The Sexiest Fashion Accessory: Your Shoulders
Shoulder Pads, One-Shoulder Dresses, and Shoulder Adornments
Sep 22, 2009
When you hear the words “shoulder pads” you may think Dynasty or Designing Women, but Joan Collins and Suzanne Sugarbaker do not have the monopoly on statement-making shoulders. In fact, the shoulder emphasis is way more than just a 1980s trend risen from the dead – it rolls right along with the boyfriend jean and boyfriend jacket trends of the Fall 2009 fashion season.
Take a look below at the variety of ways you can emphasize your shoulders and, as a result, automatically narrow and slim your waist and hips. That kind of guaranteed reward is worth any fashion risk, isn’t it?
- Military-inspired jackets: If you want to add a little extra material to your shoulders, suit blazers, jackets, coats, and outerwear are the most undercover way of getting trendy. That extra angle or curve of the shoulder is subtle in outerwear, particularly when you discover a coat with a slight – but very feminine – puff of the shoulder. Military-inspired winter jackets are many-buttoned and sometimes beribboned, snapping up-to-here and giving you that understated masculine shoulder emphasis without making anyone think you expect to be saluted.
- Adorned dresses and tops: Narrow dresses are being designed with a little extra shoulder oomph to give your shrugs a lovely boost. Designers are adding shoulder pads to dresses and tops or tailoring them with very sharp cuts and lines to make the addition obvious. Adornments are what really finish off the statement though, whether patched, ruffled, floral, or sequined, the embellished look can be playful or refined.
- Cut-out tops and one-shoulder dresses: Exposed shoulders just got a lot hotter. Wearing a tank or halter top is one way to show skin in a sexy and demure way, but if you want to get really obvious about the effort you’re making, go for a top or dress with cut-out shoulders. Totally eighties? No way. All modern times here. Warning! Don’t pull a long-sleeved top out of your closet and try make this look happen on your own with a pair of shears and a sewing machine unless you’re, well, Christian Siriano. Designer or off-the-rack is the only way to go without turning into a fashion disaster.
The flowy tops, ruffled extras, short hemlines, and many layers of necklaces and scarves are super-feminine this season. Working with your shoulders in one way or another is a superb outlet for getting some testosterone-fueled elements into your wardrobe.
Just remember, it’s not merely adding some extra padding to your shoulders that makes them fabulous, it’s actually highlighting them with adornments or letting them breathe with cut-out tops or one-shoulder dresses. Work the sexiest feminine feature this season by choosing the design that flatters you most. Be careful not to mix and match too many ‘80s trends – tread carefully with neon, power suits, and (gulp) acid-washed jeans if you’re planning on pairing them with some structured shoulders. The exaggerated look is best left on the runway.
 |
 |
 |
