Anytime you are browsing through a department store’s jewelry section you will see that the necklaces are clearly labeled based on their appearance: chokers to fine jewelry and anything in between. As styles evolve so do these shiny pieces that we adorn our bodies with. Some jewelry is awarded the title of ‘timeless piece’ because it will always be popular while some pieces end up on the sale rack once their 15 minutes of fame ended.
Chokers are a staple for young women who want to add a little sexiness to their fit. My favorite choker was warned until its untimely death where the clasp broke. In case you were wondering, yes my heart was broken and no I haven’t found the time to get a new one yet. So at the moment, I do not have a choker in my arsenal of eye-catching additions to heighten my appearance. And as I am in the market for a replacement piece or two and being a fan of Dollskill’s creative chokers it felt like a sign when I met a young woman in a nightclub bathroom.
I have seen chokers with the words Daddy, Bitch, and Slut on it, but seeing a rainbow choker with Fuck Racism on it felt like the perfect statement piece. The simple choker protests an evident problem in our society while the multicolored letters make the piece fun and lively. I never thought I would use racism and fun in one sentence, but here I was in a bathroom looking at an eye-catching protest choker.
Lisa, the young African American woman adorned with the colorful protest piece, is the perfect model to present this choker. From my experience with pop culture trends, women of color are typically the spark for the new advancements in fashion. This theory is reassured by J.Cole’s music video “Middle Child” where he clearly identifies African American women as the original source for the baby hairs trend. With this in mind and Lisa wearing her Fuck Racism choker I believe she can easily begin a trend that puts more emphasis on the statement part of statement piece. And after seeing her necklace I was inspired to find my own choker that protested the many problems I see in the world.
Yes, there are t-shirts, jackets, bumper stickers, buttons, and many other ways of showing your support for a good cause. Yet, I have never seen a protest piece that looked as fashionable as any other choker which is why I was motivated to share Lisa’s necklace. This subtle form of protest reminds onlookers that racism is still a problem in the U.S. and to tell it to fuck off so we can improve our culture.
Hey Babes, follow Lisa the beautiful model that inspired this article with her statement choker on Instagram @blktourmaline_!