Have you ever watched an old movie or TV show from the ’80s and seen a woman, maybe Julia Roberts from Pretty Woman, and thought man, she looks so powerful with such broad shoulders. I know that I’ve gone through a love-hate relationship with shoulder pads because I buy a lot of things from the thrift store, and let me tell you, there’s no shortage of foam shoved into the shoulders of many dresses, sweaters, blouses and even t-shirts. I really do love shoulder pads, especially in a good vintage blazer, but I’ve noticed that the fashion world has started phasing them out. But what will they replace them with, you might ask? How will women ever look powerful enough to break the glass ceiling now? Through the puff sleeve of course!
Now, anyone who knows me knows that I’ve adopted a love affair with puff sleeves of all kinds (no shock there considering I’m the only one in my friend group who doesn’t chop the shoulder pads out of my thrifty finds). This love affair blossomed when I was gifted a white sweater with grand puff sleeves, I put it on and it was true love. The sleeves were so grand but not too grand that they made me look like I was ready to prance down a runway in New York. I stood out, and of course, I loved it. Although my sweater would be considered more of a ‘leg of mutton’ sleeve, it still puffs and still adds drama so I’m happy.
So, how will these puff sleeves replace shoulder pads? Both of them emphasize and slim your waist because your shoulders look broader. The broad shoulders of the puff sleeve also allow for a small sense of masculinity like the shoulder pads do, but the puff sleeves are much more feminine, which adds a delicate aesthetic to your look.
Shoulder pads in the ’80s were often meant to reflect the power of the woman wearing them by giving her broad shoulders to appear more masculine. Doing so enabled women to blend into the workforce that was predominantly men at the time. The puff sleeve acknowledges that women have careers, are driven and have already established themselves in the workplace, but now the puff allows women to dive back into the feminine side that those pesky pantsuits of the ‘80s did not have room for. Now let us go on a wild ride of my puff sleeve Pinterest page (I love them too much, I know).