Shoulder Pads.......the Subject of Many Jokes Over the Decades

Shoulder pads, love em or hate em, they will never completely go away.  I was doing some research about shoulder pads and did you know that they emerged in womens' fashions in the 1930's and were made popular when Joan Crawford wore them in the film "Letty Lynton"?  Neither did I, but I bet that Birgit has seen the movie ;)

After the war, womens' fashions took on a more 'military' look and shoulder pads were found in almost all garments, except for lingerie (thank god, can you imagine).  Some were even stuffed with sawdust to give them shape.

Here is a picture of Joan Crawford with some killer shoulder pads and poof sleeves that become form fitting past the elbow and toward the wrist.  Just amazing.

Birgit here, Sorry for my lateness but since my hubby decided to redecorate the laptop with coffee, I can only edit and blog at work (shhhh). Good ole crazy Joan Crawford and her shoulder pads. She is famous for her shoulder pads but this is because she had small shoulders and super duper birthing hips! Adrian is a famous Hollywood designer(he came up with Dorothy's Wizard of Oz shoes) who created the shoulder pad to bring a balance to nutso Crawford's body style. I will showcase more of Adrian's shoulder pad designs at the end of this blog:)



Now that is a fantastic use of shoulder pads!

This picture shows how the shoulder pad kind of got out of hand..........



I guess this is what was called 'power dressing; in the 80's.  Ya, powerful is right, she looks like a linebacker in the NFL.

Hut 1! Hut 2!.... Isn't

Here is a real power dresser from the 80's, Grace Jones.  Big shoulder pads TOTALLY suit her, she seems like a really strong woman and she can carry off this look flawlessly.

Birgit again....Love Grace Jones and her angled features...she could be carved out of Mount Rushmore.

Here is an example of the perfect shoulder pad, not too big, not too small, but just enough to give some structure to this menswear jacket.  It's just too bad she forgot to wear a shirt underneath.......OMG, I am getting old.  But, that suit is killer.

The Suit's a killer, I agree, but is she bucking for a raise?? Sit up straight, put your feet together and find a blouse you hussey!..hahahaaa..yeah, it's Birgit again.



That's my little blurb about shoulder pads friends.  Just beware, they are making a comeback!

Marni
xxx

Here are my additional pics showing some of Adrian's gowns...

See those angled shoulders? Nothing is new and these are making a big comeback.

Here's Joan again...now, where is her Pepsi bottle filled with whiskey?

A classic film, The Women, with, from the left, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Norma Shearer and Joan Fontaine. If you want an all women cast with classic Adrian designs showcasing those shoulders especially the coloured piece in the middle of the film showing a fashion show, watch this film.