A choker is short necklace meant to sit close at the base of your neck.  For many women a 16” length is ideal.  But this can vary woman to woman.  I know women who are 6 feet tall who wear a 14” length and also short women who need a 17” or even 18” length.  For a necklace to sit at the base of your neck, the dimension of your actual neck comes into play as well as how your shoulders connect at the base of your neck.  If a necklace is so taught that it sits above the base of your neck, it would be considered a collar.  The two words are often interchanged, so I only offer this as an extra tidbit of knowledge.

The short length of a choker is ideal when you want to bring attention up to the face or if you want to showcase a pendant above a neckline including a keyhole shape, with the right pendant of course ;).

The Princess length is meant to sit on the collar bone.  Traditionally a princess necklace is 18” long. But again – this depends on your personal stature.  Located just under the hollow of your throat, this length is still relatively short, but if you are not fond of things close to your neck this is a better option than a choker for comfort.

Although the princess length necklace is in the short range of the spectrum, it may be a bit long for wearing with a pendant unless you have a V-neck or a deep scoop neckline.  It can also be worn with a snug turtleneck or mock turtleneck especially if it’s layered with another longer necklace or a draping garment like a cardigan sweater with a deep neckline.

The term matinee refers to necklaces in the mid-range of the length spectrum.  They are meant to drape below the collar bone but above the bust.  This length is considered both casual and proper depending on the style and clothing you pair it with.

Matinee length necklaces are typically layered over a neckline and are long enough to stay draped over your clothing.  My personal favorite go-to for every-day wear is a 24” thin cable chain with my signature Faith and Love pendant.  It layers over my slightly scoop neck t-shirts and feels super comfy.  This range of necklace lengths is perfect with higher necklines like boat necks, crew necks, and turtlenecks.  They’re also great for layering over button down shirts when you prefer to wear only the top button or two open.

Traditionally speaking, the opera length necklace was considered to be formal.  But the more current fashion trends show it with a boho chic vibe.  The opera length is long; commonly 30”.  It’s meant to drape at or below the bust which allows it to layer over most any garment – even those with a deep v-neck.

The long length of the opera necklace draws the attention down the front of the body.  They work great with cowl necklines or any top with interest up near the neck like henleys or golf shirts.  They also layer well with a scarf wrapped around your neck.

Rope length necklaces are extra long; 36” or more.  It’s common to see this length in a strand of pearls worn wrapped twice around the neck.

This extra long length is also great to wear layered over loose cowl necks as the fit of the garment pulls the necklace away from your natural neckline causing the length to sit higher on your body.

The higher neckline typically pairs well with necklace lengths which layer over the garment.  There are lots of options from matinee (mid-range) to rope (extra-long).  You may also like a short choker (or collar) but only with a very small pendant if any pendant at all.  The length to avoid here is princess, because it will compete with the neckline and likely slip behind the garment.

The goal is to choose a necklace that’s either shorter or longer than the neckline.  A choker worn plain or with a small pendant is likely to sit above the neckline.  Or you could choose to layer over the neckline with a long matinee or opera length.

The same rule applies.  You want something that sits above the neckline or drapes below.  If your V is low enough, you can rock a bold pendant on a princess length necklace to really fill in the display area above the neckline.  Or you can layer a choker, princess, and short matinee all together.  If you want to draw attention lower, you can wear an opera or rope length necklace.

The best necklace choice depends on how many buttons you wear buttoned or unbuttoned.  If you button most buttons, you’ll likely want a matinee length to layer over the buttoned placket.  But if you wear the top 2 or 3 buttons open, it’s more like a v-neck and you could pair it with a choker.

There’s a lot going on between your collar bone and bust with this style top, so you want either a short choker with a small pendant or a long opera length or rope to layer over.  Have some fun and dare to wear both!  Just be careful about your look getting too busy.

Collars and chokers are the only lengths to avoid here.  Turtlenecks provide a lot of real estate to showcase great pieces.  This is a prime time to go bold and layer.  Whether you want to show off a big pendant or layer up with texture or color, you get to choose where the eye is directed depending on the necklace you wear.

A cowl neck is voluminous on its own.  If the opening around the neck is low enough you may want a simple choker likely sans pendant unless the cowl falls in a V.  Your other option is to go long like opera or rope length.  The idea is to choose a necklace to layer below the cowl.  If the cowl neck pulls away from your neck, the rope length may serve you best as it will take more length to drape around the bulk.