Not Sure What Necklace to Wear This Diwali? Try These Styling Ideas

The saree is pressed, the blouse fits, the earrings are out on the dresser. And then you open the jewellery box and stall, like literally frozen. See, what usually happens is that a neckpiece is decided at the end, and that causes the most trouble to be honest.

The good part is that you can narrow it down quickly, very quickly. A few small questions about the outfit and about yourself will usually settle it.

Starting with the neckline.

Make sure that you take note of the neckline on what you are wearing before considering any necklace. 

A high neckline, or a boat neck, tends to swallow short necklaces, and a longer chain looks good there. The easiest is a plain round neckline, because almost anything works. An open or deep neckline leaves room for a pendant or a shorter necklace, which can sit comfortably without fighting for attention.

Then check the blouse itself. If it already has heavy embroidery work, the necklace should be sober. Two busy things next to each other do not complement each other.

When a pendant is enough

It works well with a plain saree where the drape and color are already doing the job. It looks elegant with a simple kurti, a lightly embroidered lehenga, or an Indo-western outfit where the cut is the main thing. One good gold-plated pendant necklace is usually better than a whole collection of pieces fighting for attention.

A simple pendant also has a life after Diwali. You can wear it with a shirt on a weekday or a dress at dinner, which is worth considering before you buy any jewellery.

When a choker makes sense

Choker necklaces for women would look best on a bare neck. Hence, if the blouse neckline were open, the choker would also have room to be viewed; if the saree were of a plain, uncluttered upper half, it would permit the same.

Conversely, if there is elaborate embroidery around the collarbone area of your blouse, a chunky choker will overpower that entire area, and a slender, simpler model will fit better.

You may remember this rule: as the top gets heavier, the neckpiece gets simpler. If the blouse is plain, the neckpiece can contain a little more detail.

When one necklace feels too little

Sometimes a single pendant feels slightly underdressed, but a large, heavy necklace feels like too much. This is where layered necklaces help. They give you a more styled look without the weight of one big piece.

The trick is varying the lengths. Chains that sit at clearly different points, say one near the collarbone and another a few inches lower, stay separate and look deliberate. Chains of nearly the same length tend to tangle and look messy.

This can go well with a simple kurti, a saree of any colour, or a bright festive attire. It’s less suited to a heavily embroidered neckline, where the layers will disappear into the detail.

Think about who’s wearing it.

Outfit matching only gets you part of the way. The other part is thinking: when it comes to jewellery, if you typically wear just simple small studs and a thin chain on your neck, then wearing something as bold as a statement necklace may look out of place, even if it is matched appropriately to the saree. You may spend the entire time fidgeting with it. If you generally wear rings and bangles in layers, then it would not seem unusual to your look. If you rarely bother with adornments, then a single pendant will be the simplest option for you.

Comfort shows. A necklace you forget you’re wearing almost always looks better than one you keep touching.

A note on pieces that last past one occasion

This is where contemporary demi-fine jewellery, such as what Amalfa makes, can be practical. Pieces designed for festive dressing that are also light and simple enough for ordinary days give you more wear than something you’d bring out once a year. It’s worth asking of any necklace: will I wear this again in November?

The Takeaway

The process of selecting an appropriate necklace becomes significantly easier if certain factors are taken into account. The neckline of your attire and its detailing should be considered first, along with the fact of your own style and the possibility of wearing the necklace comfortably for a long period of time. It is important to remember that the best necklace is not always the heaviest or most striking one.