Shoulder it up

I watched Blade Runner yesterday.

Because I am not a technologically driven person, I directed my attention to something else that never fails to amuse me in old-school 80s Science fiction films: shoulder pads.

It probably does not help that my very first memory of them is a vivid flowery suit my mother wore to a wedding.

It might have been the fact that the pattern designed devoted him/herself to squeezing-in every single possible shade of colour on that tiny piece of material, that made such an impact on my 5-year-old self.

Or the fact that my petite mother suddenly appeared out of proportion with lilliputian legs and large angular shoulders...

In any case, I have ended up dreading shoulder pads and, as a result, I have always wondered why they took so long to fall out of fashion.

Power dressing

The desirable effect of power dressing was to attract attention and respect - think of Margaret Thatcher.

It started in 1980s and meant business: an unchaperoned woman wearing a suit became a feminist subtle way of saying: "hands off!"

Power suits are an important victory in the war against sexism. However, I can't help being thankful for the decreasing size of shoulder pads in the 1990s.

The problem with shoulder pads is that once they became out and accepted (that happened fairly rapidly), there was no way of getting rid of them.

They keep coming back

True, not as wide or sharp sharp-cornered, but undeniably present.

It is not necessarily a bad thing: after all, padded shoulders make a sloppy posture appear straighter and they give definition to small shoulders.

I am still a defender of the natural shoulder though (blame it on the 80s suit trauma). I think small shoulders are sexy: they elongate the figure, instead of creating a heavy emphasis on the upper body.

But, to be fair, it really comes down to which shape suits your body best.

Bring Thierry Mugler back

As a true child of the eighties, when I hit nine years old, my life ambition was to get enough money to buy a Thierry Mugler shiny, lilac, puffy jacket.

20 years later, the man behind top-heavy, extreme fantastical-fashion is nowhere to be seen. But his influence is certainly still structurally and adventurously felt: think vampires, aliens in PVC and angels squeezed into metal corsets.

I have to admit I am so thankful for the possibility of an 80s variety revival, I am only hoping that it will hit the high-street soon enough…

London is so dull this winter it is time to structure it up. I find it so depressing to come home when it's dark outside, the only outstanding outfit in the tube is an oversize woollen scarf, and the only colour to be seen is the odd citrus-green beret.

Giles makes dresses with satin-ribbon ruffles, Madeira has rigid snow-queen dresses, and why not invest in a winter-garden-style balloon dress (Celine) - they are hard to wear but they will liven up your day if chosen carefully.

As long as it's sparkling and makes a statement, it’s good to go.

I don’t know if it’s me being too sentimental over the Thierry Mugler pieces I never owned, but I always get nostalgic for an 80s eccentricity.