Neck Length - YouLookFab Forum

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Neck Length

Meow

Veteran

How do you know if you have a long, short, or regular/average neck length? I see many posts about the ability to wear this or that collar due to neck length. I've read Inside Out Style Blog that talks about proportions but doesn't specifically address neck length. I have looked all over the internet but maybe I'm not "Googling" the right thing. Mostly, I've found to just "eyeball it". But for those of us that don't know what to "eye" is there an easy way to tell? Visuals would be helpful.

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33 replies

Latest reply was from Laura (rhubarbgirl)

Adelfa

Veteran

I think I read somewhere, possibly here, that if you can fit the breadth of your hand into your neck from top to bottom, you have an average neck. If your hand won't fit, you have a short neck. If your hand fits plus there is extra neck room, you have a long neck.

Sal

Veteran

Adelfa, do you mean putting the hand sideways so breadth meaning from base of thumb to base of small finger? I am probably being a little dim.

Adelfa

Veteran

I think just maybe the middle of your hand, where the four fingers join. At least that's what I do to determine my neck is short!

Aziraphale

Veteran

I don't know the answer, but I'm curious to hear other people's. I certainly recognize a long neck when I see one -- people with long necks can wear a high collar and still have neck space between where the collar ends and where the jaw begins (if that makes sense). I can't tell the difference between short necks and average necks.

Anonymous

good question indeed! I just tried fitting my hand in there (wrist at the base and fingers pointing up) , and can put my fingers into my mouth, which must not be a good sign How weirdly depressing .

Sal

Veteran

According to this my neck is average to long....

I often think of myself as slightly short necked but I honestly think my neck is average but I have to be careful with collars, necklaces etc as I am busty and have hair that cane easily be quite "big".

I think there can be other influencers as well, shape of the jaw, shoulder width etc..

I do admire a long elegant neck though!

Adelfa

Veteran

lisap, turn your hand 90 degrees so that the fingers are going across the neck....

deb

Veteran

I have about an inch and a half of neck above the palm of my hand (sideways). So according to your guide, I have a long neck. I have always been told my neck was long but never knew how to measure.

Marley

Veteran

Deb - an inch and a half???? Oh my gosh! I can't even cram my hand into that space on my neck!
Aziraphale - the difference between an average neck and a short neck is that when a short necked person tries to wear a turtleneck the top of the turtleneck hits them in that space between their upper lip and their nose. In other words half of their face disappears!

cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

I also read that if you drop your chin and it easily touches the chest, you have a short neck. If it is close to touching, average and if it doesn't come close, long. Based on both methods, I have an average neck. Interesting because I always assumed my neck was long.

Anonymous

still weirdly depressing even when done correctly I appear to have a short neck. What's next? Short fingers?

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Huh, interesting, I never knew a measurement for this before either. It seems mine is average by the hand-measure test. I can also easily touch my chin to my chest, so maybe it's on the short side of average. I can't say that I really notice neck length on anyone unless it is a very long neck, which I always think looks graceful.

jackiec

Veteran

Lisa I was howling at the hand thing. I assumed the palm was sideways, then I saw your post and was flipping it around, my kids just thought I was plain crazy! I've always assumed my neck was long, and it is by both methods. Gosh I had no idea people could touch their chins to their chests?! I'd snap my neck it's nowhere near....

Aziraphale

Veteran

Marley -- hahahaaaaaaaaa

I guess my neck is average. I can fit the whole palm of my hand in there (sideways, lol, this is a funny thread) but with no room to spare. I can touch my chin to my chest, but it's kind of painful.

KikiG

Veteran

Happily, I have a somewhat longer neck, which is a joy, because I'm only 5'1" and have square shoulders. It helps. I'm grateful.

I worked once with a woman who was my height and a similar build, and no neck to speak of. It makes a big difference.

Diana

Veteran

I have an extremely short neck. Like, I can fit one, maybe two fingers. (And I have small hands.).

Here is another thread with more info. About halfway down there are photos of me (short neck) and angie(long neck) side by side.
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....short-neck

Suja

Veteran

Such an interesting thread. I always thought I had a short neck but according to the hand test, mine is average. Maybe that's why turtlenecks look ok even thoughthey aren't my best neckline.

