Alas, there is barely enough light here to get my camera to focus properly but the photos are merely here to illustrate a bulky mass gathering around my shoulders. Yes, those are some might hefty shoulders pads I have going on there. I did say I wanted to shape-up with some sharpened up shoulders a la Martin Margiela AW07-8 (any excuse to click to Martin Margiela's genius website...) and when the likes of Roisin Murphy pulls it off so effortlessly, it almost makes me want to prance about with some American football shoulder pads under my t-shirts. However, the addition of so much bulk to my shoulders somehow makes me feel not completely at ease. I now know I would not have survived in the Claude Montana era of power dressing because I've been blindly programmed into looking adorable/cute/quirky (all adjectives commentors regularly use...) and distinctly unsexy/unpowerful. I kept the massive shoulder pads in this vintage leather jacket in to slowly trial whether I can handle some shoulder action. Perhaps the real McCoy in the form of the shocking pink sharp shouldered Martin Margiela sweater would help the cause a lot more but of course that would also be a very expensive wardrobe trial indeed. Exaggeration around the legs, the hips I can handle but somehow when it is all heaped onto my shoulders, I suddenly feel like I should be playing up to some sort of pushy/bolshy/'in yer face' character that quite frankly, is not in my personality DNA. A physical example would be me with that jacket on shoving my shoulder pads into someone's face on a crushed tube train. However, I can't deny that there is something quite empowering about the shoulders accenuated like that but perhaps I'm not ready yet to take that much weight on my shoulders.
i love it really, the shoulder pads also emphasize your petiteness!
Posted by: alyson | 17 December 2007 at 16:03
I totally understand, there are pieces that we just think instantly 'not me'. But you look great! Powerful and sexy ;)
Posted by: Verablue | 17 December 2007 at 16:47
I like the look ! very powerful
Posted by: MENTAL | 17 December 2007 at 16:47
You are rocking those shoulders straight out. I also like that you seem to be phasing in and out like a well-dressed superhero.
Posted by: Thom Wong | 17 December 2007 at 17:52
I quite like that look on you, Susie, but then again, I am a repeat offender, having first committed crimes in the eighties.
I think the thing to avoid is the really big, boxy jacket with the giant shoulder pads. Today's silhouette is narrower and works better.
Posted by: Suzanna | 17 December 2007 at 18:13
You know Susie, I think the look suits you! Definitely something that you should continue to have a play around with.
Posted by: | 17 December 2007 at 19:28
Black is a good color to start with... I admire the mean lean/ rocker look it provides.
Posted by: emily | 17 December 2007 at 20:30
yes yes, it really does look a bit strange. the difficulty with this style is finding the reeeally small gap between "ridiculous" and "80s" i guess. so that it looks as stunning as margiela.
respect, anyway!
Posted by: Saskia | 17 December 2007 at 21:02
no to shoulder pads.
Posted by: d | 17 December 2007 at 22:10
The pictures are a bit to blurry for me to tell, but it looks cool on you, reminds me of Queen Michelle
Posted by: Prêt-à-Porter Prostitute | 17 December 2007 at 23:34
the heels make this outfit work. an otherwise petite girl would not be able to pull off shoulder pads without getting drowned by them.
Posted by: the stylophile | 18 December 2007 at 03:44
I like this look, it avoids the '80s power suit' trip quite neatly, mainly because you reined in the volume below the shoulder. But I can see how it would seem overpowering to you, so if the look isn't really suiting you just now, it's good to let it go and revisit it later.
Posted by: Drusilla | 18 December 2007 at 09:12
It's funny how a few of you think that I'm petite when I'm about 5"7-8 of slim build (but NOT petite at all!)
Thanks for your comments though...but I'll give this one some further thought...
Posted by: susie_bubble | 18 December 2007 at 09:30
I'll be honest here - not your best look. You look a bit too disproportionate - sort of like a child playing dress-up. I disapprove of shoulder pads (not the sharp ones, because they're not OTT) and I don't think that "American Footballer" should a look to aim for.
Posted by: Bouncing Evil Ginner | 18 December 2007 at 11:09
Maybe just a slightly accentuated shoulder would work better? I mean, it might look goog if the shoulder lines were rather more defined (which means subtle padding), than poofed up.
Posted by: Drusilla | 18 December 2007 at 16:39
Oh God, there they are: the pads. All of a sudden images of girls wearing Lacoste T-shirts with pads underneath come to my head...
but you being you, it just looks so cool!
Posted by: Andrea | 18 December 2007 at 17:29
Not a fan of most 80's fashion. Not a very flattering time in my opinion. Haven't seen anyone look good in this stuff yet.
Posted by: ginny | 18 December 2007 at 21:00
you should watch some films from the forties- the women have the craziest shoulder pads I've ever seen!
Posted by: maya | 19 December 2007 at 02:42
ive been thinking myself about adding some shoulder pads in a few of my jackets. but yes i think the severity of the margiela pieces kindof works out better than an old 80s prom dress -made into a top- might. :/
nevertheless i love roisin murphy. the woman could wear anything & look flawless.
Posted by: abby | 19 December 2007 at 05:00
oh yeah, super cute.
Posted by: Hailey | 12 February 2008 at 01:21