For most people that I have talked to - both online and in R/L - the collar does seem to represent a committment thing. IN fact, I have heard many stories of marriage like ceremonies linked to 'collaring' a slave very similar to the ones discussed in here. So, I suppose that is how I see it myself. Though I have never yet been collared formally by a Mistress.

Some of them have put a collar on me or ordered me to wear a collar as part of play but I do not consider that being 'collared' as such. Seperating the physical act of wearing a collar from the more ethereal sense of ownership that it represests. If I were collared formally, I would still be collared regardless of what I was wearing in the same way that taking a wedding ring off makes you no less married.

I suppose being collared is a long term dream of many subs in this lifestyle - in some cases an unattainable distant goal. The collar itself is a reminder of that status and can be represented by anything - chokers are commonly used because they are a vanilla acceptable close approximation of a collar but you can also use tie pins, broaches, piercings, bracelets etc. with special significance and design.