How To Rock a Sweetheart Neckline Dress for Any Occasion

Sweetheart dresses have always been a go-to choice for women as they’re suitable for nearly every body type. Dresses with a sweetheart neckline feature a low-cut front, where two curved edges meet in the middle to form a “V”. As its name suggests, its looks like a heart. The sweetheart neckline makes the bust region look bigger, and in turn, turns the decolletage into the focal point of the ensemble. 

A sweetheart dress can shine on its own, but with a few finishing touches, you can complete your dress and turn it into something worthy of being worn by a goddess. Here are a few tips on how to style a sweetheart dress for any occasion: 

#1 – Go for the Right Length

Sweetheart dresses are a popular choice for formal occasions such as proms, but they can also be worn for less formal occasions. As a rule of thumb, long sweetheart dresses are ideal for formal events (think black tie), while shorter ones are well suited for semi-formal or less formal events.  

If you’re wearing it to a gala, it would make the most sense to wear a full-length sweetheart dress. But if you’re wearing it to brunch, it’s best to go for a much shorter dress, like a skater dress with a sweetheart neckline. 

You need to get the length right, otherwise, your sweetheart dress will stand out in the wrong way. You wouldn’t wear a ball gown if you were a guest at a garden wedding, would you? 

#2 – Wear It With Straps

A sweetheart dress shows off your decolletage, but if you don’t want to show your skin, remember that there’s nothing wrong with wearing it with straps. By wearing it with straps, you’ll be able to look more modest — but still a bit sexy. Straps are also a good idea if you’re worried you aren’t getting enough support in your bust region. Explore our collection of sexy wedding dresses today and find your dream dress at Avery Austin.

Alternatively, you could go for the semi-sweetheart neckline — it’s like the sweetheart neckline, but it conceals your cleavage because it sits above the bust. Do note that if you wear the dress with a semi-sweetheart neckline, you may not want to wear a necklace as it can make your neck area look too “crowded”. 

#3 – Embellish the Bodice for a Fun Flair

There’s nothing wrong with a simple sweetheart dress, but if you want more oomph, choose a dress with an embellished bodice. Lace is perfect for the classic bridal aesthetic, but if you prefer something more modern, you can embellish the bodice with stones that glisten as the lights shine upon them.  

Don’t want to alter your dress? Wear a belt around your waist. Not only will it add much-needed shimmer to your dress, but it also cinches your waist to accentuate your silhouette more. 

#4 – Choose the Correct Accessories

Whether you’re wearing a sweetheart skater dress or a sweetheart neckline wedding dress, there’s one thing you need to get right: your accessories. In choosing what accessories to wear, bear in mind that sweetheart dresses are designed to draw the eyes toward the decolletage. Even without wearing a necklace, you’ll already be drawing people’s attention to your neck.

With that in mind, if you want to “redirect” some of the attention from your decolletage and to your face, go for long earrings. If you really want to wear a necklace, choose something short so that it doesn’t compete with your sweetheart dress like a choker. You can even wear something similar to the iconic necklace Princess Diana paired with her “Revenge Dress”. What’s important is that it doesn’t meet the part where the neckline dips in the middle. 

If your bodice is too plain, you can wear an eye-catching bold necklace. But if it’s embellished with lace, stones, etc., it would be best not to wear a necklace as it can make your decolletage look too busy.

#5 – Style Your Hair for the Occasion

Dresses with sweetheart necklines are versatile and go with a wide variety of hairstyles, but there are a handful of hairstyles that work best.  The key is to allow the dress to do its thing: to show off your neck region. With that said, you shouldn’t drape your hair in front of your decolletage, as that would defeat the purpose of wearing a sweetheart dress in the first place! 

Up-dos are a perfect choice as they can show off your collarbones, but if you don’t want to feel too bare, you can wear a low side bun (or better yet, wear a necklace like we earlier discussed).  You can wear your hair down with a sweetheart dress, but be sure it’s side-swept. This is where your hair is swept to one side and falls to the front. That way, you can still show off your decolletage region without it being too bare.

Of course, you should consider the occasion, too. Up-dos are a safe choice for formal occasions, but if you’re wearing a sweetheart dress casually, it’s perfectly fine to put your hair up in a ponytail. 

Conclusion

Sweetheart dresses are dreamy, elegant, and everything you’d want your dress to be. Although they’re gorgeous on their own, by following the tips above, you can transform your dress into something so envy-worthy that everyone will want to be you (or be with you). Whether you’re going to a black-tie event or getting married, keep these tips in mind so you can look your very best.