ...

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

picot A picot is a loop of thread created for functional or ornamental purposes along the edge of lace or ribbon, or crocheted, 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

, and can also be accentuated one or multiple

patterns A pattern is a regularity in the world, in human-made design, or in abstract ideas. As such, the elements of a pattern repeat in a predictable manner. A geometric pattern is a kind of pattern formed of geometric shapes and typically repeated li ...

in the fabric itself.

Ruff Ruff may refer to: Places *Ruff, Virginia, United States, an unincorporated community *Ruff, Washington, United States, an unincorporated community Other uses *Ruff (bird) (''Calidris pugnax'' or ''Philomachus pugnax''), a bird in the wader famil ...

s 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 Roman symbol of Britannia (a female per ...

era.

Gallery

File:Boat neckline.jpg,

Boat A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size or capacity, its shape, or its ability to carry boats. Small boats are typically used on inland waterways s ...

neckline File:Jewel neckline.jpg, Jewel or

crew A crew is a body or a group of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchy, hierarchical organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard. The word has nautical resonances: the ta ...

neckline File:U neckline.jpg, U or

scoop Scoop, Scoops or The Scoop may refer to: Artefacts * Scoop (machine part), a component of machinery to carry things * Scoop (tool), a shovel-like tool, particularly one deep and curved, used in digging * Scoop (theater), a type of wide area l ...

neckline File:V neckline.jpg, V neckline File:Square neckline.jpg, Square neckline File:Waterfall neckline.jpg, Waterfall or

neckline File:Spaghetti neckline.jpg, Spaghetti neckline File:Strapless neckline.jpg, Strapless neckline File:Sweetheart neckline.jpg, Sweetheart neckline File:Halter neckline.jpg, Halter neckline

References

External links

* * {{Clothing materials and parts Neckwear