Functioning sleeves, a soft silhouette and definitely no shoulder pads... welcome to shoulder-robing without the drama
The big news this week is that I’ve finally cracked shoulder-robing. I don’t mean I’ve mastered how to do it (still struggling with how not to crick my neck, drop the jacket in a puddle, or both), but I’ve figured out what it means. Shoulder-robing is to the serious jacket what a rolled sleeve is to the crisp, white shirt. It is power dressing for an age obsessed with soft power.
And we really, really are obsessed with soft power. This is a relatively new phenomenon, and a shift that permeates everything. It is why first ladies are 21st-century megastars – the role itself is the quintessence of soft power. It is why we are less interested in what Taylor Swift wears on stage than what she wears at the airport. It is why it is more alpha to be wearing leggings and trainers at noon on a Saturday than it is high heels. It is why the middle name you give your baby is more of a status symbol than the make of your car these days.
Related: What I wore this week: the zigzag hemline
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