Cultural Fad

                                                     Let's Travel Back In Time to the 80s

         H&M. “Sequined Velour Dress.” H&M

Last night, I was tearing my closet apart trying to find outfits to wear to New York this weekend. I knew I needed an outfit for dinner and as I was pulling out every dress I had, I just so happened to pull out my multicolored sequined dress from H&M. The reason why I kept this dress was because of the built in shoulder pads, and I love any top, dress, or jacket that has shoulder pads. 

The best thing about fashion is that trends never die. Fashion has a way of traveling from decade to decade, but people have a way of always adding a new and fun twist to clothing. For example, mom jeans were a huge statement in the 1990s, however, mom jeans went out of style when skinny jeans were introduced in the 2000s. After 2018, mom jeans made a comeback as moms and also young girls in age from 12 to 25 started to wear mom jeans as an everyday style. Scrunchies were another fad from our mom’s generation, seen in every girl’s hair in the 80’s. Scrunchies died once the early 2000s hit, but made a huge comeback in 2017 and are still trending today. 

Cultural Movement in the 1940s

Shoulder pads became a cultural movement in the 1940s for women. During World War II, women were joining the workforce and needed a new look to blend in and fit into the male-dominated fields: “slinky 1930s fashions made way for much more utilitarian, military-inspired styles, providing an opportunity for shoulder pads to become a fashion staple” (Shaw). The style of the shoulder pads gave women the confidence to join any field, and fit in just like a man would. However, after the war ended, the job field changed, and all the attention went to helping the veterans find jobs. The fashion for women became more feminine again as   “the Victory Suit style that arose in the ‘40s was soon replaced with Dior’s flattering New Look” (Shaw). The in-charge style of shoulder pads faded away as women were asked to go back to their normal routine of staying at home and were no longer needed with men in the field.

Working Shoulder-to-Shoulder in the 1980s (literally) 

Forty years later, shoulder pads resurfaced. In the 1980s, shoulder pads were part of the feminist movement with the sole purpose to put women shoulder to shoulder with men in the workplace. The adding of the shoulder pads in jackets, shirts, dresses, and blazers gave appearance of a more confident woman who could run the world and who would not let any man dominate her. 

                                               

               Jolly. “33+ Ideas fashion trends 1980s.” Jolly  

As women started to take on more senior roles in the workplace, they needed that powerful fashion statement to feel a part of the work culture. Shoulder pads allowed women to “blend into that brave, bold “man’s world”’ ( Blue 17). However, just like mom jeans and scrunchies, shoulder pads died. Due to people rejecting the idea that women needed shoulder pads to be confident in a male dominating environment, the trend soon died and shoulder pads were no longer added to women’s clothing. 

After 2010, shoulder pads made a reappearance in the fashion world. More fashion designers started incorporating the padding in blazers and dresses, and still today many designers are using the shoulder pads for an added statement. 

My Love for Shoulder Pads

I think shoulder pads are an amazing look for women and I currently own pieces of clothing that have the built-in shoulder pads. The dress that I am packing for my New York trip was originally for my senior pictures and till this day I love that dress. I also have a hot pink blazer from INC. that I wear to work with very puffy shoulder pads. I truly believe that shoulder pads made a positive impact on the women’s world of fashion because I can relate to the feeling of feeling confident and powerful when wearing my clothes that have shoulder pads. 

                                             

Jolly. “33+ Ideas Fashion Trends 1980s Shoulder Pads for 2020.” Jolly, 10 Dec. 2019, 

http://jollybiglive.ru/content?jolly=cz1ibG9ndGlhbmFmYXNoaW9uLnBlcm5pYXNwb3B1cHNob3AucnUmcD0yNTg3NDExLTU1LWlkZWFzLWZhc2hpb24tdHJlbmRzLTE5ODBzLXNob3VsZGVyLXBhZHMtaW5uOC5odG1s. 

Shaw, Sophie. “The History of Shoulder Pads.” CR Fashion Book, 1 Jan. 2019, 

https://www.crfashionbook.com/fashion/a25394199/history-shoulder-pads/

“Surprising Answer to: Why Did Women Wear Shoulder Pads in the 1980s?” Blue17 Vintage 

Clothing, 20 July 2020, https://www.blue17.co.uk/vintage-blog/why-did-women-wear-shoulder-pads-in-the-1980s/.