Calls for 90s tattoo necklace to return as Maya Jama and Millie Bobby Brown join trend

Maya Jama strutted onto Love Island Aftersun channelling her inner Majorcangoddess, in a black netted one-shoulder floor-length gown, her hair tied into a ponytail and her neck graced with a simple necklace. To my surprise, she'd opted for a thin black piece of fabric around her neck. Lo' and behold, the return of the choker necklace.

Chokers have been around for decades and date as far back as the late 19th century. They've re-emerged several times, in the 1920s and 1940s and most notably in the 1990s in line with punk, grunge, and alternative culture. Drew Barrymore, Winona Ryder and Gwen Stefani were among the many celebrities getting involved with the choker trend.

Then in the mid 2010s, the choker made yet another resurgence among young people on social media platforms like Tumblr and Instagram, and now it seems Maya is steamrolling their return again 10 years later. It comes as The Mirror recapped Love Island 2025's shocking moments during second most complained about series.

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Maya wasn’t the only one sporting the retro look, Millie Bobby Brown blew her Gen Z fans away with the ‘new’ accessory in a selection of promotional snaps from her most recent shoot with Essentia Watera, opting for a tattoo net black choker necklace, which, if you were a 90s or 2010s teen, you’ll be all too familiar with.

Lily Gladstone stayed true to her choker, telling People Magazine that she still wears the same one she bought in middle school. “The necklace that Chloe wears, the black choker that's kind of stretchy and looks like a neck tattoo,” Gladstone said last year. “I still have mine from middle school and I definitely rock it whenever I can.”

Ariana Grande, Zoe Saldana and Elle Fanning wore diamond encrusted ones at the Oscars earlier this year. But for those on a tight budget, don’t fret, it looks like the black plastic, painfully tight, interlaced chokers are making a retro revival.

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Today, it seems social media users are getting more creative with their choker designs, with many turning to DIY to create their own bespoke necklaces, often covered with spikes, jewels, chain links, pearls and more.

The #chokernecklace tag currently has over 180k videos on TikTok. In one viral video from last year, creator @daniellemarcan wished for the traditional black choker necklace to make a comeback. Another user in the comments confirmed they never stopped wearing theirs and said "Have been wearing the same one since 2018."

A third user shared a TikTok video wearing hers, writing the caption: "Petition to bring choker necklaces back!!"

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