What’s your take on shoulder pads? You can either love the way they work for you or just hate them on principle. While they’re synonymous with all the right things – power, confidence, authority, they also have associations with a long-standing social cause. Maybe that’s the reason there’s a level of scepticism when it comes to adopting the style. OR it’s a simple case of haters gonna hate.
All of fashion has some sort of a historical story; shoulder pads have quite a rocky one:
Catching the attention of the masses during WWII, shoulder pads were used in women’s clothing to acknowledge the fact that they were doing a man’s work in society, while their husbands, brothers, fathers and sons fought the war. This style was fundamental in making a political and social statement for women at that time. Resurfacing in the 80’s with a similar agenda, advocates of women empowerment worked hand in hand with the fashion industry. What started off in ‘power suits’ was soon incorporated in every item of clothing – dresses, tops etc. The most recent sighting was brief and had more to do with the futurism trend and avant garde fashion than social relevance. And now, it’s difficult to say if they even have any place in people’s wardrobes with all the talk of cold-shoulders, off-shoulder and bare-shoulder.
Whatever the current situation may be, I find them to be a great addition to my wardrobe; to be pulled out in times of need. Sure, it may be going against trend, but who cares – desperate times call for desperate measures.
A simple blouse with padded shoulders is perfect on days when you’re just not feeling ‘all-there’, but you’ve still got work to do, hours to clock yada yada yada. On days like these, a shirt is too rigid, a blazer feels confined and obviously a tee is inappropriate. With padded shoulders, a casual top can work wonders, it says: “I dress simple coz I’d rather focus on work than worry about how I look”
*Yes, I know it’s a lie, you know it’s a lie, but look at it as a WHITE LIE.
SHOP LIKE I DO:
Blouse - Van Heusen / INR 1199
Pants - Vashi's Jean Shack / INR 1099
Bag - Colaba, Bombay / INR 600
Shoes - Woodland (hand me downs)