Choker

A choker measures 14 to 16 inches, roughly 36 to 41 centimeters, and closes around the base of the neck rather than the middle of it. On a 13 to 14 inch neck, a 16 inch choker leaves about 2 inches of ease. It settles into the notch above the collarbone, which is exactly where it is meant to land.

Nothing about the length fixes the register. A velvet ribbon and a line of diamonds occupy the same 16 inches, so material decides whether the piece reads casual or black tie. Many chokers ship with a 2 inch extender chain, which is worth having. One necklace then works either as a choker or at the top of the princess band.

Contact is the trade-off. A choker sits on the part of the neck that sweats most. It also takes the direct hit from perfume and hairspray. Plated finishes wear through here faster than anywhere else you wear metal. Layering also gets tight. Leave at least 2 inches between a choker and the next strand down, or the two cross and tangle.

Set against a collar, a choker gives you the 2 inches of ease that make sizing forgiving. That is why far more people can wear one straight off the shelf. Test the drape by fastening it and then tilting your chin down. A band that rides up onto the throat is too small. One that slips below the collarbone is doing the princess band's job. Ribbon and leather chokers carry a second clock. Both stretch and darken where they meet skin within about a year, while the metal clasp and rings on the same piece outlast the band several times over.