How to Wear Statement Necklaces

Co-authored by Katie Quinn

Last Updated: February 5, 2023 References

Statement necklaces are great for turning a casual outfit into a put-together, dressier one. If you're wearing a statement necklace, you'll want to make this the boldest part of your outfit. Try to stick to solid-colored clothing and choose an appropriate neckline for your necklace. Use your statement necklaces to reinvent your outfits — wear a statement necklace with a t-shirt and jeans for a dressier look, or wear some statement pearls to make your work outfit chic and stylish.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Creating a Statement

1
Keep your look simple to let the necklace be the focal point. Statement necklaces should be exactly that — the statement. Try to let your necklace be the focus of your entire outfit, wearing clothing that complements the necklace and adding accessories.^{[1]
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- For example, a complete outfit would consist of a solid-colored t-shirt, jeans, a colorful statement necklace, and shoes that match a color in the necklace.
2
Avoid wearing earrings unless they’re very subtle. If your earrings are as bold as your necklace, there’s too much going on and people won’t be able to focus on your necklace. Either opt for wearing no earrings, or wear small diamond or pearl studs.
- Don't wear a statement necklace with statement earrings.^{[2]
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  Katie Quinn. Stylist. Personal interview. 8 May 2020.}
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3
Keep rings and bracelets to a minimum. It’s fine to wear some bling on your arms, but don’t overdo it. A simple bracelet that goes with your outfit or a couple of classic rings will look nice with your statement necklace.^{[3]
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4
Match your statement necklace to your neckline. You don’t want your top to be distracting and take away from your necklace. Open necklines look best with statement necklaces, like off-the-shoulder, strapless, v-neck, and scoop necked tops.^{[4]
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Katie Quinn. Stylist. Personal interview. 8 May 2020.}
- You may want to avoid wearing a statement necklace if you have on a top with a square neckline, since this can look a little dated.^{[5]
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  Katie Quinn. Stylist. Personal interview. 8 May 2020.}
5
Add a splash of color to a plain outfit. If you’re wearing colors like white, black, gray, or cream, putting on a statement necklace in a bright color can make your outfit pop.^{[6]
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- For example, wear black jeans, a cream sweater, and a bold or multicolored statement necklace.
6
Wear a monochromatic statement necklace with colorful clothing. If you’re already wearing lots of bold colors in your outfit, wear a statement necklace that’s a solid color. Black is a great color that will go with anything, or a diamond statement necklace should match bold outfits.^{[7]
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7
Layer your statement necklaces for a trendy option. If you have several different statement necklaces that work well with one another, layer them up! Just make sure they’re all different lengths so that each necklace can be seen on your neck.
- For example, if you have 2 or 3 statement necklaces all in gold, put all of them on to see how they look next to each other.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Putting an Outfit Together

1
Create a dressier outfit by wearing a statement necklace over a t-shirt. To take a simple outfit of jeans and a t-shirt to the next level, wear a statement necklace. Your outfit will instantly become dressier, and you can pair it with wedges, colorful sneakers, or heels.^{[8]
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Pair a statement choker with a crop top and skirt. Crop tops are already somewhat of a statement, so make sure your necklace is seen by choosing a statement choker. Pair your necklace and top with a skirt (short or long) for a complete outfit.^{[9]
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- Consider wearing a black crop top with a black statement choker, along with a solid-colored skirt or a multi-colored maxi skirt.
3
Wear a statement necklace with a blazer or jacket. Throw on a black blazer over a blouse, or a leather or jean jacket over a t-shirt. Choose a chic statement necklace that goes with the blazer or jacket, possibly made of gold or simple geometry.^{[10]
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- Keep the pieces simple—pairing a blazer, jacket, or cardigan with a statement necklace can create a busy look if there's too much going on.^{[11]
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  Katie Quinn. Stylist. Personal interview. 8 May 2020.}
4
Add a neon statement necklace to an outfit made of chambray or denim. A neon necklace will add character and pop to your denim outfit. Throw on a chambray shirt, or pair a white t-shirt with denim pants and wear a bright statement necklace made of colors like neon pink, orange, or blue.^{[12]
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5
Button up a collared shirt before wearing a statement necklace. If you’re wearing a collared shirt, button it all the way up and then place the statement necklace underneath the collar for a classy look.
6
Show off a statement necklace by wearing a v-neck. V-neck shirts and dresses are great for showing off a bold statement necklace. Make sure the necklace is positioned in the free expanse of skin and not on top of the v-neck for the best look.
- An outfit consisting of a gray v-neck shirt, jean shorts, a colorful statement necklace, and flats would look great.
7
Pair a statement necklace with a shift dress for a quick outfit. Shift dresses have a casual look, but with the pairing of a statement necklace, your outfit instantly becomes dressier and put-together.
- Wear a black shift dress with a multicolored statement necklace and colorful sandals.
- Wear a floral or pastel-colored shift dress with a statement necklace made of pearls or diamonds.
8
Wear statement pearls for a classy work look. To make your work outfit look more fashionable, add a statement necklace made of pearls. You can wear them over a simple blouse or solid-colored dress.^{[13]
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- Pair a pearl statement necklace with a champagne pink blouse and black dress pants.
9
Match a statement necklace with part of your outfit. Pick out a bold part of your outfit — maybe it’s a pair of red pants, a bright pink purse, or yellow heels. Choose a statement necklace that’s the same shade as your statement piece of clothing for a put-together look.^{[14]
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- An outfit example might be wearing a black dress, baby blue heels, and a statement necklace made of blues, including the baby blue of your shoes.

Expert Q&A

Question

Are there necklines that don't work as well with statement necklaces?

Katie Quinn
Image Consultant
Katie Quinn is an Image Consultant, Personal Wardrobe Stylist and the Founder of Q the Stylist, an image consulting service based in New York City helping men and women understand their specific goals, improve their wardrobe, performance, and life. She has over 11 years of image consulting experience and has worked as a stylist for Trunk Club, Modewalk, and Moda Operandi. Her work has been featured in Vogue, InStyle, Martha Stewart Weddings, Sheridan Road, Slate, Newsy, Rue, and Thrillist.

Katie Quinn

Image Consultant

Expert Answer

I feel like statement necklaces can get a bit lost when there's a cardigan or jacket in play. Sometimes there's just too much going on. And I don't like them with square necklines because I feel like it just doesn't look modern.