My favorite for-Fall silhouette: the funnel-neck

After four failed, so-not-me attempts, I decided to bag the false modesty and instead write exactly what it is I set out to write -- the most serendipitous benefit of leaving behind my shapeless longish hair in favor of the new Posh bob isn't that my overpriced Bumble & Bumble conditioner will now last me an extra two months or that I now have an excuse to head into the salon for a trim every six weeks instead of eight, or even the fact that I no longer have to worry about being mistaken for a Russian prostitute when I wear a form-fitting dress and heels to meet R for drinks at Town & Country or The Round Robin.

Seriously, even with a Dorothy Parker book in tow, a prostitute.

As unequivocally advantageous as saving on hair products, receiving an extra 2.17 head massages and problows a year and no longer having to shoo away shady male out-of-towners has been, without a doubt the best part of lopping off two and a half years worth of growing-it-out-edness was the discovery of how angular, slender, and dare I say, swan-like a neck I happen to have.

And what do I advocate in the case of such a discovery?

Fit, flatter and understatedly flaunt, of course.

But unlike a hot pair of legs, a sculpted pair of shoulders or a luscious pair of buns, the neck is not a body part so easily isolated for showcasing.

Sure, the strapless neckline, the boat neckline, the ballet neckline and the deep-plunge all highlight this region, but only one silhouette, my favorite for the upcoming season coincidentally, hones in on - and only on - the neck.

Defined by FabSugar as, "a type of garment neckline that is wide and high," the funnel-neck, the first version with which I fell in love was this one more than a year ago, can vary in height, width and strictness-of-structure; regardless of how short, tight or slouchy the funnel on your sweater, swing jacket or military-style coat has affixed to it, the effect will always be the same -- the appearance of a slimmer, more delicate, lengthened neck.

If you're like my friends and I and you've already begun to think about investing in cool weather wardrobe components, please take my advice and consider among your wishlist items something of the funnel-necked variety. Unfortunately, because the only stores to put forth large Fall inventories this early in the season (online, anyway) are the upmarket boutiques and department stores, the vast majority of the items below have well beyond anything close to a "Since I don't (yet)" price-point.

But as I always do, I recommend you look here first for inspiration and then head out to your local Zara, H&M, Forever 21, Macy's, Urban Outfitters, favorite vintage haunts and any other more reasonably-priced purveyors you know of to seek out and snap up similar but much less expensive versions.

Viva la funnel!

Cap sleeve funnel-neck cardigan (£35 at topshop.com)

Gold tweed sheath dress by Michael Kors ($1,695 at eluxury.com)*

Funnel-neck blouse by Elijah ($225 at otteny.com)

Funnel-neck dress by BÏ LA LÏ ($375 at net-a-porter.com)
Military style coat by Burberry London ($1,095 at nordstrom.com)*
Funnel-neck trapeze coat by Elie Tahari ($550 at nordstrom.com)
Belted tweed walking coat by DKNY ($298 at nordstrom.com)

Funnel neck mini by Milly ($278 at saks.com)

Funnel-neck swing jacket by Rebecca Taylor ($428 at saks.com)*

Doncianna dress by Diane von Furstenberg ($410 at shopbop.com)

Funnel-neck shift dress by Vince ($235 at shopbop.com)

*your Editrix's top picks