Quick question: How do you know if you have a short neck?

rachylou

I never thought of myself as having a short neck, but I'm wondering if I do because I feel I look terrible in collared button down shirts. And I think having a short neck could be the reason. Not that I'm no-neck or anything...

9 years ago

General

30 replies

Latest reply was from rachylou

kerry

Veteran

I don't have a short neck just a long chin(s). I do actually have a long neck and I always wondered why my friend's hair always seemed to grow a lot faster than mine. I finally realized that I had a lot more real estate between my chin and shoulder than her so my hair took longer to get there. I don't like collared shirts on me either. That's less to do with my neck and more to do with trying not to look like a linebacker.

9 years ago

catgirl

Veteran

Mine is so obvious! One thing I don't have to puzzle over. If you don't know, then yours is probably normal.

9 years ago

Suzanne (ambergreen)

Veteran

I have wondered the same about myself, but nevermind the neck...the bust makes it a moot point. (The shoulders don't always help either...)

Of course, now that I'm a YLFer, I know that there must be enough variation in collared shirts that it's possible to find some that work better than others.

9 years ago

Jeanie

Veteran

I was wondering that myself. Hope someone knows.

9 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Hair matters, too.

I actually have a longish neck (and a long head) but even I look sort of awful in collared shirts when my hair is long. Whereas with short hair they are a slam dunk for me.

9 years ago

Diana

Veteran

Hmm, yeah mine is obvious too so I think Una is right. I was wearing a teeny scarf today and it covered up most of my neck. I can't pop the collar on anything without it hitting the back of my head, even if I pull my hair up. And forget about turtlenecks.

Also my collarbones are very high and horizontal which contributes to the effect.

I never wear my shirts buttoned all the way up but I think they can be quite elongating if you leave a button or two open on top.

9 years ago

K. Period.

Veteran

Mine is obvious too. ITs almost always have a shorter neck, I've noticed. I've never noticed your neck as being shorter, so I suspect you are among the normally necked. And just for you, a little Hollywood Film Czar, Earl P.

ETA: Just looked at your pictures. Nope. You aren't short necked. Yours is lovely.

9 years ago

always trying

Veteran

Only reason I could never wear turtlenecks except for skiing as they came up over my chin--and that has gotta be a short neck.

9 years ago

Aubergine

Veteran

I kinda wondered that about myself too. But I think I just have a really big head for my height, which makes my neck look shorter. I remember in high school math class, we were supposed to get everyone's height and the circumference of their head to plot on a graph, and it turned out I was a total outlier.

9 years ago

Vildy

Veteran

supposedly it's when you can quite easily bend your face down and have your chin touch your chest.

ETA it may be a problem with shirt collars similar to the problem some people have with crew necks and boat/bateau necks and where tops ride up and backwards. A relation between front shoulder point and clavicle, where clavicle is placed "too" low to avoid choking or a choking look in these necklines, collars.

9 years ago

ironkurtin

Veteran

When you can't reach the delicious growth at the tops of trees even with your two-foot tongue?

9 years ago

Diana

Veteran

OK, so I have no idea whether or not this is a "scientific" way to determine whether your neck is short, but...
here is a bad webcam shot of short-necked me looking straight ahead, eyes level with camera. You can see the bottom of my chin is around the height of my shoulders.

Compare that to a picture of long-necked Angie. Her chin is WAY above her shoulders.

9 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

Hmm. I have to go look in the mirror, Diana, Suz, Aubergine... and try to lick some treetops, IK, LOL.

I'm not sure I understand the problem re. clavicle v. bateau neck, Vildy. The bateau top rides up and it has to do with one's clavicle? Also, K. Period, so what sort of neck does Earl P. have there?

I'm such a dunce (and lazy). I still don't know my shape.

9 years ago

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

I have such a short neck. (And wide shoulders. And probably big head, too.) I think you know if you really look best in v necks or scoop necks, and super high crew necks and turtlenecks are horrible. The collar thing I agree could be more a matter of fit, or maybe face shape related to collar shape.

