Oddly enough, many girls, having heard this unfamiliar word, will raise their eyebrows in surprise and ask: “What is a choker?”. Moreover, most of them would never have thought that some had already worn, 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 than “strangler”, “strangle”. 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 jewelry drove away evil spirits. In medieval Europe, women's neck chokers also had a place to be.
In general, this accessory sometimes disappeared, then became fashionable again in almost every decade until the 20th century. But only in the late 1990s, chokers became so popular that even girls of primary school age began to wear them. Now remember what a choker is? 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 does not resemble a historical choker (photo in the article). However, from this they did not at all lose in their grace and intriguing elegance.
Modern Chokers
At the peak of popularity, the chokers took off again in 2014, and for several months now they have not lost their leadership position. Today’s accessories, unlike those that European noble ladies wore several hundred years ago, are now available to every fashionista.
Previously, chokers were made exclusively of precious metals (silver, gold, platinum), lace and expensive fabrics and decorated with gems, but now the fantasies of designers turn 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. Wealthy women can afford pearl necklaces or, as in ancient times, made of precious materials.
All kinds of beads, bugles, stones, pieces of fur, pendants, flowers made of fabric, and in general everything that a designer’s imagination is capable of, are used to decorate the product. Some chokers can have pendants in the form of beads of both very short and long enough - to the chest.
By the way, modern necklaces of this type do not always have a front closure. Some models dress as if back to front - but the clavicles have space between the “legs” of the choker, they are not interconnected. Such products are made only of hard materials - others simply will not be able to maintain the required shape.
Celebrities and Chokers
For all centuries there have been their famous fashionistas who served, to put it in a modern way, style icons for mere mortals and set the tone for outfits. The same thing happened with chokers.
The most striking example, when almost all courtiers and noble ladies began to wear necklaces without exception, is the period of the 19th century - the reign of Queen Victoria in Great Britain and Ireland.
The next nun, Queen Alexandra (end of the 19th century), put on a choker solely for personal reasons - she was extremely shy about the skin of her neck disfigured by the accident. However, maids of honor and the nobility took it as a tribute to fashion and were not slow to go to jewelers with similar orders.
The famous Gabriel "Coco" Chanel, the founder of the fashion house of the same name, after a fairly long break returned the 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, became a real hit among wealthy fashionistas.
A little later, the pearl choker became one of the most beloved jewelry of yet another monarch person - Princess Diana.
In films, “collars” are also often found - on the heroine Natalie Portman from Leon, Audrey Hepburn - Breakfast at Tiffany's, Angelina Jolie in The Tourist, and also 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 - there are a lot of people to follow today’s fashionistas.
What to wear with a choker
Now that we have 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 necklaces suggests the possibility of combinations with almost all clothing styles. The exception, perhaps, will be only 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. Necklaces made of fabric decorated with pendants, beads, beads, and rhinestones will suit feminine dresses, blouses, blouses or skirts. For an evening out for a suit, jumpsuit or dress, richly decorated chokers are best suited, perhaps even with long pendants, if the neckline of the outfit is deep enough.