• Home
  • About
  • Get in Touch
  • Costume History & Fashion Legends [Essays in English]
  • Žurnāls (modes vēsturnieka piezīmes, jaunumi, dažādas tēmas un stāsti. Arhīvs)
  • Kostīmu vēstures leģendas (senāki laiki)

Choker Necklace - Incredible Origins And History Through The Times

8/28/2017

0 Comments

 
Dancer On The Stage by Edgar Degas c. 1876-77. pastel on paper. Paris, Musée d'Orsay
The Star (Dancer On Stage) by Edgar Degas c. 1878. pastel on paper. Paris, Musée d'Orsay Image: Public Domain via wikiart.org

The choker is back and we've seen it for some time now, both on a daily basis and on festive occasions. It has been worn by pop culture princesses, gothic fairies, fashionistas, and also by people who have always enjoyed this type of adornment.
So, one day I decided to look back at the history of chokers... And here is the story of this incredibly fascinating piece of jewelry & fashion accessory. 

And what exactly it is? 
​
A choker is a close-fitting necklace worn around the neck. Chokers can be made of a variety of materials, including velvet, plastic, beads, leather, metal etc. Of course, such a band of material can be adorned in a variety of ways. We have seen them already - chokers with sequins, studs, brooches, pins and pendants.


From Attribute Of Slavery To Expression Of Style & Fashion 

​
In antiquity chockers were created out of the ideal of slave lockets. Slaves worn iron chockers around their necks and ankles.

As a sign of slavery, chokers or the iron neck rings did not disappear even in later times. Restrained African captives wore iron neck rings and chains either as they were transported to the West African coast or on board ship. The chains would link to the African's hands, or to another enslaved person to keep them from escaping. 

And yet, if the neck rings or chokers were made of another material - luxurious, fine, and brilliant, then they became fashionable. But they also became a symbol of personal status. They transformed into necklaces.



History...Origins....Stories...


Long before the 90's fashion icons highlighted this special fashion accessory, the chokers were worn by peoples of ancient civilizations. The history of the choker necklace goes back hundreds of years. There have been many types of chokers worn during ancient times and for different reasons. But the style in which it has been worn – close fitting against the neck – has remained the same since it first came into existence. 
Chokers appeared during times of earliest civilization's: Ancient Mesopotamians and Egyptians wore them regularly. Gold chokers were also made by Sumerian artisans around 2500 BC. Meanwhile Ancient Egyptians, instead of wearing it as a trend, believed chokers had special and protective power. They put jewelry on the parts of their bodies they felt needed the most protection — such as the neck, wrists, and head. Chokers or rather wide collars in Ancient Egypt were often made with gold, which symbolized the skin of the sun god Ra. Egyptians also combined gold and lapis lazuli. Those were the emblems of their style and also reference to their gods and religious practice. 
"Besides their decorative function, necklaces served amuletic purposes. Amulets in the shape of one god or another comprised the numerous rows of necklaces. A string of hippopotamus charms, symbolizing the pregnant hippopotamus goddess Tawert, for example, might be worn by a pregnant woman to call for protection from this goddess of childbirth," Bob Brier and Hoyt Hobbs write in Daily Life of the Ancient Egyptians. 
Red ribbon choker as a part of fashionable dress during 1790s
Red ribbon choker as a part of fashionable dress during 1790s
François Hubert Drouais. Marquise de Caumont de la Force, 1767.
François Hubert Drouais. Marquise de Caumont de la Force, 1767. Collection: David Owsley Museum of Art Image: Wikimedia Commons
Later on evidence of wearing chokers already applies to European fashion trends. However, even then meaning of social symbolic was not completely lost. It can be assumed that chokers made an appearance even before then Anne Boleyn was portrayed wearing a choker necklace in the paintings of that era. Her famous necklace was made up of a string of pearls and a letter “B” pendant and she wore it closely around her neck. And......the wearing of monogram pendants was very fashionable at that time. 

