There's a certain predictability to many celebrity style trends. Some are seasonal — for instance, as excited as we are to see turtlenecks having their moment on the weather-impervious red carpet, they've long been a fall/winter staple. However, others are so suddenly pervasive that you think, Wait a minute, is there a cool-girl text message chain about this? (Also, how can I get in on said chain?) That's how we feel about this bandeau-with-matching-neck-band concept. We've seen the look on the likes of Kendall and Kylie Jenner, as well as the latest famous offspring to become a full-fledged, Chanel-vetted fashion darling, Lily-Rose Depp. What started as a one-off seems like it's become a go-to going-out move for plenty of other celebrities, including Selena Gomez and Gigi Hadid.
The look isn't new, as anyone who lived through the '90s can attest: The tube-top-plus-choker was a textbook, no-fail accessorizing move back in the day. (Raise your hand if you still have a stretchy tattoo-esque choker or two in your possession...) But, gradually, the length of our necklaces elongated, and the neck-hugging style started to look a bit passé. Chloe Grace Moretz brought out a choker at the AMAs last Sunday, pairing a silky slip dress with a simple, thin band around the neck. (The barrettes holding back her bangs were an equally nostalgic touch). But what we're seeing more often is yet another variant of the matching set: a wide swath of fabric hugging the neck plus a top that's literally cut from the same cloth, or at least of a very close match.
Depp first turned us onto the trend when she arrived at Chanel's spring '16 show in a colorful tube top in a pattern from the brand's resort collection, accented by a frayed-edged ribbon tied around her neck. Since then, it's made its way stateside, for red carpets and after-parties, alike (and for celebrity cuddling get-togethers). And we couldn't ask for an easier trend to DIY: Take a cue from Lily-Rose and find a ribbon to match your top. Done. For less-crafty types, Onia makes a bandeau top with a neck band that's connected at the back, as do American Apparel and Boohoo.
This throwback trend comes right in time for the holidays, when get-togethers range from casual potlucks to dressier events. Luckily, this style translates to a wide range of settings and eliminates the need for further accessorizing. Ahead, see how a few celebrities have worn it, and get ready to see this all over the party circuit this season.
We first spotted the neck band at the Chanel spring '16 show on the ever-cool Lily-Rose Depp. Her chosen style — a frayed-edged ribbon tied at the nape of the neck — was exactly halfway between the parallel skinny scarf and choker necklace renaissances (not to be confused with Dior's intersection of the two trends). Depp played up the throwback vibe even more with that pair of high-waisted, light-wash jeans.
Kendall Jenner pulled out the neck piece for a night out with Kourtney Kardashian, Cara Delevingne, and Gigi Hadid at P. Diddy's birthday party. (Surely, she must've taken notes from sister Kim's penchant for chokers.) Jenner and Hadid both opted for all-black ensembles with corresponding choker-bands, providing perfect inspiration for an informal group outfit — or, simply what to wear when meeting up with friends for casual drinks.
Clearly keen on the trend, Hadid brought back the band-meets-bandeau play for the AMAs' after-party. Like her BFF Kendall, she opted for a strapless crop top and high-waisted bottom — in this case, a pencil skirt — from House of CB, paired with a matching neckpiece.
Selena Gomez opts for the attached-to-the-rest-of-your-outfit neck band. Her Ulyana Sergeenko dress is a sort of California turtleneck: covered up at the top, but opening up into a plunging neckline below. Thanks to all that torso ventilation, the resulting get-up isn't overly stuffy when worn in the balmier fall temps out West.
Solange Knowles piles on the creamy Ryan Roche knits for a daytime affair; a corresponding snood creates the neck-band look.
Alexa Chung, too, has taken to dressing up an LBD with a little black neck band, pairing it with other seasonal staples like a short camel coat and a micro top-handle bag.
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