A neckline is the shape of the top edge of a garment, and there are a couple of dozen named ones. Most lists sort them alphabetically or by how they look. This one sorts them by the question you face in front of the mirror: what does this cut do to a bra? There are only four answers. The neckline either hides an ordinary bra, exposes the centre, exposes the shoulders or exposes the back.
The types of necklines at a glance
| Neckline | What it looks like | What it does to a bra |
|---|---|---|
| Round or crew | A close circle at the base of the neck | Hides everything |
| Scoop | A deeper, wider U | Hides most bras; a very wide scoop shows straps |
| High neck or mandarin collar | Fabric up to the throat | Hides everything |
| Boat or bateau | Wide and shallow, collarbone to collarbone | Shows straps at the shoulder edge |
| Square | Straight across with vertical sides | Shows wide-set straps and a high cup edge |
| V-neck | Two lines meeting in a point | A shallow V hides a bra; a deep one shows the centre |
| Plunge or deep V | A V that runs to the sternum or below | Shows the centre of any ordinary bra |
| Sweetheart | A curved top edge like the top of a heart | Shows the centre and the upper cup |
| Keyhole | A closed neck with a cut-out below it | Shows whatever sits behind the opening |
| Cowl | Fabric draped in soft folds at the front | Falls open when you bend forward |
| Off shoulder or Bardot | Sits below both shoulders | No straps possible |
| Strapless or tube | Ends straight across above the bust | No straps possible |
| One shoulder or asymmetric | One strap or sleeve, the other side bare | One strap shows |
| Halter | Straps meet behind the neck; shoulders and upper back bare | Straps and band show from behind |
| Spaghetti strap or cami | Very thin straps | Wider bra straps show beside them |
| Backless or deep back | Any front, with the back cut low or open | No band possible |
Which necklines take an ordinary bra?
Round, crew, high and mandarin necklines hide a bra completely, along with a moderate scoop and a shallow V. The only thing that shows is texture: lace or a seamed cup under thin fabric. A smooth T-shirt bra solves that. If the fabric itself is thin or white, the problem becomes colour and coverage, and what to wear under a sheer top and under a white shirt take over.
Boat and square necks are nearly as easy. Their edges sit wide, so ordinary straps peek out at the shoulder. A bra with wide-set straps fixes a square neck, and a boat neck usually needs a strapless one.
Which necklines expose the centre?
A deep V, a plunge, a sweetheart and a keyhole all cut into the space between the cups, where an ordinary bra has a centre panel. The lower the cut, the less of a bra survives it.
For a moderate V, a plunge bra with a low centre works. Past that point there is nothing for a centre panel to hide behind, and the answer is adhesive. Up to a B cup, the butterfly stick-on bra lifts with no centre at all. From a C cup up, boob tape does better, because you can pull each side inward so the line of the bust follows the line of the neckline. The bra for a deep neck dress and for a deep neck blouse sort the options by depth.
A cowl neck belongs here for a different reason. It looks closed when you stand and opens when you lean. A strip of double-sided tape along the inside edge keeps it against the skin.
Which necklines expose the shoulders?
Off shoulder, strapless, one shoulder, halter and spaghetti straps. They all rule out normal straps, and they differ in whether the back is still covered.
Strapless and off shoulder dresses still have a back, so a band can do its job. That makes a band-sized strapless bra the first choice. The strapless adhesive bra is sized by band and cup from 30A to 40D, and from a D cup up tape holds more securely. The bra for an off shoulder dress and how to wear a strapless bra cover the slipping problem.
One shoulder cuts are harder than they look, because the two sides need different things and anything symmetrical shows on the bare side. The bra for a one shoulder dress has the options.
A halter bares the shoulders and the upper back together, so a band shows from behind as well. Up to a C cup a stick-on bra covers it, and past that, tape. See what to wear under a halter neck.
Spaghetti straps are the mildest case: a normal bra works if its straps are as thin as the dress's, or are hidden some other way. The bra for a spaghetti strap dress lists four ways.
Which necklines expose the back?
A back is not a neckline, but it is where most of the trouble is. A backless dress, a deep-back saree blouse and a dori-tied choli all remove the band, so whatever you wear has to hold on skin alone.
Up to a C cup, a stick-on bra is the simple answer, since you place the cups and there is nothing behind. From a D cup up, tape holds better than a cup. On a long, warm day the fabric uplift cups are the sweat-proof option. Boob tape for a backless dress and what to wear under a backless blouse go through each cut.
Do saree blouses have their own neckline names?
They mostly borrow the ones above and add a back. A blouse is described twice, front and back: a sweetheart front with a deep U back, a boat neck with a keyhole back, a round front with a dori back. Work out the front and the back separately, then choose for whichever is harder. A boat-neck front with a closed back takes a normal bra. The same front with an open back takes a stick-on.
How do I choose a neckline?
By what you want to wear under it as much as by how it looks. If you want an ordinary bra and no fuss, stay with round, scoop, shallow V and square. If you are happy to use a stick-on or tape, everything else opens up.
Cup size narrows it further, because what holds at a B cup often does not at a D. The neckline finder takes the outfit, your cup size and how long you will be wearing it, and returns a first choice and an alternative. If you do not know your cup size, the bra size calculator works it out from two measurements.
The short version
Necklines fall into four groups. Round, high, scoop and shallow V hide an ordinary bra. Plunge, sweetheart and keyhole expose the centre and need a low-centre bra, a stick-on or tape. Off shoulder, strapless, one shoulder and halter expose the shoulders and need something strapless. Backless cuts remove the band and need adhesive. Pick by cup size within each group, or let the neckline finder do it.