Chokers were especially in vogue in 1798 during the French Revolution. Female French expatriates wore red ribbons around their necks as a way of paying tribute to those who had lost their lives to the guillotine. They also wore black velvet ribbons around their necks which symbolized mourning. During the French Revolution those women took to wearing chokers - red ribbons around their necks to pay homage to those who met their death at the guillotine. The ribbon could be worn around the neck, or another fashion came in the form of an "X" around the shoulders and back. 
The award for the most macabre trend inspired by the years Terror was also the thin red choker. Red was the color of Revolution, but it was also meant to imitate the droplets of blood around a severed head! 

During the French Revolution, female French ex-patriots also used to wear a thin red ribbon choker as a silent testament to their own narrow escape and in memory of their many friends and family members who were not as lucky. 
​
In the 1860's, the choker necklace had some links to prostitutes. Manet's famous painting of "Olympia," (1863) depicted a courtesan  wearing a black ribbon around her neck. During this era, a ribbon around the neck could mean a woman was a prostitute.
​
Despite of this connotation, chokers were also worn during this time by Royals during the Victorian era. Alexandra, Princess of Wales, reportedly wore thick rows of pearls and velvet to cover a scar on her neck which made her self-conscious. She was influential person at that time in expanding the trend. 

Alexandra was actually fan of a pearl and diamond combinations and is known to wearing several strings of pearls at once around her neck. In the 20th century it inspired goth subculture representatives to wear black chokers made of lace, glass and metal. Since times of Alexandra choker-style necklaces have been named collier du chien (dog collar) if it was set with pearls and diamonds. For Princess Alexandra this was an elegant way to conceal a surgery scar on her neck. Since then choker necklace became a fashion must-have amongst the rich for decades to follow.
​
Emergence 
of a Choker Necklace
in the 20th and 21st Centuries


After a few years of absence, choker necklaces had a renaissance twice in the 20th century. Chokers were so fashionable during Art Deco fashion era. They were seen in fashion campaigns that photographer Edward Steichen did for luxurious brand Chanel and the magazine Vanity Fair etc. 

Around 1940s chokers were in vogue again when fashionable ladies wore colliers de chien (translated as dog collars in English).
During 40s women in the USA, in particular, began experimenting with those necklaces. An issue of Life magazine, in October 1944, announced that young girls had been reviving "a dowager fashion of 40 years ago"- and illustrated the trend with 
photos of models proudly wearing the now vaguely rebellious “dog collars.”

And once again chokers appeared, this time as a unisex style feature, in the 70s. It was one element of the experiments with gender-blending that Mick Jagger, Jimi Hendrix, and Elvis Presley engaged in. 

And again chokers were so in fashion of 90s when the necklaces favored by Britney Spears and Gwen Stefani would also be worn by Prince, Lenny Kravitz and many other celebrities of that time. 

In the 90s, the so called tatoo necklaces were just so popular that basically every girl had one of them.Choker necklaces era of the 90s was revived by film industry as well. Chokers were showed up in such movies as Leon the Professional, where Natalie Portman aka Matilda wore a velvet ribbon with a sun-shaped charm, not to mention Mia Wallace’s black ribbon choker with ruby stone from Pulp Fiction. 
​
In the middle of the 90s so many breeds of goth subculture also wore chokers. Pentagram chokers, spiked dog collars, silver ball chains and even Victorian style chokers made of black lace and glass beads gained so much of popularity.


Chokers of the 21st Century 


Chokers are back to remind us about the brightest moments of fashion from the 1990's.
Latvian fashion designer Indra Komarova (TALENTED talented.company/) have been creating innovative and minimalist chokers with slightly surreal-like form. Those are unisex chokers like belts around your neck in seafoam green and classic black. One of them is quite different as it features sophisticated linden flower to emphasize contemporary aesthetic minimalism which characterizes this brand. 
In my opinion, this is a truly amazing and creative return of historical legend - choker necklace of the 21st Century. 
​
All chokers and outfits in the photo gallery
made by fashion brand 'Talented' (Indra Komarova) from Latvia, Riga 
​Photographer: Bruno Kabucis 
​Website: talented.company/

References and further reading: 

​​talented.company/
​

visforvintage.net/2013/06/07/history-of-pearls/
​
www.bustle.com/p/the-slightly-creepy-history-of-chokers-will-probably-surprise-you-34124
​

