Have you ever noticed how changing just the neckline of a garment can completely transform not only how it looks, but how it feels to wear? This is especially true during summer, when the right neckline can be the difference between feeling hot and bothered or breezy and comfortable.

Today, we're diving into the wonderful world of necklines, how to choose them, how to draft them, and how they affect the overall look and feel of your summer garments.

Why Necklines Matter So Much in Summer

Our necks contain major blood vessels close to the surface of our skin, which means this area plays a crucial role in regulating body temperature. A well-designed neckline can help heat escape, making your entire garment feel cooler.

But it's not just about comfort, necklines frame our faces and can completely change the visual impact of a garment. The perfect neckline balances your proportions, highlights your best features, and works harmoniously with the rest of the design.

Understanding Neckline Basics

Before we dive into specific styles, let's cover some fundamental principles that will help you make better neckline decisions:

Height: How high or low the neckline sits affects both comfort and style. In summer, lower necklines generally feel cooler but consider both your comfort level and practical matters like sun exposure.

Width: The horizontal span of a neckline can visually widen or narrow your shoulders and chest. A wider neckline creates a sense of breadth, while a narrower one has a lengthening effect.

Shape: From round to V-shaped, square to sweetheart, each shape creates different visual lines and affects how air circulates around your upper body.

Edge treatment: How you finish a neckline (binding, facing, etc.) affects both the appearance and how it sits against your skin, a crucial consideration for summer comfort.

Summer-Friendly Neckline Options

Let's explore some necklines that work particularly well for warm weather:

The V-Neck

A perennial favourite for good reason! The V-shape naturally draws the eye downward, creating a lengthening effect. From a comfort perspective, it opens up the area around your neck and collarbone, allowing heat to escape. The deeper the V, the greater this cooling effect.

Drafting tip: When creating a V-neck, it's important to think about contouring.
You can create a shallow V above the chest without adding contour darts, but anything below the chest calls for contour darts and extra fitting.

The Scoop Neck

This gentle curve sits below the collarbone and creates a soft, feminine line. It's incredibly versatile and tends to suit most body types. For summer, a slightly deeper scoop feels cooler while maintaining an everyday wearable look.

Drafting tip: We're back to contouring here! Use your contouring guide to help you place your temporary darts and rotate the extra shaping into our existing darts or shaping.
(Not sure what contouring is? Find out in my Armholes, Necklines & Sleeves online course)

The Boat Neck

This wide, shallow neckline runs almost from shoulder to shoulder and looks especially elegant in summer garments. It allows excellent air circulation while still providing good sun coverage.

Drafting tip: On the body a boat neckline looks like an almost straight line between the shoulders, but the pattern is actually a soft curve, dipping down at the centre front and centre back.

The Square Neck

With its clean, architectural lines, the square neckline adds a modern touch to summer garments.

Drafting tip: Creating a perfectly square shape often means that the front and back shoulder meet at an odd angle, creating a sharp corner. To avoid this square necklines are often drafted at a slightly different angle. They might look square on the body, but they're not square on the pattern.

The Split Neck

This modified V-shape with a small closure at the top (usually buttons or ties) offers the choice of ventilation, perfect for changeable summer days! It works beautifully in both casual and dressier garments.

Drafting tip: Start with a basic round neckline and add a centre front cut with desired depth and width. Don't forget to add some fusing around the slit area before cutting to prevent fraying or ripping.

Final Thoughts

The perfect neckline is one that makes you feel both comfortable and confident. Don't be afraid to modify patterns to create your ideal version, raising or lowering, widening or narrowing until it feels just right.

Next time you're planning a summer sewing project, give the neckline the attention it deserves. This seemingly small detail can transform both the look of your garment and how it feels to wear on hot days.

What's your favourite neckline for summer garments? Do you have any questions about drafting or modifying necklines? Tell me on Instagram or email me [email protected]!

Next week, we'll explore lightweight finishes for summer sewing, all those beautiful details that elevate your garments without weighing them down. Until then, happy sewing!

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