This is obviously no news, as shoulders were already THE body part of the previous season and possibly the one before that. So I feel slightly silly to bring this up at all. But I have my reasons. First of all I really like this trend. Come to think of it, that alone is reason enough for me to write about it.

Why do I like it? Showing off one’s shoulders appeals both to my historical-literary and egalitarian sensibilities. The heroines of my childhood books, The Three Musketeers and Heir from Calcutta, all had their beautiful shoulders on display. But the even more relevant thing is (and this is where the egalitarian part comes in) that EVERYBODY has beautiful shoulders. Very few people are comfortable showing off, say, their waist – I certainly am not -, but I don’t recall anyone ever being self-conscious about their shoulders. Which means that this is as inclusive as fashion trends get.

It’s also truly versatile, not fashion editor versatile. You can wear exposed shoulders to the beach, to the opera and to the office (of that more later). It’s also a trend that translates easily into different styles: it works beautifully for those who like a bohemian vibe or the Bardot-inspired sensual shoulder; it can be all nineties revival with spaghetti straps, prettily innocent next to a sweetheart neckline or devastatingly glamorous and potentially involve gloves. It can be done in maximal or minimal ways, revealing as much or as little skin as you like.

For a long time, I was a bare shoulder traditionalist – if I went bare, I went bare. I had my black Mafia Widow top (see above*) that I liked to wear in the summer with big black sunglasses and a simple pink dress with a simple corset type top half. I always liked this look – it felt sensual but also elegant and clean, no fussiness. So when the first shoulder cut-outs and deconstructed sleeves appeared, they felt clumsy and unnecessary to me. Why just not cut the top half off entirely?

But even if trends can sometimes seem nonsensical, there are usually reasons for them and surprisingly often, these reasons are practical. I have discovered two that explain the popularity of the more complex shoulder. Let’s take my black blouse. While I love it, it uses elastics to stay in place, something that is not working entirely perfectly. The top keeps creeping annoyingly upwards and if I’m not vigilant, can sort of jump towards my neck and cover the shoulders entirely. And then you need to tug it back down again, something that does not really go with the Mafia Widow vibe I have been carefully cultivating. When there is something else that keeps the top in place (like here, for example), these mishaps can be avoided, even if the clean lines will be somewhat compromised.

The other thing about my blouse is that I cannot wear it to work. Not only because my work persona is slightly different, but because completely bare shoulders are considered unsuitable in many places (an unnecessary limitation, but a fact of life). Things that look like you’ve just cut holes into your top to give your shoulders some air are a different story, however. They can look quite formal otherwise (see the main picture and the one below) and you can even wear a bra underneath, also crucial. You could get away with it in most offices, but there is still this element of subversion that displaying a body part in formal context will give you. And that, my friends, is a good thing.

*In real life, my back isn’t that huge.