​​www.janeausten.co.uk/the-choker-necklace/

​
www.goldenagebeads.com/blog/the-fascinating-history-of-choker-necklaces.html
​
Picture

You May Also Like: 

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Other Stories In This Section

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    August 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017

    Categories

    All
    16th Century Fashion
    1780s Fashion
    17th Century Jewelry
    17th Century Rings
    1860s Era Of Fashion
    1870's Fashion
    1889
    18th Century Breeches
    18th Century Costume
    18th Century Fashion
    18th Century Hairstyles
    18th Century Jewelry
    18th Century Menswear
    18th Century Rings
    1900s Fashion
    1920s Fashion
    1950s Fashion
    19th Century Fashion
    19th Century Menswear
    19th Century Milliners
    20th Century Fashion Design
    20th Century Millinery
    Aesthetic Movement
    Aigrette
    Albert Lesage
    Alice Jopling
    A-Line
    Alternative Fashion
    Ambergris
    Ancient Bikini
    Ancient Braids
    Ancient Crete
    Ancient Egypt
    Ancient Greece
    Ancient Greek Art
    Ancient Hairpins
    Ancient Hairstyles
    Ancient Legends
    Ancient Milliners
    Ancient Revival Style
    Ancient Rings
    Anglomania
    Aniline Dyes
    Animal Prints
    Apkallu
    Applique Embroidery
    Aquascutum
    Aran Knitwear
    Aran Sweaters
    Archeology
    Arlecchino
    Art And Craft
    Art Deco Fashion
    Arthur Boy Capel
    Art Nouveau
    Art Nouveau Jewelry
    Art Nouveau Rings
    Art Nouveau Style
    Arts And Crafts Movement
    Asia Minor
    Audrey Hepburn
    Azurite
    Backenbart
    Balaclava
    Balenciaga
    Ball Gown
    Balmoral Cap
    Barbette
    Basket
    Basket Bag
    Bauta
    Beach Pyjamas
    Beard Fashion
    Beau Brummel
    Beau Brummell
    Beauty And The Beast
    Beetle Wings
    Beetle Wings Embroidery
    Bell Bottoms
    Belted Raincoat
    Benzoin
    Beret
    Bettina Blouse
    Bettina Graziani
    Bicorn Hat
    Bikini
    Bikini Girls
    Black
    Black As A Color Of Fashion
    Black As A Fashion Statement
    Black Attire
    Black Bile
    Black Clothing
    Black Dress
    Black Tie Dress Code
    Blazer
    Blue Denim
    Blue Dye
    Blue Jeans
    Bluestockings
    Boater Hat
    Boho Brides
    Bolinus Brandaris
    Bonnet
    Bonnette
    Border Tartan
    Botanical
    Botanical Jewelry
    Bouquet De Corsage
    Bouquet Holder
    Boutonniere
    Bowler Hat
    Braid
    Braided Hairstyles
    Breakfast At Tiffany's
    Breton Shirt
    Bridal Veil
    Brown
    Brown Clothing
    Brunswick Gown
    Bucket Bag
    Bum Roll
    Calamistrum
    Calash Bonnet
    Calathos
    Cannes 2017
    Cannes International Film Festival 2017
    Canotier
    Cap
    Cappucio
    Capsule Wardrobe
    Cardigan
    Carl Wilhelm Scheele
    Carmel Snow
    Carnival Masks
    Carole
    Caroline Reboux
    Castellani
    Cavalier Hat
    Cecil Beaton
    Chalk Stripes
    Chandelier Earrings
    Chanel
    Chanel Handbag
    Chanel No.5
    Chanel Suit
    Chapelet
    Chaperon
    Chaplet
    Charioteer Of Delphi
    Charles Baudelaire
    Charles Frederick Worth
    Charles Macintosh
    Checkerboard Pattern
    Check Pattern
    Cheetah Print
    Chessboard Pattern
    Chevalier Style Mustache
    Chintz
    Chiton
    Choker
    Choker Necklace