9 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

It's a visual thing - thanks, Diana. You are absolutely right. How close are your shoulders to your chin or earlobes? I have a disproportionately long neck that I deliberately visually shorten. Even in high necklines - look at far away my chin is, and earlobes are, from my shoulders. I am at home with the giraffes in the zoo.

ETA: Diana, your length went to your legs and mine went to my neck. There is no right and wrong here. It's just how are our bodies are and it's all good.

9 years ago

MsLuna

Veteran

How I discovered I have a short neck: wore the same pair of dangling earrings as another person. Hers hung inches above her shoulders, mine touched my shoulders

9 years ago

Fruitful

Veteran

I have a thick neck! Does anyone take that into consideration?

9 years ago

catgirl

Veteran

Yes, Fruitful - mine is short plus I have a thyroid issue - so my neck is like a stump. Bleah.

9 years ago

jennifer

Veteran

I read about one test ( other than Vildy's), where you put your palm against your throat thumb sort of along the jaw meets the back of the ear spot. If your palm won't fit against your neck then you've got a short neck. If it fits I believe it was average ,and if more then the neck was long. This sorta makes sense because it deals with your own proportions to each other more than just compared to someone else.

9 years ago

Marmee

Veteran

Interesting discussion. I always thought I had a short neck because I don't like myself in crew necks, and prefer v or scoop necks, but when I look at myself in the mirror, there is some distance between my chin and my shoulders.

Rachylou, your neck doesn't look short to me in your pictures.

9 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

LOL, Ms KatieKat -- that is brilliant!!

9 years ago

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

My neck is on the short side and I know because most turtle necks are too much material for me. And v-necks are my friends.

9 years ago

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

I never knew about the visual tests--thanks, Diana, Vildy, and Angie. I've always felt short-necked because turtlenecks don't work for me unless they are rolled down very short; stand collars on coats and jackets often rub my chin; I can't pop my collars and look cool because my chin, jaw, and earlobes get in the way. My short neck may be why collared shirts are not my favorite style to wear.

9 years ago

catgirl

Veteran

Wow, according to that test I have an average neck! So maybe it's just extra wide...

9 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

Oh I'm glad you came by Angie, even tho it's late at night (!) I stared at myself in the mirror...

...And so there's distance between my shoulders and chin / shoulders and earlobes. But it's funny...

First off, I have very slopey shoulders. My chin is way above the ends of my shoulders, but where they meet my neck not so much. Doing the hand test, I think I'm average to a little short - but I have giant hands. Unusually so. I think it's from hyperthyroidism as a teenager. I like wearing turtlenecks and don't feel it's visually off, but then again the desire to be warm may colour my vision. I do also like chandelier earrings and have never noticed them hitting my shoulders, but then I have sloping shoulders.

And still collars really do me in, IMO. Maybe it's my little round head? Fills too much of the collar opening?

9 years ago

Vildy

Veteran

BTW, how you carry your head (the angle if any) makes a difference, too. There are many variations on a continuum of "forward head" and most of them would make
a neck appear to be shorter and actually feel shorter because a funnel neck, say, would be likely to rub on the chin.

9 years ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I've never really thought about this before. Thanks, another body part to obsess on!

LOL at IK.

By these tests, I actually think my neck is long-ish, which surprises me. I guess having a small head might contribute to the effect. Perhaps this explains why boat necks and other high necklines do often work on me (along with my fairly strong shoulder line).

9 years ago

crutcher

Veteran

(You tried to wear a turtleneck, got lost and had to use GPS to get out?...)
Sorry, for playing with your post...I saw your question and thought about this nonsense and laughed..needed it...
Quite a good question...I had really not thought about how you measure your neck short or long...Being tall, I have just always had a long neck, long feet...
long fingers...But I am interested in how you know...

9 years ago

K. Period.

Veteran

Why Rachylou, I think Mr. Earl P. Neck has a short neck! Whereas this man, this man has no neck!

9 years ago

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