Shoulder Power

Unless you are dead or have recently become a Carmelite nun (similar to being online too much – as you have an impoverished life :-) you will have noticed that shoulder pads are the silhouette definition for this Fall.

Popularized last during the 1980s, this is not the first time we have been accentuating our shoulders. Take a look at Elsa Schiaparelli’s Fall 1939 wool skirt suit at the Met Museum. Also look at Joan Crawford in the 1932 movie Letty Lynton. Gilbert Adrian was the costume designer. He takes the character Letty right the across the dreamy waterfront of possible shoulder treatments (alluring halter neck bare / sweet ruffled puffed organdy / murderous power padded). I’m not quite sure why MGM even bothered with a plot – the wardrobe sufficed. Macys had a copy of the organdy gown made, which sold 500,000 copies in 1932 during the just awful Great Depression. Wow…wow and more wow for the power of the shoulder.

So, in tune with this decade of the Noughties, I decided to go Page Girl and pair the Wasted Youth Basic Black Blazer by Kendall Freenote with pantyhose and matching black undies – it’s a little bit Britney below the waist (but I don't need to get out of a limo :-), and I wasn't in love with the BP* Onappa (aka Chantel Thomass) hair for the shoot (above) - a long redhead cut straight suited much better, but also hid the shoulder pads a little.

I would have much preferred to wear the high waist pantyhose like the RL Spanx variant – but the SL problem is that the designer would need to also make the pantyhose and jacket in Shirt mode – otherwise our avatars have a dressing choice dilemma - and I hate compromises - just ask my eX.

Spanx type hoisery works just so well with Alexander Wang's looks for Fall 2009...and he also pays due homage to the shoulder - but not in the image below - that's all about the pantyhose :-)

...also Zara and most other mainstreet stores in RL focus on the shoulder this Fall.

I would also have liked to see the Wasted Youth blazer cropped – then I would have worn ankle boots to complement cropped pantyhose. I resorted to 1-800 Bettie's for the pantyhose (they're also no Modify)...

Oh!..and don’t miss the bra detail – for those with good browsers - you’ll see it draws the eye down through the cleavage of the jacket line - as with Alexander Wang this season. I considered dressing my avatar with an eyelash lace embellished bra, but then this blazer is not so forgiving for showing so much delicious detail.

Dessus
Blazer: Basic Black Blazer with shoulderpads from Wasted Youth (URL above).

Dessous
Pantyhose: Opaque Ebony from 1-800 Bettie's by Fey Fuller
Panties:  "Be Mine" in Sultry Black from Ingenue by Betty Doyle
Bra: "Scarlett" Black Bra at Angel Dessous by Jezzy McCallen

Objects
Hair: Sirena Bridget Red - Copper from Sirena Hair and Fashion, or the BP* Onappa Hair (which figures in my next post :-) so you'll have to wait...
Nails: Posing Nail Square Glossy French - Red from the wonderful Love Soul

Necklace: Chanel Pearl Necklace which I made and you can have free (with bracelets) if you send IM.

Meanwhile