.jpg)
The Fascination with Shoulder Pads
Written by: Kenneth-Michael
Shoulder pads were a thing of the past, but they’re slowly re-emerging as a thing of the present and future. They have been around since the 1930s and were made popular by old Hollywood starlets. Shoulder pads, for fashion purposes, give the allusion of broader shoulders. They are typically inserted inside a jacket. The high rise of the shoulder pads was evident in the early 1980’s.
The eXistence of shoulder pads signified authority and strength. They enhance the female figure by giving her a slimmer silhouette and waistline.
Several blog sites have classified the shoulder pad as the worst fashion item to make a comeback…
Recently, Christopher Decarnin, the creative manager of French house Balmain, can be blamed for the resurgence of the shoulder pad. His studded-military jacket recaptured the accessory. It wasn’t long before the shoulder pad became the reoccurring item on the runway, especially in the fall ‘09/winter ‘10 fashion week. Even celebrities have made the shoulder pads ever more popular, like entertainer Rihanna.
.jpg)
But, in the 1980’s, celebrities like Diahann Carroll and the women of the soap-operas Dynasty and Dallas made pads interesting. These ladies and the characters they played eluded businesswoman sophistication and a regal-like air because of their shoulder pads. At times, the pads were bigger and broader as their hair. The pads gave light to the women in corporate America that sported the business suit. Yes, tucked underneath the off-white business suit was a pad. Although, it wasn’t added to make a fashion statement, it was simply a way to accentuate her shoulders and cure her sloping shoulders problem. You know: the no-shoulder syndrome.
The eXistence of shoulder pads signified authority and strength. They enhance the female figure by giving her a slimmer silhouette and waistline…
Well, shoulder pads are reviving, but there are distracters who wish that they never returned. Many say the shoulder pad kills the femininity of the female, making her look mannish. And it doesn’t stop there. Several blog sites have classified the shoulder pad as the worst fashion item to make a comeback.
So, just like skinny jeans and leg warmers, which were famous in the 80’s and revived in 2010, how long will the shoulder pad stay?
