Cowl Neck Tops for Women: The Resort 2027 Edit

A cowl neck top has a neckline cut with extra fabric, so it falls in soft folds at the front, the back, sometimes both. The newest version at Coveti is the Onesto Cowl Neck Backless Top from Camilla and Marc, a cotton Resort 2027 piece designed in Sydney, shown here with the best draped sleeveless tops from other labels we stock.

The Onesto comes in two colourways, the Onesto Cowl Neck Backless Top in Soft White and the Onesto Cowl Neck Backless Top in Navy, and it belongs to the wider Camilla and Marc Resort 2027 drop that landed this week. If your search started with necklines in general, our guide to halter tops for women compares the halter, the high neck and the cowl side by side, and the edit of backless dresses covers the same open-back idea in a longer length.

What is a cowl neck top?

A cowl neck top is a top whose neckline is cut with surplus fabric that drapes into loose, rounded folds instead of sitting flat against the collarbone.

The drape comes from the cut. Pattern makers add volume at the neckline and let gravity do the work, and some cut the front on the bias so the fabric relaxes into the fold. A front cowl frames the collarbone. A back cowl drops between the shoulder blades and turns an ordinary shell into an evening piece. Fabric choice decides the rest: a fluid satin pools low and soft, a crisp cotton gives a shallower, more architectural fold.

Which Camilla and Marc cowl and drape tops landed for Resort 2027?

Coveti has six Camilla and Marc draped tops from Resort 2027, led by the Onesto cowl neck backless top in soft white and navy.

• Onesto Cowl Neck Backless Top in Soft White: 100% cotton, a scarf-inspired shape with a tie-wrap sash at the back and Camilla and Marc embroidery at the hem.
• Onesto Cowl Neck Backless Top in Navy: the same cut in a darker shade that works harder for evening.
• Siona Sleeveless Drape Top in Taupe: 100% cotton with asymmetric draping across the front and a classic crew neckline, so the drape sits on the body, not at the neck.
• Siona Sleeveless Drape Top in Black: the black version, easy to tuck into tailoring.
• Velin Shell Top in French Navy: a high-lustre satin shell in acetate and polyester with a crew neckline, external darts and split side hems, cut with a relaxed fit.
• Dana Top in Black: recycled textured crepe with a removable draped scarf trimmed in fringe and an open back with a button closure.

Strictly speaking only the Onesto is a cowl neck. The Siona and Dana bring drape to the body and the neck tie, and the Velin is the fluid satin shell you wear when a cowl feels like too much. The same soft cowl turns up on the slip dresses of the season too; see our guide to satin slip dresses for the Allegro.

Is a cowl neck top the same as a backless top?

No: a cowl describes how the neckline drapes, while a backless top describes how much of the back is open, and the Onesto happens to be both.

Many cowl tops are closed at the back and simply drape at the front. Many backless tops have a straight neckline and a low scoop behind. The Onesto pairs a draped front with a tie-wrap sash that leaves the back open, which is why it reads as a scarf more than a shell. The Dana Top gets to an open back by another route, with a button closure behind and a removable scarf at the neck. For a backless shape that ties at the nape, the halter is the closer cousin, and the halter maxi dresses edit shows that line at full length.

Which fabrics drape best for a cowl neck top?

Fluid satins drape lowest and softest, cottons hold a shallower and more sculpted fold, and knits give a heavier, rolled cowl.

The cowl neck tops from other labels worth knowing

Coveti stocks cowl neck tops from Toteme, St. Agni, Sir The Label, LaPointe, Magda Butrym, Shona Joy, Leo Lin and Zimmermann alongside the Camilla and Marc pieces.

• Toteme Cowl neck blouse in White and the Cowl neck blouse in Black, the cleanest office version on the site.
• St. Agni Wool Cowl Backless Top in Light Taupe, the knit answer to the Onesto’s open back.
• St. Agni Cowl Halter Knit Top in Black, a cowl and a halter in one.
• Sir The Label Strobe Cowl Top in Bone and the Strobe Long Sleeve Cowl Top in Black for cooler nights.
• LaPointe Jersey Draped Cowl Neck Top in Cream.
• Magda Butrym Ribbed cowl-neck knit top in camel.
• Shona Joy Maia Sheer Open Back Cowl Top, another backless cowl.
• Zimmermann Valiant Cowl Neck Top.

What bra do you wear with a backless cowl neck top?

Under a backless cowl neck top, an adhesive bra is the cleanest option, with a low-back convertible bra for shallower openings.

A front cowl with a closed back is simpler: any smooth bra in your skin tone disappears under it, though a strapless style keeps straps from showing at the armhole of a sleeveless cut. On the Onesto, where the sash leaves the back open, an adhesive bra is the cleanest choice. The Dana Top’s button back is less revealing, so a low-back bra will usually sit under it.

How do you style a cowl neck top for work and for evening?

For work, tuck a cotton cowl into wide leg trousers under a blazer; for evening, swap to satin and a narrower trouser with a heel.

The brand’s own styling note for the Onesto is to tuck it into wide leg trousers and add a sharp blazer, and the story gives you the trouser: the Onesto Cropped Wide Leg Pant in Soft White makes a tonal set, the Onesto Cropped Wide Leg Pant in Navy matches the navy top. Add the Lawrence Soft Blazer in Black and the cowl stays in view at the open lapels. Cropped hems change the shoe question; our guide to capri pants for women works through it.

For evening I would take the Velin in French Navy, tuck it into the Dana Pant in Black and keep jewellery to a single earring, since the cowl does the work at the neck. More Camilla and Marc pairings sit in how to style Camilla and Marc, and the brand’s plainer layers are in Camilla and Marc tees, tanks and bodysuits.

Do Camilla and Marc cowl tops run true to size?

Yes, every Resort 2027 drape top here is marked true to size, cut in AU 6 to 14 (the Velin in AU 4 to 14).

AU sizing reads the same as UK, so an AU 8 is a UK 8 and a US 4. The house model is 180 cm tall and wears an AU 8. Coveti shows a UK 4 to 18 ladder on every product, and sizes the brand does not cut show as unavailable. If you sit between sizes in a backless top, take the smaller one, since the open back has no fastening to take in. The full conversion table is in the Camilla and Marc size guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a cowl neck top?

A cowl neck top is a top with extra fabric at the neckline that drapes into soft, rounded folds, at the front, at the back, sometimes both. The Camilla and Marc Onesto Cowl Neck Backless Top is a cotton example with an open, sash-tied back.

Is a cowl neck top the same as a backless top?

Not always. A cowl describes how the neckline drapes and a backless top describes an open back. The Onesto Cowl Neck Backless Top is both, with a draped front and a tie-wrap sash behind.

What bra do you wear with a backless cowl neck top?

An adhesive bra is the cleanest choice under an open back like the Onesto. A low-back convertible bra suits shallower openings, and a closed-back cowl takes any smooth bra in your skin tone.

How do you wash a cotton cowl neck top?

Camilla and Marc recommends a gentle cold hand wash for the cotton Onesto and Siona tops.

What colours does the Onesto Cowl Neck Backless Top come in?

Coveti stocks the Onesto Cowl Neck Backless Top in soft white and in navy, each with a matching Onesto Cropped Wide Leg Pant.