    Christian Dior
    Christmas Traditions
    Circle Dance
    Classic Pattern
    Cloche Hat
    Cluster Rings
    Coachella Flower Crowns
    Cochineal
    Coco Chanel
    Collier Du Chien
    Colombina
    Color Brown
    Color Green
    Color Orange
    Color Pink
    Color White
    Color Yellow
    Comma Heel
    Corde-style Hat
    Cornucopia
    Corolla
    Corolle Line
    Corona
    Corona Civica
    Corona Obsidionalis
    Corsage
    Corseted Bodice
    Costume Jewelry
    Court Dress
    Coverchief
    Crakows
    Cravat
    Crinoline Era
    Cristobal Balenciaga
    Crossed-loop Knitting
    Crotalia Earrings
    Cubist Sweaters
    Cuff Links
    Culottes
    Dandyism
    Dangling Earrings
    Decolletage
    Decollete
    Dog Collar
    Domino Costume
    Domino Mask
    Dormeuse
    Dress Code
    Dress History
    Druidism
    Duffel Cloth
    Duffle Coat
    Earrings
    East India Company
    Eco-friendly Fabrics
    Edwardian Fashion
    Edward Steichen
    Ellen Terry
    Elsa Schiaparelli
    Embroidery
    Embroidery House
    Emerald Green
    Emile Pingat
    Empress Sisi
    Ernest Beaux
    Escoffion
    Eugene Grasset
    Evening Dress
    Evening Jacket
    Faience Ring
    Fair Isle
    Fair Isle Sweaters
    Fairy-tale
    False Beard
    Farthingale
    Fascinator Hat
    Fashion Brand From Latvia
    Fashion Design In Latvia
    Fashion Engravings
    Fashion History
    Fashion Journalism
    Fashion Trendsetter
    Fede Ring
    Femme Fatale
    Festons
    Fillet
    Finger Rings
    First Corsets
    First Fashion Reviews
    Fishtail Braid
    Flamenco Dress
    Flammeum
    Floral
    Floral Cloth Pattern
    Floralia
    Floral Patterns
    Floral Print
    Flounces
    Flower Basket
    Flower Children
    Flower Crown
    Flower Power
    Forget-me-not
    Francisco José De Goya Y Lucientes
    Francois Lesage
    Francois Pinet
    Freedom Monument
    French Fashions Of 17th Century
    French Jewelry
    Frills
    Gabardine
    Gaelic Culture
    Gangster Suit
    Ganseys
    Garconne
    Garland
    Giardinetti Rings
    Gibus Hat
    Gimmel Rings
    Gingham
    Gingham Fabric
    Gingham Pattern
    Giraffe Print
    Girandole Earrings
    Glamour Style
    Goddess Flora
    Golden Diadem Of Troy
    Golden Jewellery
    Goth Fashion
    Grande Mademoiselle
    Grande Parure
    Grandes Cocottes
    Grand Habit
    Grass Crown
    Green
    Gugel
    Habit A L'anglaise
    Hair Accessories
    Hair Comb
    Hair Jewelry
    Half-crinoline
    Half-mask
    Hand Knitting
    Hans Christian Andersen
    Hat
    Hat With A Veil
    Haute Couture
    Headgear
    Heart Rings
    Heinrich Schliemann
    Helmut Newton
    Hennin
    Henri De Toulouse-Lautrec
    Henri Vever
    Hidden Treasures
    Highland Dress
    History Of Cloth Patterns
    History Of Color
    History Of Costume
    History Of Fashion
    History Of Footwear
    History Of Hairstyle
    History Of Handbag
    History Of Hat
    History Of Headgear
    History Of Jewelry
    History Of Medieval Shoes
    History Of Menswear
    History Of Purple Dye
    History Of Red
    History Of Rings
    History Of Ruffles In Dress
    History Of Shoe Design
    History Of Swimwear
    History Of Textile Patterns
    History Of The Color
    History Of The Stripes
    H-Line
    Homburg Hat
    Hood
    Hoodie
