Feel Better About Your Neck

Wear necklines that romance the throat
Camouflage loses its usefulness when people start suspecting that you have something to hide. "Turtlenecks are incredible, but we can't wear them all the time," says TV fashion reporter Christine Schwab, author of The Grown-Up Girl's Guide to Style. "The point is to frame the neck, not cover it up." This can be as simple as turning up the collar of a tailored shirt or jacket, or shopping for tops with attractive details that conceal the throat partially but don't throttle it.

The right neckline is crucial: Deep V's or low-cut tank tops will make the neck look longer, Schwab says, but they also display lots of possibly sun-damaged skin. Consider higher-cut versions as well, and go in for strategic layering—V-necks over shirts, tank tops under shirts, turtlenecks with anything (find the soft, easy-fitting kind that don't constrict the neck). You should test-drive any top by twisting and turning your head in a three-way mirror: Often the neck looks fine until it moves, making the skin scrunch up. You don't want to emphasize those creases with a style that's too tight or revealing.