Move over 80s power dressers – shoulder pads are making a comeback… According to fashion-focused search engine Tagwalk there’s been a 50% increase in what the experts call ‘bold shoulders’ at the recent catwalk shows compared to last year, with the trend going across men’s and women’s collections. For example, we were concerned that designer Thom Browne’s shoulders grew by 20%, but we now understand that’s not as alarming as it might have been… According to Professor Richard Thompson Ford, the trend represents a way for women to be both feminist and feminine, and trendwatchers say it’s a reaction to the recent tight/short/see-through trend that thankfully didn’t land in our neighbourhood. Shoulder pads were introduced by Elsa Schiaparelli in 1931, and they became synonymous with female authority during World War II. And settle in – designers say it’s a look that could be here for a while.