    Hoop Skirts
    Horseshoe Rings
    Houndstooh Check
    House Of Balenciaga
    House Of Dior
    House Of Givenchy
    House Of Worth
    Hubert De Givenchy
    Iliad By Homer
    Indienne
    Indigo
    Iniohos
    Innovative Shoe Design
    Intarsia Sweaters
    Iveta Vecmane
    Ivy League
    Jabot
    Jacobins
    Jacques Joseph Tissot
    Jaguar Print
    James Tissot
    Jāņi
    Japonisme
    Jean-Baptiste Colbert
    Jean Patou
    Jersey Costume
    Jewel-beetle
    Jewelry Hair Comb
    Jingling Earrings
    John-singer-sargent
    Jugendstil
    Jumper
    Kathleen Newton
    Kilt
    Kimono Coat
    Kissing-Bough
    Kissing Under The Mistletoe
    Knitted Fabric
    Knitted Garments
    Knitted Socks
    Knitted Stockings
    Knitting
    Knitting History
    Knitwear
    Knossos Palace
    Labdanum
    Lace Workshops
    Lady Macbeth
    Lapis Lazuli
    Latvian Fashion Brands
    Laura Selecka
    Laurel Wreath
    LBD
    Legends Of Troy
    Le Mercure Galant
    Léonard Autié
    Leopard Print
    Lesage
    Le Smoking
    Liberty Cap
    Līgo
    Lilacs
    Lillie Langtry
    Lily Of The Valley
    Lily Of The Valley Embroidery
    Liripipe
    Little Black Dress
    Lock Of Youth
    Lotus Blossom
    Louise Jopling
    Louis Reard
    Louis XIV
    Luxury Consumption
    Madame De Pompadour
    Maison Lesage
    Maison Vever
    Mantilla
    Mantua
    Mariano Fortuny
    Mariano Fortuny Y Madrazo
    Marie-Antoinette Hairstyle
    Marine Style
    Marlene Dietrich
    Mask
    Masquerades
    Matelot
    Mauve Color
    Mauveine
    Mechanical Knitting Machine
    Medieval Dance
    Medieval Dance Costumes
    Medieval Dances
    Medieval Dress
    Medieval Fashion
    Medieval Feast
    Medieval Life
    Medieval & Renaissance Goldsmiths
    Medieval Rings
    Medieval Shoes
    Melancholy
    Memento Mori Rings
    Michonet
    Midsummer
    Military Style Fashion
    Millinery
    Minoan Snake Goddess
    Mistletoe
    Moretta
    Morocco Leather
    Mourning Dress
    Mummy Brown
    Murex
    Musk
    Mustard Yellow
    Nalbindning
    Nankeen
    Nankeen Cloth
    Navy Blue
    Neo Classical Style
    Neo-classical Style
    Non-trend Fashion
    Norma Smallwood
    Nosegay
    Nostradamus
    Opera Coat
    Orange
    Orientalism
    Orientalism In Fashion
    Oriental Shoes
    Orpiment
    Out (film)
    Panniers
    Pantalone
    Paris Green
    Pastel
    Pattens
    Paul Poiret
    Perfume Cone
    Perfumery
    Petasos
    Petasus
    Philip Treacy
    Phoenicians
    Phrygian Cap
    Pigaches
    Pikes
    Pilgrim Pumps
    Pink
    Pinstripes
    Plaid
    Poesy Rings
    Pointed Shoes
    Poison Rings
    Polka Dot
    Polka Dot Pattern
    Polo Collar
    Polo Neck
    Polo Shirt
    Pomander
    Pomatum
    Pomme D'ambre
    Pomona
    Pom-pom Hat
    Porte Bouquet
    Portrait Of Tadea Arias De Enríquez
    Possamenterie
    Posy
    Pouf Hairstyle
    Poulaine
    Poulaines
    Preppy
    Preppy Dress
    Printed Cloths
    Promenade Boots
    Pullovers
    Purple
    Purple Dye
    Queen's Gambit
    Raincoat
    Rational Cosnsumption
    Realgar
    Red
    Red Carpet Event
    Red Dye
    Red Heels
    Redingote
    Red Ochre
    Red Pigments
    Renaissance Rings
    Rene Lalique
    Retro Style
    Riding Coat
    Rings
    Roaring Twenties
    Robe A La Francaise
