Tattoo Chokers-Curious Fashion History

Popular in the 90s and early 2000s, and resurfacing in today's fashion, tattoo chokers were found in most tween jewelry boxes. The original style was originally a thin woven mess of black strands of plastic mimicking a type of bicep tattoo. They then morphed into multi colors, beaded versions, and some that had charms and pendants.  
​The origins of the choker in general date back before the 1600s. Anne Bolyn is often cited as an early example of a choker promoter as she wore her famous B pearl choker necklace. Chokers were also used as a political rebellion or marker as those during the French Revolution who had lost a loved one to the guillotine often wore a red ribbon tied tightly around their necks. Many articles and vlogs have been devoted to the history of chokers at large. If you would like to know more follow the links at the end of the article to some more info on these interesting necklaces. But, for this installment of Curious Fashion History I wanted to focus on specifically the "tattoo choker" as they are beginning to weasel their way back into western fashion.

​I remember owning one or two of these netted, stretchy necklaces myself when I was in middle school. It was a simple yet bold accessory to finish any school outfit or homecoming look. There was nothing worse than over stretching your necklace and praying it would shrink back to fit around your neck. 
These easily destructible necklaces could be bought in cheap packs at places like Claire's, Icing, Limited Too (remember that place?), roller rinks, and those quarter vending machines with items jammed into those plastic pod things.  These necklaces could be seen on Sabrina The Teenage Witch, The Spice Girls, and Mary Kate and Ashley prominently.
Not much could be found about the tattoo choker's origin. Most agree that the trend started in the Gothic fashion trend and then made its way into the mainstream pop culture shortly after. There were and still are some urban legends about what it means if a girl wears one, depending on style, color, etc. But, none of these have been confirmed. Check out this Reddit thread to better understand. 
I tried to find some archived teen magazines from the 90s and 2000s and then kicked myself for not keeping my Teen People and Seventeen magazines from that era. Why don't these magazines archive their physical issues online? This would be an amazing reference for anyone working on a project set in the recent past. 
​From just two quarters to now $12+ the tattoo choker has miraculously had a resurgence in the late teens, as has some other 90s and 2000s fashion. Chokers have always had staying power, but these curious cousins of the red ribbons of the French Revolution seem to be staying around for an encore.

The classic tattoo choker. Scratchy, pinchy, and kind of sweaty. What we do for fashion.

Photo from Buisson International Blog. Thanks for sharing your prom look complete with tattoo choker.

References/Other Info:

• Bustle- Whatever Happened To...​
• Bustle-Why '90's Choker Necklaces Are the Ultimate '90's Accessory...
• Youtube- Safiya Nygaard The History of Chokers​