Fashion Forward Summer 2011: All Choked Up

I don't know if it's because I just made a choker this week or it's going to be an actual fashion trend, but I I see the potential for some serious neck action this summer.  Judging from In Fashion with Barbara Glass, a very informative blog by a woman who is a fashion expert, it looks like high scoop necks and low-cut V necklines for the summer.  She also has great pictures of the various trends on her site, listing the Top Ten in her opinion, and has a daily blog where she runs all fashion all the time, including some interviews (all images copyrighted to InFashion blog and their respective creators). 

This is the picture, the one on the far left, that gave me the choker idea.  Make it a thick one, with some fun dangly pieces, and it becomes part of the outfit.  I like how that picture has a fabric strip at the top - mixing textures and materials always make for a more interesting look, and has an edgy, hip aspect to it.  In the summer that frayed, relaxed, tossed-together took is very popular, especially while on vacation. 

If you have a short neck and think a choker will make it disappear altogether, then I would have a thinner strip with lots of sections hanging off of it that almost make it as long as a regular necklace.  This will naturally lengthen your neck. 

Note that a choker will look good with all of these short necklines.  I find it very hard to make items that go well with this sort of look, and I'm going to try out more chokers this year.  Some poeple think it's a "young" thing or a "punk" style, but I think it can go well with anything if done right. 

I adore purple (as my last Fashion entry said!), and this color palette, whether done on purpose or not, is one of my favorites.  Two shades of purple, throw in the blue as an analagous color, and a dash of black to bring it all back to center.  What it looks like is that ribbons around the waist are also going to be popular, and you can work that into your jewelry by including an actual ribbon element.  Try making a necklace with big chain and then threading thin ribbon through the links. 

The ribbon look will also go well with a piece that mimics the placement of the bow: have a necklace that is fairly uniform and flat except for a section off center that is the focal point.  Have a large bead there, a burst of color, something that sets it apart and draws the eye, like the big bow on the ribbon belt. 

And again, chokers will look good with this - check out the second from the left, and just imagine that scarf as a necklace!