    Robert Piguet
    Rockabilly Look
    Rococo Fashion
    Rococo Haistyles
    Roger Vivier
    Romano-Egyptian Burials
    Roots Of The Fashion Industry
    Rose Pompadour
    "rose Tablet"
    Roseus
    Rosy
    Royal Purple
    Ruff
    Ruffled Skirts
    Ruffles
    Saffron
    Scallops
    Scarab Rings
    Schweinfurt Green
    Scottish Clan Dress
    Scottish Tartan
    Scull Cap
    Sculptural Style
    Seal Rings
    Sentimental Rings
    Shoe Design
    Shoe Designer
    Shoe Maker
    Shoulder Bag
    Signet Rings
    Silk Cape
    Sillitoe Tartan
    Sir Arthur Evans
    Sisi's Stars
    Sleeve Buttons
    Smoking Cap
    Smoking Jacket
    Snake Goddess Figurines
    Snake Rings
    Sofia Lark
    Solana
    Spanish Farthingale
    Spanish Hoop Skirt
    Spanish Maja Costume
    Sporran
    Stage Costume
    Steeple Head-dress
    Stiletto Heel
    Stockings
    Stomacher
    Striped Cloth
    Striped Cloth Pattern
    Stripes
    Strophium
    Subligaculum
    Sumptuary Laws
    Sustainable Fashion
    Sweater Season
    Swedish Hat
    Symbolism And Meaning Of Tulip
    Symbolism In Art Nouveau Fashion
    Symbolism Of Colors
    Symbolism Of The Color Green
    Talented Company
    Tartan
    Tartan Cloth
    Tartan Pattern
    The Bustle
    The Cardigan Sweater
    The Civic Crown
    The Column Type Dress
    The Delphos Gown
    The Dinner Jacket
    The Egyptian Blue
    The Falkirk Tartan
    The Floral Language
    The History Of Knitting
    The Little Black Dress
    The Merry Widow Hat
    The Mistletoe
    The New Look
    The Origins Of Knitting
    The Pleated Skirt
    The Red Shoes
    The Shoulder Plaid
    Thigh-high Boots
    Thomas Burberry
    Tiger Print
    Tight Lacing
    Timeless Fashion
    Toga Virilis
    Toggle Fastening
    Toggles
    Tontillo
    Top Hat
    Tournure
    Travis Banton
    Treasures Of Helen Of Troy
    Treasures Of King Priam
    Trenchcoat
    Tricorne
    Tricorn Hat
    Trilby Hat
    Trojan War
    Trompe-l'oeil
    Tulip
    Tulipan
    Tulipes Hollandaises
    Tulip Mania
    Turkey Red
    Tussie-mussie
    Tussie-mussies
    Tuxedo
    Tyrian Purple
    Ultramarine
    Ultra-Violet
    Uncertain Regard
    Valentino Red
    Veil
    Veiled
    Veiled Dancer
    Victorian Fashion
    Victorian Rings
    Villa Romana Del Casale
    Vintage Fashion
    Violet
    Visard Mask
    Vita Radziņa
    Vivienne Westwood
    Volto
    Waistcoat
    Walking Boots Of The 19th Century
    Wardrobe Essential
    Wasp Waist
    Watch-ring
    Waterproof Materials
    Wedding Rings
    Wedgwood Jasperware Rings
    Wheel Hoop Skirts
    White
    White Bridal Dress
    White Clothing
    White Collar And Cuffs
    White Dress
    White Tie Dress Code
    Widow's Weeds
    Wilhelm Lucas Von Cranach
    William Henry Perkin
    William Lee
    William Morris
    Woad
    Wooden Clogs
    Wreath
    Xmas Traditions
    Xystis
    Yellow
    Yellow Gold
    Yellow Journalism
    Yellow Nankeen
    Yellow Pigment
    Y-Line
    Yves Saint Laurent
    Zebra Print
     1960s Fashion

    RSS Feed

Picture
Copyright © Edīte Parute and Fashionologia Historiana, 2021
  • Home
  • About
  • Get in Touch
  • Costume History & Fashion Legends [Essays in English]
  • Žurnāls (modes vēsturnieka piezīmes, jaunumi, dažādas tēmas un stāsti. Arhīvs)
  • Kostīmu vēstures leģendas (senāki laiki)