This season, it’s not just the trench coat that’s in the spotlight. So is a jacket beloved by Lady Di. Zoom in on this flagship piece from the 80s.
The blazer is a wardrobe essential. Every woman must have one! It’s one of those pieces that elevates an outfit effortlessly. Whether it’s a smart casual look or a more sophisticated look, a black, white or any color blazer will do the trick!
And this season, not just any blazer is in the spotlight. This is the blazer with shoulder pads, a famous fashion piece that we associate with the 80s.
We can’t talk about this jacket without thinking about the film Working Girl (1988), which featured silhouettes with structured shoulders. This short film evokes the status of women at a time when they are beginning to assert themselves in the world of work. And this garment, which embodies a certain audacity and self-confidence, stems from this emancipation of women in business!
The shoulder pads, on the other hand, are older. They were introduced by Elsa Schiaparelli. In 1930, the designer presented a blazer with padded shoulders. But it would be necessary to wait a few years before it became truly known and personalities such as Margaret Thatcher, Lady Diana or Katharine Hepburn took it up!
In the 80s, many designers, such as Thierry Mugler, Giorgio Armani and Yves Saint Laurent, reintroduced the blazer with shoulder pads by associating it with the figure of a powerful woman, who has shoulders! It is for this reason that it was called the “power suit“.
Since then, the blazer with shoulder pads has always had its place in the wardrobes of the biggest stars, who wear it to all kinds of events. Cate Blanchett, Sophie Marceau, Zendaya…: they have all worn them, whether in the front row of a fashion show or on the red carpet!
Today, this style of blazer is trendy again. Seen at the spring-summer 2025 shows of Saint Laurent or Balmain, the blazer with shoulder pads is reinvented in an oversize with wide shoulders. And if the masculine-feminine trend is back, this is the opportunity to wear this essential piece from the 80s and from Lady Di’s wardrobe!
Whether paired with a sweater, pants and sneakers, or a dress and heels, the blazer will dress up your outfit with class and elegance for any occasion! For work or for an evening, this is definitely the piece to have in your wardrobe.