Neckline Proportion: Width, Depth and Balance

Once shape is working in your favour, proportion comes into play. Width and depth often matter just as much as the specific style of neckline.

Measuring width to assess practical coverage

One practical approach to neckline width comes from Gale Grigg Hazen, who suggests measuring the width of your neck and the distance from your centre line to your bra straps. These measurements give you a way to assess whether a pattern neckline will sit comfortably and securely on your body, and cover your underwear.

A neckline that is too narrow can feel constricting, while one that is too wide may expose straps or pull visually outward at the centre front, as it finds the right points at your shoulders.

Compare your width to pattern width

Another useful principle is that an opening at the neckline or collar should be wider than the widest part of your face. For many people, this explains why close-fitting jewel necklines are surprisingly unflattering, even when they are technically “neat”.

Finding your balance points

Instead of measuring around the body with a tape, these measurements are taken vertically with a ruler. This is important. This is a different way of measuring than what you measure to obtain an accurate fit.

Whether a neckline is meant to sit ‘high’ or ‘low’, where does ‘high’ or ‘low’ actually look balanced on your body?

Use your face length as the reference.

For lower necklines:

• measure from your hairline to the tip of your chin

• Then measure the same distance down from your chin and mark that on your body.

This point often indicates where lower necklines feel balanced rather than awkward.

This measurement method uses the vertical length of your face to suggest how far below the neck a neckline needs to sit to look balanced on you, rather than assuming everyone suits a neckline tight to the throat.

For higher necklines:

• Stand in front of a mirror with a ruler. Find the widest part of your face

  • For some people this is the cheekbones

  • For others it is the jaw

  • Occasionally the forehead

• Measure straight down, vertically, from that widest point to the tip of your chin

• Transfer that distance to your upper chest; forget your face for a moment.

  • Find the neck point at the shoulder. This is where a neckline meets the shoulder seam on a garment

  • From that point, measure the same distance straight down, vertically

Where that measurement lands on your upper chest is the point Hazen suggests as a flattering high‑neckline level for you, much better than right at the base of the neck.

For above-collarbone necklines:

Above‑collarbone necklines relate much more to the face than the body. Once a neckline moves above the collar bone, it stops “framing the torso” and starts framing the head and jaw.

Experiment with scarves to create different shapes right underneath the jaw, to see whether above-collarbone fabric flatters your jawline.

What you do with this information is a matter of judgement. On some bodies, the lower balance point may fall very low. That does not mean you need to reveal everything to that depth. It does help explain why long necklaces, deep V shapes layered with modest underlayers, or visual emphasis through jewellery and detailing can feel right even when a plunging neckline does not suit your style.

Once you understand your balance points, you start spotting them everywhere. You also begin to notice how often commercial patterns are drafted for longer necks and torsos than many of us actually have.

Again, test before committing. Paper cut-outs, scarves, and quick photo checks are far more informative than patterns.