For this week’s new series, Accessorized Five Ways, I am going to give you my tips on how to wear a bib necklace.  It’s quite coincidental that last week, when I was putting the looks for this post together, I received an email from a blog reader looking for tips on this exact type of necklace.  There are a few ways to wear a bib necklace, several that I am going to share with you below, but before I get into that I want to give you some general  bib necklace suggestions.

Be careful if you have a short neck

Bib necklaces take up a lot of real estate on your decolletage and they also sit up quite high on the neck.  If you have a short neck you may want to avoid bib necklaces or choose styles that aren’t too chunky or fall lower on the chest.  Don’t know if you have a short neck?  Here is how to tell:  Drop your chin to your chest.  If, without any strain or struggle, you can easily touch your chin to your chest, your neck is short.

Keep other accessories near your face simple

Bib necklaces can be busy and bold.  Often, a bib necklace is all you need.  Avoid big earrings, like chandeliers or chunky ones, when wearing a bib necklace.

Simple necklines

Bib necklaces make quite a statement, which is great for enhancing a simple neckline.  However, if there is a lot of detail around the neckline of your outfit, it’s best to not wear one.

How to Wear a Bib Necklace

Here is some outfit inspiration and further instruction on how to wear a bib necklace using this Coral necklace by Aqua, available at Bloomingdales. I love this style because it is delicate while making a statement at the same time.  Plus, in coral, it is in a very versatile pop shade.

Outfit #1 With a strapless dress

With a strapless dress, like this one from Modcloth, a lot of open space is available to place this bib necklace.  As you can see, the necklace pulls the focus up towards the face.  Additionally, this necklace adds a dressy element to the outfit, perfect for taking a daytime dress to an event like a summer wedding.

The outfit is finished with a pair of gold wedges from Sofft, an Isaac Mizrahi blue clutch and simple stud earrings from Stella & Dot.

Outfit #2- To fill in a collared shirt

A bib necklace can fill in the open space of a simple button-front short, worn for work or  casual.  Again, the bib necklace not only brings attention towards the face, but also adds some color and pop.

Here I styled the necklace with a basic white button-front shirt, a pair of mocha cropped trousers from Boden, a blue Vince Camuto handbag and printed J. Crew flats.

Outfit #3- To fill in a deep neckline

A deep v-neck or top, like in this black dress from Zara, can be filled in perfectly with this necklace.  While a necklace like this may not create the same amount of modesty that a tank or camisole might offer, it can still offer some skin coverage.  Plus, like the previous suggestions, a deep v-neck is begging to be filled in with something bold.

To finish the outfit, I styled this dress with a pair of strappy nude and black Reiss heels and a nude clutch from Aldo.

Outfit #4- To bring color near the face

In the summer, it is common to wear printed skirts.  Sometimes it can be hard to figure out what to wear with these prints on the top, and a white top, like this one from Zara, is often grabbed.  White has a tendency to wash many women out.  Here I took the bib necklace to not only put some color near the face but to enhance the pop of coral in the print of this Mango skirt.  In addition, like the previous look, you can see how the bib necklace fills in a deeper neckline here, as well.

With this bold bib necklace, the outfit doesn’t need a lot to look finished.  A pair of metallic work pumps from Ecco, a pair of peach stud earrings and a metallic handbag is all that is needed.

Outfit #5- With a jacket or blazer

For work or play, a bib necklace works beautifully under a jacket or blazer.  Picture a suit for work with a basic tank underneath.  How great would a bib necklace look?  Or, when wearing a blazer with a pair of jeans for casual, like with this emerald green blazer and skinny jeans, layered over a heather linen t-shirt, this bib necklace dresses up the look.

With these strappy heeled sandals and gold handbag, you’re good to go for a night out.

Looking for your perfect bib necklace?

There are so many bib necklaces out there to choose from.  Here are a few, for all styles and budgets, to check out.