Floral choker

Frequently I find that when I plan an outfit, I wore almost the exact same thing on almost the exact same date in the past.

Today, I'm about 2 weeks and 3 years behind, but I used this dress and color scheme on September 27, 2014. I even, unknowingly as I was planning the outfit, contemplated wearing the same pair of shoes, but ultimately decided I'd rather wear something newer and lower-heeled, so I went with the olive shoes that I've decided were a very good investment indeed!

This is my second pair of short block heels, (the first being the silver glitter ones), which I'm totally digging since I first noticed them around the end of last year. Another trend from 2016's end-of-the-year post that made it into today's outfit was the choker necklace. I have to say that 2017 has been the year of the choker for me, and I have to say, it was an unexpected development!

If you'd asked me 5 years ago if I would ever be in love with chokers, I would have told you, "No way!" Back then, I liked chokers in theory but felt they were unflattering—especially on me. I felt like they abbreviated my neckline, making me look short and stumpy, and emphasizing the fatness of my cheeks. Maybe my cheeks got thinner, maybe I just got used to the look, or maybe it's my shorter haircut that just works better with a high neckline, but I no longer have a problem wearing chokers. It doesn't hurt that chokers went from being a fringe accessory to a fashionable one. While the trendsetters have moved on to bigger and better things, I still haven't finished exploring the possibilities of fabric chokers. I simply can't resist donning one whenever I can conceivably work one into my outfit, and I keep looking for more exciting choker styles to add to my collection.

Today's choker is the most exciting one yet. No longer just a simple ribbon or velvet band or even a velvet band embellished with a pearl, even more ornate than a mesh collar, today's floral embroidered choker is pretty much the pinnacle of chokerdom.

 

 

It's so tall and bright, it is impossible to miss. Its colors are such that it looks like it could be a part of my cardigan. Its pattern is unlike that of any other choker I've ever seen. It is, unquestionably, the focal point of my outfit.

I paid $1.51 for it on eBay, and I have reason to believe that it is actually an embroidery patch for clothing that some ingenious seller decided to attach to some jewelry chains (it actually had a thick sheet of plastic stuck to the back that I'm pretty sure was an iron-on transfer, which I had to peel off before I could wear it). Hats off to you, ingenious seller! I only wish I had come up with that idea myself. 

However, now that I have worn the pinnacle of chokerdom, I don't really have anything left to aspire to. This might be the last time in a while that I get excited enough about a choker to write a whole blog post about it. I guess it's time to move on to bigger and better things. Hmmm, what are the trendsetters into these days?