What is a choker and how to wear it

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Oddly enough, many girls, having heard this unfamiliar word, raise their eyebrows in surprise and ask: “What is a choker?”. Moreover, most of them will not come to mind at all that some have already worn it before, while others still wear this jewelry.

What is a choker

The peculiarity of this accessory is that it should have a fairly tight fit, as if justifying its name: after all, choker is translated from English, no less, as "strangler", "choke". However, these necklaces are not at all intended for masochistic pleasures, their main function is to adorn the delicate female neck. Therefore, a choker is a bracelet around the neck or a collar, so to speak.

History of occurrence

The history of chokers is rooted in the distant past. In North America, they were worn by representatives of some Indian tribes who believed that these decorations drive away evil spirits. In Medieval Europe, women's neck chokers also took place.

In general, this accessory either disappeared or became fashionable again in almost every decade until the 20th century. But only in the late 1990schokers became so popular that even elementary school girls began to wear them. Now remember what a choker is? Yes, yes, these are the same necklaces woven from elastic wire. Black, lilac, yellow, most often they were sold complete with the same bracelet.

Of course, modern jewelry bears little resemblance to the historical choker (photo in the article). However, from this they did not lose in their grace and intriguing elegance.

Modern chokers

At the peak of popularity, chokers took off again in 2014, and for several months now they have not lost their leadership positions. Today's accessories, unlike those worn by European noble ladies a few hundred years ago, are now available to every fashionista.

If earlier chokers were made exclusively from precious metals (silver, gold, platinum), lace and expensive fabrics and decorated with gems, now designers' fantasies are poured into no less interesting solutions from modern materials.

Today, a choker (photos of some samples are presented below) can be made of metal, leather, chains, velvet, fishing line, wire, thread, beads, ribbons. We althy women can afford necklaces made of pearls or, as in the old days, made of precious materials.

All kinds of beads, glass beads, stones, pieces of fur, pendants, fabric flowers and in general everything that the designer's imagination is capable of are used to decorate the product. Some chokers can have pendants in the form of beads, both very short and quite long - up to the chest.

By the way, modern necklaces of this type do not always have a clasp in front. Some models are dressed as if back to front - but the collarbones have space between the "legs" of the choker, they are not connected to each other. Such products are made only from rigid materials - others simply cannot maintain the required shape.

Celebrities and chokers

In all ages there were famous fashionistas who served, to put it in a modern way, as style icons for mere mortals and set the tone for outfits. The exact same story happened with chokers.

The most striking example, when almost all court and noble ladies began to wear neck necklaces, is the period of the 19th century - the reign of Queen Victoria in Great Britain and Ireland.

The next monarch, Queen Alexandra (late 19th century), wore a choker solely for personal reasons - she was extremely embarrassed by the skin on her neck disfigured by an accident. However, the ladies-in-waiting and the nobility took this as a tribute to fashion and were not slow to go with similar orders to jewelers.

The famous Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, the founder of the fashion house of the same name, after a rather long break, returned chokers to their former popularity. Together with the famous little black dress, necklaces made of precious metals, leather or velvet, decorated with pearls and stones, have become a real hit among we althy fashionistas.

A little later, the pearl choker became one of the favorite jewelry of another monarchpersons - Princess Diana.

Collars are also common in films - on the heroine Natalie Portman from Leon, Audrey Hepburn - Breakfast at Tiffany's, Angelina Jolie in The Tourist, as well as in many historical films.

Today, chokers can be seen on many movie and show business stars: Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Jane Fonda, Rita Ora, Naomi Campbell, Miley Cyrus, Cameron Diaz - today's fashionistas have someone to look up to.

What to wear with a choker

Now that we remembered what a choker is, it's time to find out what clothes it will look best with. The variety of materials and types of execution of necklaces suggests the possibility of combinations with almost all styles of clothing. The only exception, perhaps, will be business and formal suits.

Jeans, leather jackets, tops, shirts will look good with massive or, conversely, thin chokers made of steel, fishing line, wire, chains, leather. For feminine dresses, blouses, blouses or skirts, fabric necklaces decorated with pendants, beads, beads, rhinestones are suitable. For an evening out under a suit, jumpsuit or dress, richly embellished chokers are best, perhaps even with long pendants, if the dress's neckline is deep enough.