Love Or Hate? Men’s Chokers Are A Thing Now And We Have Mixed Feelings

After reaching their style peak in the early Noughties, chokers started making a comeback in women’s fashion last year, with everyone from Rihanna to Taylor Swift jumping aboard the trend.

Now though, chokers are getting something of a unisex makeover, with ASOS and Topman both introducing the slim-fitting neckwear to their men’s ranges for SS17.

Both retailers are selling beaded, metal and shoestring-style chokers targeted specifically at men, as well as some slightly more out-there fabric styles, available in dusky pinks, turquoise, browns and greys.

asos.com

asos.com

Male chokers were spotted on the SS17 catwalks last year, and our man Harry Styles even donned one for his Seventies-themed Another Man shoot in autumn 2016, but things went fully mainstream yesterday when TODAY Show host Matt Lauer opened his top button on air to reveal a black choker underneath.

LOOK:

why are we so turned on by Matt Lauer in a choker? pic.twitter.com/LK7TjVitN3

— MANHUNT (@Manhunt) January 4, 2017

He may be a silver fox, but he’s also probably old enough to be your Da, and he’s just admitted to wearing chokers. There’s no getting away from it now: this trend is REAL.

A quick tally of the STELLAR.ie team revealed a mixed reaction, and there’s a similar vibe on Twitter. For some, it’s a no-no for guys:

Dear All Men out there,
Please say NO to the choker.
Say NO, to the choker.

— Camila Nakagawa (@CamilaMTV) January 4, 2017

Others don’t see why it matters whether the wearer is a man or a woman:

i dont understand why people put unnecessary gender labels on products like these “men chokers” dude it a choker for anybody

— margo (@gabbymargo) January 3, 2017

“Men’s chokers”
it’s just a choker…. https://t.co/hIaxLYGR0p

— Jess (@VelvetWarms) January 2, 2017

And then there are those who simply hate chokers in general, on men or women. You can’t please everyone, eh?

I hate chokers. There I said it.

— Emilie Swearingen (@EmilieSwear) January 4, 2017

We sense The Great Man Bun Debate Of 2015 might be starting all over again…

• Asos
• chokers
• Harry Styles
• matt lauer
• mens chokers
• mens fashion
• today show
• topman
• trends 2017