Happy Monday, gal pals! I hope you had a lovely weekend and accomplished just as much as you wanted to…no more, no less! Some weekends we just need to chill, huh? But today we begin a new week. And I thought it would be fun to begin with a sweet, short styling lesson. Let’s talk about the styling magic of the V.
The Secret’s Out!
It’s not a secret really. And it’s not even magic. It’s a principle of design. Vs elongate and slenderize.
When you wear a v-neck shirt or dress, you’ll instantly look more slender and even taller than you would if you were wearing any other neckline. The point of the V elongates, stretching the viewer’s gaze up and down your body or torso. And the narrowing of this line at the right place also slenderizes, drawing the focus inward. A v-neck top causes your shoulders to look broader and your waistline to look smaller. It also opens up your face and draws attention there.
Don’t Fear the V
I’ve known many women who shied away from wearing v-neck tops because they thought their aging neck was no longer attractive and should be hidden behind a collar. But nothing could be further from the truth.
Look, I get it. My neck has a lot of wrinkles! And it tends to get a little red because of medications I take daily. But even with all its imperfections, our necks can be bared. I’ve gotten to where I simply continue my foundation use down onto my neck. But I’ve also realized that regardless of my aged neck, I look more attractive in a v-neck top.
Truth is, most of us do.
The Most Universally Flattering Neckline
Unless you have extremely wide shoulders, you will probably look your very best in a v-neck top. And I have wide shoulders. But the truth is, wide shoulders are usually attractive. They help create that desirable hourglass shape. So even if your shoulders are a little wide, I encourage you to look at pictures of yourself with v-necks and see what you think.
As I looked back over previous blog posts in search of photos of me in v-necks, I was surprised to see just how much difference this neckline makes. Even though I’m not advocating wearing a v-neck every single day, I can attest this neckline makes a significant difference in our appearance.
The Beauty of the V-neck
But the allure of the v-neck top is not just that it elongates and slenderizes. It also reveals one of the most universally flattering features of the female body – the clavicle or collarbone. The clavicles are the long bones that lay horizontal across the front of your shoulders, connecting the shoulder blades to the sternum. The clavicle is more pronounced on women than most men and is part of our feminine appeal.
So when we wear a neckline, such as the v-neck, that reveals the clavicles, we automatically look more feminine, youthful and delicate.
Other Vs to Consider
But did you know that there is more style magic with Vs? You can also style with Vs at your waistline, your wrists and your ankles. A v-notch in your sleeve or a V in a bracelet will slenderize your wrists. And shoes with a V in the vamp (that’s the upper part of the shoe) will slenderize your ankle and potentially elongate your legs.
How about you? Have you discovered the styling magic of Vs? I’d love to hear from you today. And be sure to let me know if you have any questions.
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Quick Announcement!
I’ve added some new shopping pages to the blog! Yippee! If you check the top menu, you’ll find a new Shop tab. If you hover over it with your mouse or cursor, you’ll discover tabs to Shop My Looks and Shop My Talbots Favorites. I’ll be adding my favorites for other retailers soon!
I’ll try to keep these shopping pages up to date with items I own and wear or have tried on and love.
Blessed for My Day
You know I’m all for dressing ourselves in a way that is flattering and creates a pleasing appearance. And in fact, I think it’s important that we dress ourselves well so that we can interact with those around us in a gracious, appropriate way.
But the Bible teaches us that we also need to clothe ourselves in character traits that are pleasing and attractive. Not only do these traits look good on us, but they give the people around us a glimpse of Jesus. Today let’s be sure to put on the character of Christ by submitting to His authority in our lives and focusing on what pleases Him.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ~ Colossians 3:12
Do you skip breakfast on the Faster Way? What about coffee in the morning?
Hi Dianne. I don’t eat until 11:00, but this is actually very good for us as it gives our bodies time level out sugar levels and burn fat. I do drink coffee in the morning though.
