“Clueless,” “The Professional,” “The Spice Girls,” “The Victorian Era,” “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” and Jared Leto. What do all of these have in common? Chokers.

If you aren’t familiar with this recurring trend, chokers are tight plastic bands with a twisted pattern. They were often found as prizes in claw machines in the 90’s.

They came back in style between 2012 and 2013 but have experienced a greater resurgence among teenage girls today, as they are now easier to find in stores and online.

Historically, chokers signified high fashion and wealth, but were also used in other conventions.

According to Buzzfeed, “women during the French Revolution took to wearing red ribbons around their necks to pay homage to those who met their death at the guillotine,” and a black ribbon around the neck symbolized prostitution as it does is Manet’s famous painting “Olympia,” but enough with the history lesson. 

Today, high school and college students are turning back to their days as ‘90s kids and experiencing that same cool factor they did walking the halls of elementary school. Katherine Gualy is one of those nostalgic millennials.

Gualy wore chokers in junior high, but came back to the trend in May. “People who see me without it think I look naked,” she says as she touches her purple choker made by her sister, “I just feel weird without it.”

Often, chokers are thought of as a “Tumblr girl” trend, but in reality it has been seen on the runways of high-end designers like Carven, Chanel and Michael Kors. The version and look of the chokers used by designers all depends on the look of the brand.

Celine took a modernist trend with a thick metallic tube wire and large gem in the center.

Chanel, staying with their “we are going be memorable” attitude, stuck with a simple gold collar with two giant pearls on both sides, a look already worn by Miley Cyrus, Nicole Richie and Lupita Nyong’o.

Then we have the undeniable genius that is Alexander McQueen, who takes everything beautifully to the extreme and made a full-neck-length choker encrusted with jewels and jeweled bees.

People who say fashion isn’t art are just wrong.

As fashion trends come and go, chokers have come back and are stronger and more influential than the time before.

Follow Katinka on Twitter @katinkabarragan