Balmain Ready-to-Wear A/W 2009, Paris Fashion Week

In the tenth grade, my friends and I had to dress up in 1940s garb for our history class. I remember how mortified I was wearing my mom’s vintage blazer with obnoxiously large shoulder pads, thinking that my outfit would be mistaken for a Halloween costume of Frankenstein.

Little did I know, five years later I would be scrambling to find that same blazer.

That’s the beauty of fashion. Designers are constantly returning back to trends, causing us to search for clothes we had pushed to the dusty corners of our closets.

The return of the bold shoulder was one of the most popular fall runway looks. From the sequined peaked look at Balmain to Louis Vuitton’s balloon-puffed version and Dolce and Gabbana’s furry silhouette, designers were determined to prove that dramatic shoulders were back, and better than ever.

Dolce & Gabbana A/W 09, Milan Fashion Week

Shoulder pads were first introduced in the 1930s by Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, who placed them into her thick sweaters. In 1932, Adrian Greenberg, a costume designer known for dressing actress Greta Garbo, created a wide-shouldered white organdy dress with ruffled sleeves and a narrow waist for Joan Crawford in “Letty Lynton.” The design was copied in the U.S., as the wide, padded shoulders made hips look smaller. Macy’s department store in New York reportedly sold 500,000 similar dresses.

The statement shoulder was later revived in the 1980s, as a form of power dressing. It was highly popularized by actress Joan Collins in the soap opera “Dynasty” and by the late Michael Jackson with his military-style jackets. During this time, shoulder pads became bigger and broader, some even reaching the size of dinner plates, before the trend died in the early nineties.

Now, fashion-conscious celebrities such as Rihanna, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga are sporting the bold shoulder. Miss J Alexander has even adopted the look for the latest cycle of America’s Next Top Model, his shoulder pads inflating with each model eliminated.

The look can easily be adapted into your work or your party wardrobe. If you simply want to ease into the trend, try a puff-sleeve blouse paired with a pair of black cigarette pants. Feeling brave? Slip on a dress with crystal embellished shoulders a la Balmain paired with sky-high pumps. With so many different options at a range of price points, you’re sure to find your perfect fit.

I’ll be sticking to the beloved blazer, especially after my moment of glory at a fashion publication. “Do those have shoulder pads?” asked one of the editors. I answered yes, and he grinned from ear to ear. “Fabulous.”

SHOP THIS TREND:

Topshop Cosmic Shoulder Dress, $85 CAD

Derurcuny Pintuck blouse with puff sleeves, $416 CAD

Bebe Ornate Puff Sleeve Jacket, $180 CAD