Sara L.

Veteran

I've never really thought about my neck length but according to these tests mine is long. Maybe one reason why I like to wear turtlenecks.

E

Veteran

How interesting! According to this I have an average neck, but I always thought of it as short, because long earrings brush my shoulders, a lot of shirt collars don't work on me, and I'm prone to having a double chin in photos. I guess that's why I can still wear crewnecks, which are always on the 'don't go there' list for short necks.

Zibbets

Veteran

My old violin teacher told me I had a giraffe neck. Nice, eh? I think my long neck is why I like turtlenecks and collared shirts.

Astrid

Veteran

According to the test with the hand my neck is average. It comfortably fits with a bit of wiggle room, but not a lot.

Nannabella

Huh. Very interesting. According to the hand test I have a long neck, with about an inch of neck above my pinky. But with the chin-to-chest test, I'd qualify as short-necked. Maybe the chin-to-chest test is affected by how flexible one's neck is? I think mine is actually probably on the long side, though not exceptionally so. I do find turtlenecks can be quite flattering and wonder how much of that is due to neck length and how much is due to other factors such as jawline.

deb

Veteran

There is no way in the world my chin will ever touch my chest, like dianthus. I was always call giraffe neck and monkey arms when I was a kid.

Gracie

Veteran

lisap - laughing so hard at your comments! According to this little test mine is long-ish as I have 1" below my four fingers. I woudn't think the collars are a reliable test, as collars on shirts are all kinds of widths and turtlenecks vary in their neck height. And what if our hands are slim or broad? That would influence the outcome as well. Maybe there's a formula out there, like in relation to the size of the head or something...

Alassë

Veteran

Very interesting. I have extra room in the sideways hand test, but can also touch my chin to my chest. I assumed I had a short neck, but apparently not?

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I think the chin-to-chest test is a little flawed. It also depends on how jutting (or not) one's chin is, how one carries the head, and flexibility. I don't think my neck can qualify as short, but I can very easily touch chin to chest.

gradfashionista

(website)

Veteran

Hmm. I can touch my chin to my chest, and have 2-3 finger breadths of space after measuring, but there are photos where my neck looks a bit stubby. I think that the placement of your ear lobes can elongate/shorten the appearance of your neck (higher lobes, longer neck). Also, women with more developed traps will look like they have shorter necks because of the 'webbing.' I actually stopped using certain machines in undergrad because of the changes, but now that I'm older and wiser, I don't care.

Meow

Veteran

This is so interesting! Thank you Adelfa. But, I'm still confused. The hand goes sideways I think I get that (cracking up LisaP). Then if I put, say, my left hand under my chin with the knuckles pointing outward directly under my chin - the pointer finger knuckle under my chin is what I think you all are doing - right? But then I don't get Anabella's comment about having an inch or so ABOVE her pinky? How is the hand positioned to have anything above it? But if you do what I'm thinking - where is the bottom of the neck? Is my neck weird or something because I could use a variety of locations - where my neck meets my shoulders is higher than those 2 little bony bits (collar bones). Also I'm assuming you have to position the chin straight ahead otherwise you'd get a drastically different result.

I think I have an average to slightly long neck according to this test - if I'm doing it right. I do have weirdly small hands. I discovered that when I helped out in a 3rd grade classroom and they were tracing their hands to make Turkey pictures. My hand was smaller than most of the 3rd graders!

For the chin drop test that dianthus recommended, I don't get how you can even have your chin resting on your chest - but then again I'm completely inflexible! If I stretch really hard, the bottom of my chin hits my collar bones. Well, actually it's the double fat chin part hitting my collar bones - so what does that mean? Average? I guess average would make sense since nobody's ever commented on my neck.

Diana, those visuals really help. I guess it's easier to see on other people than on myself.

Elly

Veteran

All of the tests are flawed -- I have a long neck, not as long as Angie's, but still on the long side and by the measurements I'd be a "short to average" neck person. The thing is, I am very (freaky) flexible and have fairly big hands. I think you have to look at yourself and compare proportions, or compare yourself to clothing (i.e. turtlenecks that others also own, etc.).

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