Shoulder pads are a type of fabric-covered padding used in men’s and women’s clothing to give the wearer the illusion of having broader and less sloping shoulders. In men’s styles, shoulder pads are often used in suits, jackets and overcoats, usually sewn at the top of the shoulder and fastened between the lining and the outer fabric layer. In women’s clothing, their inclusion depends on the fashions of the day. Their use is particularly associated with clothing of the early 1940s and the 1980s. Although from a non-fashion point of view they are generally for people with narrow or sloping shoulders, there are also quite a few cases in which shoulder pads will be necessary for a suit or blazer in order to compensate for certain fabrics’ natural properties, most notably suede blazers, due to the weight of the material.
this time, and based on styles from the 1890s.
After World War II began in 1939, women’s fashions became increasingly militarised.
decade after the war was over and women yearned for a softer, more feminine look.
so little padding as to be barely noticeable. Its function seems to have been to slightly shape the shoulder line.
they had previously during the heyday of the early 1940s.
through the influence of British fashion designer Barbara Hulanicki and her label Biba.
so the popularity was relatively short lived.
early 1940s: peplums, batwing sleeves and other design elements of the times were re-interpreted for a new market.
glass ceiling, a mission that was added by their notable appearance in the TV series Dynasty.
turned, they would lose favour in the early 1990s.
spoken—the styles now looked out of date and were shunned by the young and fashion-conscious.
shoulder lines of jackets and coats.