How Rihanna and Chanel helped bring back 90s chokers

The choker seems to be here to stay, writes Sarah Young

Alexander Wang channelled nineties neo-punk leather chokers for autumn/winter 2016 (Rex Features)

90s comebacks aren't just limited to mediocre boybands: looks from two decades ago are infiltrating the fashion zeitgeist.

Think belly-baring crop tops, sullen grunge beauty and ultimate comeback kid, Calvin Klein.

The ever-evolving realm of accessories on the other hand has proven rather more fickle (and thankfully so, scrunchies were never a good look.

That is, until it comes to the choker. From tattoo temporaries to the crushed velvet variety, chokers were the neck-bling of choice for the decade’s most stylish women - but why is everyone suddenly wearing them now?

Rihanna wearing an oversized choker during her album artwork reveal earlier this year (Getty Images for WESTBURY ROAD E)

As with most fashion trends, the necklace’s revival was first seen on the catwalk; last season at Dior, creative director Raf Simons saw fit to reprise the 90s staple with organza, creating a neck scarf/choker hybrid fit for the modern day debutante.

Meanwhile Chanel opted for chainmail hardware stacked tall to create the ultimate statement. They’ve stuck around for autumn/winter too - from Alexander Wang’s nineties neo-punk to more ladylike, jewel-encrusted concoctions at Oscar de la Renta.

The choker was the neck-bling of choice for stylish nineties women including Drew Barrymore

The thing about the choker is that it’s so accessible, it looks good with pretty much everything and there are so many ways to recreate it.

While investing in flashback fashion isn’t for everyone you can feel safe in the knowledge that this isn’t just a nineties trend anymore, so if the thought of channelling Drew Barrymore via a velvet number fills you with dread opt for something a little more understated and romantic such as a ribbon choker.

Grunge is the ultimate buzzword right now and if Rihanna's choke-hold obsession, or Preen by Thornton Bregazzi’s supernatural spring/summer 17 collection is anything to go by, the choker is here to stay.