Kay, what a fabulous post! Not only does it provide excellent styling information, but the BfMD is spot on too. Thanks!
Great! Glad you enjoyed it, Bev.
Great advice and SO true. I have a question: IF you have to wear a rounded neck, would wearing a scarf around your neck and tying it in front low which forms a V neck, work the same magic and simply wearing a V neck? Before I learned this fantastic trick of wearing V necks I still own a few round necks. This would work best in the Fall and Winter months, I realize, but just wanted to get your opinion on doing that. Thanks Kay. Enjoy your blog so much!
Hi Sondra. Yes, in fact wearing a strong V necklace helps elongate and slenderize, too. But of course neither reveal the clavicle which is part of the charm of the v-neck.
Yes! I always look for v-necks. I definitely see that they draw the attention away from my aging neck. The pictures of you wearing the v-neck t-shirts with delicate necklaces are perfect! Have a blessed week.
Thanks Liz. I’m glad you enjoyed the post. ?
I totally agree with you. I only want to wear v-necks. But with sweaters I am having a hard time finding one.
Yes, I always prefer v-necks, but sometimes we do have to go with other necklines. I also like boatneck tops because they tend to show the clavicle.
Kay you are so right about this type of neckline, I always opt for a v neck if I can. i’m small on top and a crew neck makes me look like a boy! Plus all my necklaces look better with a v neck. Love the Blessed for My Day. Hope your day is wonderful?
Lol! I think that is part of my problem with the round neck too! Thanks for sharing. Another great point. ?
I love a good vneck but used to struggle with finding ones that were not too low. Another great tip is to remember that moisturizer and sunscreen are for the neck and chest to so we don’t have to hide wrinkles. BTW, I like you in the round neck top too, it shows off your toned arms.
Right!! Unfortunately I learned to doctor my neck a little late in the game. But I do always wear sunscreen and lotion on that area now. Thanks for sharing this! ?
Hi Kay,
I love a V neck. I think it is the best look for me. I have a short torso so it helps elongate that part of me. Thanks for all your posts on dressing for us over 40+ gals.
Enjoyed the post today! I also look for v-necks but sometimes have trouble finding them that aren’t too low.
I totally agree that v-necks are really the most flattering. Something about my short-waisted body doesn’t work with many crewneck shirts … the cut of the neckline has to fall at just the right spot, not too high, or I end up looking really blocky. As for hiding my aging neck skin, well, I can’t deny the beauty of turtlenecks in winter time, but obviously that’s not a warm weather option! Plus focusing too much on hiding my neck wouldn’t fit in with my quest to accept the changes of age with grace.
I agree with your comments about the V neck but….I tend to go for the round neck because of my clavicle. I didn’t realize it was a good thing to show it. I always thought it looked like I was bony around my neck when I’m wearing an open front like a v neck or a lower scooped top so because of my clavicle always “sticking out”, I opt to cover it up. This was a new one for me to learn that showing those clavicle bones makes one more feminine, youthful and delicate. I guess I will “try” to embrace those bones sticking out…LOL
Hahaha! I get that. We get things in our heads… maybe check out photos of yourself and also ask a trusted friend for her assessment. We’re all created differently of course. And no style rule is 100% accurate. But it may be time to rethink those necklines! ?
Kay, I do see a difference in the appearance of your neck with a V neck top. I have a tendency to ster away from V necks because I don’t like for any cleavage to show. We do not have any special plans for this weekend. We will be driving home Friday night after day long appointments for Larry at Emory, for his yearly checkup. Fabulous DFMD!
Thanks for sharing Ginger. I hope your husband gets good reports. ??
It seems to be well accepted that v-necks are flattering but they are difficult to find both in tops and dresses and often are cut too low or too wide. I wish clothing companies would read style articles!Thank you for your posts.
Hi Ruth. Yes, I agree they can be hard to find. Recently I’ve been looking for cute t-shirts, and it’s so hard to find them with v-necks. And then many of those are just gaping open! Thanks for reading and sharing!