The close fitting necklace that is a choker can be traced back to ancient civilizations in Egypt and is also worn by ancient civilizations in Asia and Europe. Never just a piece of jewelry, the statements chokers make have never been small. They’ve been seen as a symbol of cast, royalty and was even used as a signifier of prostitution in the 1800s (though by the end of the century they were viewed as a marker of the wealthy–go figure). Given the connection with a collar, there’s long been the association of chokers with ownership and thus the choker has been a longtime fave among people who enjoy games of dominance and submission.
Given their deep history, chokers never really go out of style per se, however, they do have their peaks and valleys as a fashion trend. Chokers were a massive fashion trend all throughout the ’90s, a decade that saw the birth of the plastic tattoo choker, an item so ubiquitous, it became almost a right of passage for teen girls.
Then the mighty choker receded back to the dungeon-literally, but it didn’t stay there for very long. By the late ’00s, the choker began to resurface with Rihanna–of course–among the first to be spotted out and about in the neck accessory, a perfect pairing of the provocative if ever there was one. Willow Smith also was an early adopter.
In 2016, literally everyone is wearing a choker, including again, endless teen girls with their tattoo chokers. In fact, chokers might be so in again that it’s just about time for them to be over.
Nonetheless, we still love the trend and rounded up a Snobette-worthy crew of women who sport the trend in a way that honors the chokers deep history while also adding their au courant flair. Check them out below!
Backstage Discount Universe image above via Sonny Vandevelde
