Choker trend update: Autumn 2019
If the anklet was the jewellery trend of the summer, then autumn 2019 belongs to the choker. But it's not time to make a beeline for VV Rouleaux for a length of black velvet ribbon just yet.
This autumn, the choker has ditched its Nineties goth image in favour of something altogether more special.
Clockwise from left: Model wears Sarah & Sebastian choker; Crystal FF logo choker £980, Fendi; Le Chic 18kt gold-plated choker £230, Wald Berlin; 18-karat gold and diamond necklace £1,920, Yvonne Léon
And to emphasize just how far the trend has grown from the bad old days of stretchy faux tattoo chokers, the pieces we're coveting right now come courtesy of some of the new school of designers shaking up the often-traditional world of jewellery design.
Wald Berlin, for instance, has your choker needs covered with everything from strings of feathers and pearls, to tricolore-tinted shells and even sweetwater pearls paired with tiny smilies.
Clockwise from left: Model wears: Sophie Bille Brahe Petite Peggy choker; Micro-pearl embellished choker £275, Fallon; Pearl choker £265, Anita Berisha; The Infinite Light gold-plated and bead necklace £280, Alighieri
Our favourite high-end pearlsmith Sophie Bille Brahe also has her own delicate take on the trend, with a halo of perfectly graduated freshwater pearls.
Missoma, the affordable jewellery brand that's killing it right now has chokers aplenty - delicate 18k gold vermeil chains strung with teeny-tiny gems, charms or pendants.
Clockwise from left: Rose gold rainbow tight chain necklace £90, Rosie Fortescue; Beaded hinged choker necklace £595, Peter Pilotto; Model wears: Amazonite gold Lena choker £92, Missoma; Mykonos enamel choker £93, Roxanne Assoulin
And, of course, no current jewellery trend would be complete without an offering from Alighieri, the brand by Rosh Mahtani which has built a huge following since its launch in 2014.
As well as romantic pearl and bead strung short necklaces, Mahtani's autumn/winter collection features gold chains that owe more to the hardware store than a traditional heirloom.
Clockwise from top left: Medusa coin choker necklace £980, Versace; Stone embellished chain necklace £550, Marni; Archi gold-plated necklace £155, Tohum; Model wears: Alighieri necklace
That heavyweight approach has been favoured by the big name fashion brands too, with chunky chains, over-sized adornment and a touch of logomania on offer. If you're going big, be sure that it nestles comfortably on the clavicles and wear with a simple open-necked shirt to frame your statement piece.
Call it sentimentality, or an obsession with all things shiny, but the trend for layering necklaces shows no signs of abating and pairing a choker with a couple of other necklaces of varying lengths is the perfect way to ease yourself in to the latest style revival.
