The exact origin of choker style necklaces is not really all that well known.  Some fashion historians think they became popular in modern Europe after women tied red ribbons around their necks to protest the executions in the French Revolution.  Nonetheless the fashion accessory has gone through periods of favour and disfavour just like most other things to do with fashion.  They are particularly associated with the Victorian era and also the roaring twenties, but as seems to be the case with almost every fashion accessory, they are popular in the modern day and have their fans here and now as well.  The purpose of the choker is kind of obvious.  Women’s bodies are generally a lot curvier and thus a hard edge at any point (especially when they are black) will draw attention to that area, either to highlight it or to draw the attention away from elsewhere.  In terms of their application to comics, chokers are not as common.  This is likely for one main reason and that is because most female characters that wear a costume have this hard edge near their necks anyway.  Notwithstanding that though at the moment at least one very popular female character at both DC and Marvel – Wonder Woman and Emma Frost – use these as part of their costumes.  In a practical sense wearing a choker might not be as dangerous as another type of necklace as it would be far less likely to be caught on something.  From a design perspective it makes sense as well as Wonder Woman and Emma Frost are consistently drawn to be among the most attractive characters in comics and the hard edge where it is draws attention to two areas that many comic fans look at, either the face or the part immediately below the neck.  Additionally I read it somewhere once that comic writers generally try to avoid a lot of complex jewelry on female characters as it is both hard to draw consistently and also makes the panels a little bit too busy, thus the relatively plain or at least plainly decorated choker is an item which can enhance a look without making it look too chintzy.  In terms of who has a better choker between Diana and Emma, it is highly subjective, though I am more prone to say Diana, because everything looks better on brunettes. 

Emma's a brunette. I call DC bias on this one......  
 
Then again, Wonder Woman has an ice cream. Not strictly relevant its still important to note. 

Hard to argue - yes - brunettes carry it off, but SC is right about the original tress colour of the lovely Ms. Emma. I call tie. :)

I learn a lot with you're blogs :D

@lykopis:  
@SC:   She's only been a blonde since having the choker - Tammy ftw

A choker can be a disadvantage or advantage depending on whether one knows how to act in the situation. Disadvantage in the a twist with the finger to the choker will tighten it around the throat, advantage that while doing as such your opponent just made them self one handed at least, never a good move (the person wearing the choker still has both hands, and now has their opponent trapped in close quarters). So it can be used as a lure, especially handy in the case of these two who don't have to worry about the actual strangling factor (in diamond form for Emma anyways). The little things they teach you in self defense classes...

Visual wise just giving it a quick thought I would say in the long stretch Marvel and DC likely avoided this style as opposed to other publishers who are a little less conservative. And my personal award for current Choker Made Of Awesome is going to The Bride Of Nine Spiders. Everything looks better on black haired Nepalese supernatural spider-woman ninja's, especially when ornamented with huge spikes and wicked chains.

Je Je Je Je Je Je!

@RazzaTazz:

Not really, no. The flesh itself and the neck is easy enough to push in then up and open a space to slide a finger up and behind it. It's a quick move I've seen demonstrated on a a tight bondage collar all things. Though in Diana's case I can't imagine really any opponent would be getting that far.

edit: Ooops, I mean, Je Je Je Je Je Je! :P

@RazzaTazz: Oh see, right. Sorry cobwebs on the brain as usual. Je Je Je Je Je Je!

@SC said:

Emma's a brunette. I call DC bias on this one...... Then again, Wonder Woman has an ice cream. Not strictly relevant its still important to note.

I agree wholeheartedly.

Emma's wears a choker better (And I prefer Diana as a character fyi).

Tammy ftw?

@Daveyo520 said:

Tammy ftw?

I think a KITH reference? I live in my own little world though so probably not.

@CATPANEXE: it means for the win it was just silly that she said it.

@Daveyo520: I know that, I meant Tammy. Unless someone here is Tammy, I wouldn't know.

@CATPANEXE: All Tammys are evil.

@Daveyo520:

Tube videos sadly won't load for me. I thought it was a Canadian comedy troupes joke being pointed as a slam on Emma. Like I said I hail from another dimension. Up is green here, mortar is ice cream, sad is hazelnut, ect. It's hard to relate to this world, especially with the loss of my special sunglasses that let me see who is an alien, the secret messages hidden on dollar bills and billboard advertisements, and make me look kewl while chewing bubble gum (I'm all out of bubblegum). But as a stranger to this dimension who trusts you and thinks your awesome, I will take your advice and fear the burning touch of the ones called Tammy.

@CATPANEXE: See Canada is also evil. The two evilest things are Canadians and people named Tammy. And now you know Rowdy Roddy Piper.

* chants *

Fear The Burning Touch Of The Tammy! Fear The Burning Touch Of The Tammy! Fear The Burning Touch Of The Tammy! Fear The Burning Touch Of The Tammy!...

Oops, there's a thread going on here. Sorry everybody! I'm killing the relevance with my idiocy. *^.^*

* shrinks down into a wind up mouse sized clown car and speeds away as fast as the small proportion of the craft will allow for *

@CATPANEXE: No, you are doing just fine, trust me.