It Looks Like Men’s Chokers Will Be a Thing in 2017

Men’s chokers are happening, it seems. The 1990s trend (yes, we know it has a long history beyond that) had a strong resurgence in 2016 — for women, that is. Pretty much every female celebrity, including Taylor Swift, Gigi Hadid, Lily-Rose Depp, and Vanessa Hudgens, made it her style staple.

But as quickly as they arrived, chokers seem to be on their way out for women’s fashion. The twist is that they’re reemerging for men. Case in point: ASOS has a line of velvet chokers, as Fashionista pointed out. The ubiquitous fabric combines two of 2017’s hottest trends. And ASOS’s chokers seem to be catching on, as the black versions are already sold out.

Have no fear, though: ASOS is also offering man chokers in a suede wraparound design, a red paisley print, studded leather, braided leather, and silver and gold metal. There’s something for every kind of man.

But it doesn’t stop there. In June, male Louis Vuitton models walked the designer’s spring 2017 Paris runway in chokers, according to the New York Post. The newspaper’s website also pointed out that “Just a week before, in Florence, Raf Simons dressed several looks from his men’s collection — designed in collaboration with the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation — with elegant-yet-fetishistic collars.” And on the Milan runways, the designers behind Dsquared2 “showed chain-link accents in their David Bowie-indebted catwalk presentation.”

Other designers to send dudes down the runway in chokers have included Casely-Hayford, Gucci, Phillip Lim, and Canalli — and that was in 2016, so obviously this trend has been gearing up to make a splash this year. The online marketplace Etsy, of course, is providing men’s choker options too. A search of the site calls up a wide variety of the accessories for men, including versions made with beads, leather, and stainless steel.

Some people on the Internet remain skeptical. The Huffington Post claimed that the ’90s fad “is really wearing itself out.” But on Twitter, guys are proudly sporting their choker necklaces. “Thanks to my baby my rockstar look is complete @agjnyc I’m rocking my wire #MensChoker #Punk…” one user wrote, along with a picture of a pencil-thin accessory.

Another simply wrote, “Yeahhh ???” with a thinking emoji. The photo posted does make you think, as the guy looks pretty great, we have to admit.

Matt Lauer even gave the trend a try — on live television. “CHokers for men are a thing now too. ASOS has a wide selection of male chokers, some in velvet and others in cotton,” he said. But, as Lauer noted, “they’re late to the game because, guys, I have been wearing a choker for years.”

Last April, Fashionista interviewed style icon Alexa Chung, who declared that we need to give up on chokers — but only if we want to. She said, “Oh my God, the choker is so dead. No, thank you. (Laughs) No, it’s fine. Look, everyone can do whatever they want, but I do think there is a certain thing with trends when they reach a tipping point and that tipping point to me, with the choker, seems to have happened a few months ago. But they look cool, so, get it!”

It seems ladies were listening, and passed off the choker baton to guys. May they wear them well, wear them out, and usher in a new throwback accessory for 2018.

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