Shmolder Pads

My sister and I went shopping at our favorite 2nd-run and cheap clothing stores the other day. We noticed that the 80's look has finally hit H&M, Old Navy, and the like. I thought it was weird when the 70's came back in style, but at least youngsters like myself had never really worn those kinds of clothes during the actual 70's. (Well actually, I had worn the bell bottoms and double-striped knee socks when I was a kid, but they were hand-me-downs by the time I got them. By then, it was the 80's, and they were horribly out of style once my older sister and brother were through with them.) Anyway, we were trying to figure out why anyone would want to bring back the 80's. I mean, these stores are actually selling balloon dresses! Do you remember balloon dresses?! They were ridiculous--but now they are back on the racks. I have yet to see it, but we'll know they've really sunk when they start bringing out the superfluous shoulder pad. I will laugh the day that I again see knit shirts with shoulder pads sewn into them. Shoulder pads were just wrong. It's one thing to give a little form to your blazer with some spiffy pads, but it's another thing entirely to walk around looking as if a missing pair of socks have static clung to the inside of your favorite t-shirt. I *never* wore shoulder pads. I always cut them out of my shirts. In fact, until this evening, I had forgotten what it was like to occasionally ruin a shirt by accident because the shoulder pads you were trying desperately to remove were sewn in too well. What were these people thinking?! Can't we learn from the past? Many solid casuals were destroyed in the name of making women look like mini line backers. It was not worth it. Mr. and Mrs. Gap-Express-Banana-Republic, puh-lease, I beg you. Do not bring back the women's wear shoulder pad!

[Image from: www.fiftiesweb.com/fashion/fashion-we.htm]