What Prom Necklace Should I Choose?

Where To Buy Prom Jewelry

There’s an art to picking the perfect prom necklace. Just because you love your new statement necklace doesn’t mean you should pair it with your glam sequin-covered dress. When choosing your perfect prom jewelry, you’ll want to consider the cut, style, and most importantly, the neckline of your dress.

Start with these tips:

1. Your necklace should match your mood.

If your dress is classic, you’ll want a simple necklace- try a tiny drop diamond or rhinestone on an 18-inch chain, a string of colored crystals or strand of pearls. If your dress is a little more funky, go with a big statement necklace. Just remember…

2. Don’t overpower your dress.

Your prom necklace should complement your overall look. A bejeweled neckline won’t need a necklace at all, and never pair a large statement necklace with a sequin dress. Work with your dress. If your dress has a lot of embellishments, go for a simpler necklace.

Check out bow tie necklace watch.

3. Pair a big necklace with an understated dress.

Big jewels and intricately-weaved silver and gold necklaces are perfect with a solid-colored or ombre-colored dress. A statement necklace can totally bring your dress from ho-hum to HEY… that’s rad!

4. If your dress has a plunging neckline…

A plunging neckline can almost always benefit from some jewelry. After all, you don’t want all the attention to be focused on your cleavage. The chain length is very important here. You don’t want a super-long necklace that’s going to hit on or below your sternum. You definitely don’t want something that’s going to draw people’s eyes immediately towards your boobs. Instead, try a 16 to 18-inch long dress. It will bring people’s eyes up towards your face.

Find the perfect tiara!

5. When to wear a choker.

Chokers are best when your chest and shoulders are bare. Pair one with a strapless or thin spaghetti-strap dress to liven up your look. Certain boat-neck dresses can also benefit from a choker. Try a ribbon choker embellished with a jewel or a string of pearls or crystals.

6. When to layer necklaces.

Layering necklaces can make a fun, fashionable statement. Just make sure the sparkle doesn’t interfere with the rest of your jewelry and your dress. Pair a few long necklaces with a strapless dress, layer multi-length necklaces over a strapless or spaghetti strap dress, and put delicate chain necklaces over each other if you have a plunging or sweetheart neckline.

7. The strapless dress.

The straight-across neckline formed by a strapless dress is the most versatile one around. Nearly any type of necklace will do, from a perfectly-round string of crystals or pearls, a pendant dangling from a chain or even a choker. Strapless dresses are great for layering. Try a group of long necklaces together, or try some necklaces of varying lengths for some drama.

Also, check out these statement necklaces.

8. The sweetheart neckline.

I’ve always thought a sweetheart neckline looks adorable paired with a heart pendant, mostly because the shapes are so similar. But, sweetheart necklines are pretty versatile so that any shape pendant will do.

9. You may not even need a necklace.

If you’re working with a bejeweled neckline, a halter dress or a dress full of beading, sequins or rhinestones, you may already have enough sparkle going on. You could skip the necklace and go straight for a pair of gorgeous earrings.

For help, check out Pendant Necklace Gemstone Review.

10. Crystal, glass and shiny pendants are best.

It’s prom! This might be the fanciest event you’ve attended yet. So, your jewelry should match. Rhinestones and crystals will catch the dance floor lights and sparkle. Glass beads will glimmer. Shiny silver and gold pendants look stunning at night. Go all out and wear upscale special occasion jewelry that you wouldn’t wear every day.

Ways to Wear a Prom Tiara: Eight Creative Ways to Wear Tiaras for Prom

Complete your prom jewelry by adding a tiara! Check out these different tiara styles, how to wear them and which hair ‘dos look best with one.

Some high schools crown one girl prom queen during the big night and top it off by giving her a special prom tiara to wear for the rest of the dance. Getting elected prom queen is often a huge popularity contest. If you’re into running, go for it. But, if you’re just not up for the drama, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t wear a tiara anyway. It’s your night, your dress, and if you want to crown yourself, why not?

Prom tiaras come in many varieties, from headbands to hair combs and full-out princess-style round crowns. Here are my favorite prom tiara looks and the best ways to wear them:

Click on any of these photos to see the look up close!

See also: the best prom earrings.

1. The Headband Tiara

Avril Lavigne wore a headband tiara during a fashion show for her clothing line Abbey Dawn. Instead of wrapping around the top of her head, her tiara actually forms the very top of a headband. These are super easy to place on your head and look best when paired with straight down, long and loose or half up, half down hairstyles. Make sure the headband fits snuggly on your head. If it’s loose, secure it by tucking a few bobby pins over it just above your ears.

2. Another Headband Tiara

You can also fasten your headband tiara back around your head like the model in this photo… just make sure your hair falls over the back of your tiara.

3. A Mini Triangle Tiara

Understated and elegant, a mini triangle prom tiara adds just enough sparkle to your tresses. You’ll want to position one of these about halfway between your forehead and the middle of your head. If you’re wearing your hair down, it’s easiest to fashion one of these when it’s attached to a hair comb. Tease the front portion of your hair into a small pouf, comb it back, and secure it with the comb. Let the rest of your hair hang straight down, or curl it into soft waves. If your crown jewels are attached to a tiara that forms a circle, it’ll be easier to position it into an updo.

4. The Round Mini Crown

Round tiaras are what most girls think of when they hear the word “tiara.” These sit forward on your head, just above your forehead, and will wrap all the way around to the back of your ‘do. They look best when paired with updos and hairstyles with a lot of volumes: that way you have something to rest the tiara in. You’ll have to fiddle with it a bit to get it to rest just so. Some come with tiny combs on the back for securing purposes. But, it’s best to have some small bobby pins handy to make sure your tiara stays in place. After all, you don’t want to lose it on the dance floor!

5. More of the Round Mini Crown

Paris Hilton rocks an adorable round mini crown at an event in Los Angeles. Even though her hair is down, she manages to pull off the crown effortlessly by hiding its ends underneath her hair. The key to pulling off round crowns with loose hair is volume! If your hair is naturally curly, let your voluminous hair do its thing- you’ll be able to hide the tips of your crown easily. If your hair is finer, tease it up a bit.

6. The Jeweled Headband

Not ready for the height of a tiara, but want to add some sparkle to your locks? Go for a flat crystal headband, like Kiera Knightley. The jewels fall just above her forehead, where a crown would be, and wrap all the way back underneath her half-up ‘do.

7. The Hair Pin Tiara

Scarlett Johansson created her own tiara by tucking three pretty hairpins into her updo. If you find some sparkly pins that you just have to have, buy three or four of them and tuck them into your hair for a creative and eye-catching look.

8. The Halo Crown

While this type of crown screams prom royalty, it should be reserved for Miss America Pageants and the Queen of England. Halo crowns will be heavy on your head, won’t stay on when you’re dancing, will distract from your dress, hair, makeup… and well, everything really. I wouldn’t recommend a tiara this big for prom. It’s just too much!

Related: What prom necklace should I choose?

Images via: Getty Images