Now the shoulder’s getting bolder
They’re so big you’re sure to make an impact — but thanks to a trick of the eye, you’ll instantly drop a dress size. As stars take to the red carpet in increasingly voluminous sleeves . . .
Finally! Opulent, extravagant fashion has returned in the fabulous form of statement shoulders. in the post-pandemic world, our best-dressed celebrities are desperate to have a little fun, and oh-so-big shoulders — all the better to shrug off your woes with, my dear — are the way to do it.
in a rare public appearance at the wedding of la lakers basketball star anthony Davis, adele stunned in a custom-made dress from Schiaparelli Haute Couture, whose fabulously exaggerated shoulders left her looking like she’d fallen straight out of Disney princess film Enchanted.
With its fitted black wool crepe column design and dramatic silk taffeta off-theshoulder rosette sleeves, she will have turned heads — and parted crowds given the extra space that arm furniture will have taken up. She certainly looked incredible, though you can’t help but wonder what the bride would have felt about it...
For proof that the bolder shoulder is having a moment, look no further than the red carpet, where celebrities aren’t so much elbowing as shouldering each other aside so they have space for their statement sleeves. at a los angeles Gala this weekend, lady Gaga’s voluminous shrug contained more fabric than the rest of her
dress. Supermodel Karlie Kloss looked like she’d walked off the set of Dynasty in her show-stopping Carolina Herrera crimson dress at this month’s Met Gala. It took 25 yards of silk to create the design, with its blossoming silk faille roses.
And actress Sarah Paulson also opted for a striking red balloon sleeve Herrera design at the Emmys.
Pink puff sleeves have proven particularly popular; there’s Sarah Jessica Parker in Zac Posen, Julianne Moore in Lanvin and Florence Pugh in a bubblegum-coloured design from Dries Van Noten.
Admittedly this trend is not for the fainthearted, but the bolder the shoulder the better. If nothing else, it’s an instant way to drop a dress size: big shoulders make your hips and waist look smaller, so the bigger the puff, the smaller you’ll appear.
Plus, everyone’s so busy looking at those statement sleeves they work wonders as a distraction from the effects of lockdown, not to mention hiding those sometimes problematic upper arms in a way that’s considerably more fashionable than a cardi.
It’s also a power move. Accentuated epaulettes have long been a way for women to assert themselves, and although the power suit still has its place, a ballgown is a considerably more glamorous way to make a stand.
However, if two giant sleeves are still too much, take a leaf out of Billie Piper’s book and go for an asymmetric design like her black lace and pink satin Moschino number.
The High Street has also jumped on the bandwagon, with toned-down versions that are less likely to see you stuck in a doorway. Statement, 1980s-style sleeves can be seen on blouses, dresses, coats and even jumpers.
And whether you decide to try it for yourself or not, as celebrities’ ever-expanding outfits burst back onto the scene, I think there’s one thing we can all agree on: isn’t it fun to have frivolous fashion back!