Help! What neckline should I have this dress altered to?

[PollyEthel]

I bought this dress in the sales (still have a few weeks to return it):

www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_017010335994

I really like it, but the neckline is too high and feels as if it is strangling me. I'm mulling over taking it to a seamstress and asking them to change the neckline, and would like to collect views as to what neckline. I'm leaning towards boat neck, but anything that isn't so high is an option.

Figure wise, I'm a 12 on top, small waist, huge backside. Quite large breasts (30F) but not humongous.

Thoughts please?!

I get necklines altered quite a lot on dresses and for that one would either go boat or scoop. I would probably take advice from the tailor depending on the material about how it would hang with either of these depending on the weight of the fabric etc.

It will depend on what they can do with that concealed zip at the neck. That's going to restrict the options quite heavily I would have thought. Can that be cut down if you have to take the neckline lower at the back too?

I think a slash neck would look nice. Still high but won't feel like you're being strangled

budge over, this is my dept, I've done it so many times. Really pisses me off, that choking feeling when a neckline's too high. With the dress you've chosen, the very simplest thing to do would be to make a narrow scoop neck from one shoulder seam to the other, to expose the collar bone bumps at the front Sorry, I don't know how to explain it better. This would leave the zip untouched and can be easily achieved by sewing a bias binding to the front, cutting away the excess and folding the bias totally to the inside. Should take half-an-hour tops. A boat-style slash would look nice but would be more problematic if you left the back zip intact. If you wanted a more natural gentle scoop (wider), this could be achieved leaving the zip in place but requires more skill/time as it'd involve crossing over the shoulder seams. I think the ideal would be a natural scoop which would mean bringing the zip down an in or so at the back which is very do-able, just takes longer. All of this is easier if the fabric is a cottony-type and shifts to being a total pain-in-the-arse if it's silky. Good luck OP

*bringing the zip down an inch or so...

It is nice but out of stock now so you were lucky!

I absolutely hate that most of the dresses have such high necks. I end up walking past them.

Thank you for all your suggestions. It will be kept then, and I just need to find a seamstress - my sewing skills are at the button/hem/patch level...