SHOULDER PADS IN THE 80S
During the 80s, power-dressing was used by the increasing number of working women to give them an authoratitive look in an environment dominated by men. The style was mainly achieved by the use of shoulder pads which were used in suits, dresses and jackets to give a broader look to the shoulders. However, shoulder pads first became popular back in the 1930s with the fashion desinger Elsa Schiaparelli incorporating them in her 1931 designs. There are even earlier examples of broadening the shoulders with the use of puffed sleeves in the 1890s, and these also became popular again during the 1980s.
Joan Collins as Alexis Carrington in Dynasty.
During the eighties, jackets were used by women to defeminise their top half, whilst paradoxically the use of knee-length skirts, ostentatious jewellery and scarves accentuated their femininity.
Power dressing became very much a phenomenon, and in the UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (she often wore a skirt suit with wide shoulder, a puss*-bow blouse and an Asprey handbag) and Princess Diana were leading the way. Indeed, the style was very conservative. In the U.S., the style was used heavily by women in the soap Dynasty.
"Walking suites 1894 Delineator". Licensed under PD-US via Wikipedia.
An original 1980s yellow pure wool jacket by Mansfield with padded shoulders.
It wasn't only the women who were using shoulder pads. Adam Ant used them in the 16th century swashbuckling style jacket he wore on the album sleeve for the album Prince Charming.
A resurgence in the use of shoulder pads took place in 2009 after Lady Gaga (who's fashion styles are influenced by the 80s) started wearing them.
You can see more pictures on the 80s Fashion page.
An original 1980s military style dress with dramatic shoulder pads.
New Look sewing pattern for a peplum top with shoulder pads and fitted pencil skirt.
You can also see a jumpsuit with shoulder pads on our Jumpsuits page.
Shoulder pads in fashion have had a rich and diverse history, stemming from various periods and fashion movements. The resurgence of shoulder pads in the 1980s, particularly in power-dressing for women, was a notable cultural phenomenon. However, their origins extend far beyond that era.
The use of shoulder pads to accentuate the shoulders and redefine silhouettes goes back to the early 20th century and even further. Elsa Schiaparelli, a pioneering fashion designer, notably incorporated shoulder pads in her 1931 designs, contributing significantly to their popularity. Even before that, in the late 19th century, broadening the shoulders was achieved through the use of puffed sleeves, a trend that resurfaced during the 1980s.
This trend wasn't just about fashion but also had a cultural context. Power-dressing in the 1980s was a means for working women to assert themselves in male-dominated environments. The use of shoulder pads in suits, dresses, and jackets aimed to provide a more authoritative and empowered look.
Iconic figures like Joan Collins as Alexis Carrington in "Dynasty," Margaret Thatcher, and Princess Diana notably embraced power-dressing, contributing to its widespread adoption. In the United States, TV shows like "Dynasty" heavily influenced the use of this style.
Interestingly, shoulder pads weren't confined to women's fashion; they've made sporadic appearances in men's fashion as well. For instance, Adam Ant famously wore them in a swashbuckling style jacket reminiscent of the 16th century.
The influence of the 1980s fashion, including shoulder pads, resurfaced in 2009 with Lady Gaga's adoption of the style, showcasing its lasting impact and cyclical nature in the fashion world.
Articles, photographs, and fashion pieces from that era, like the military-style dress or the peplum top with shoulder pads, serve as tangible evidence of the prevalence and significance of shoulder pads in 1980s fashion.
If you explore the "80s Fashion" page or specific sections dedicated to jumpsuits, you'll likely find more visual examples of how shoulder pads were incorporated into various garments, further solidifying their role in defining the aesthetics of that decade.
