An off-the-shoulder dress is basically a dress where the sleeves fall off the shoulders to reveal the shoulders and upper back, it is also sometimes known as a Bardot. Many of the most iconic women of the 1980s helped popularize this trend, and it was one that could be worn to anything from formal events to a casual get together with friends.
The off the shoulder dress was a way women could be sexy, without going over the top, and showing too much skin. This type of fashion was particularly popular in the 1980s, and it is a look that is still popular today. Let’s take a deeper look at this trend and why it is one of the most timeless 1980s fashions.
History Of The Off The Shoulder Dress
Off the shoulder dresses actually date all the way back to the regency and Victorian era when they were worn often by important women. The stunning Brigitte Bardot made the look popular back in the 1960’s, and that is where the word “bardot” came from to describe the style.
She owned the look so well that it was basically named after her. She wore off-the-shoulder tops with pants, skirts, and anything else that you can imagine, and of course she also wore off the shoulder dresses.
Remember prior to the 1960’s women dressed very modestly, and showing your bare shoulder was seemed as taboo. However once the sexual revolution of the 1970s came around all of that quickly changed, and so did women’s fashion.
After Brigitte Bardot and prior to the 1980s, the off the should trend was slowly gaining steam. Who could forget Olivia Newton John’s off the shoulder bodysuit in Grease in the late 70’s? After that the off the shoulder fashion trend exploded.
Going forward into the 1980s it was all about showing off the shoulders! Women were coming into their own, and the off the shoulder dress started to appear more and more in pop culture.
Who Wore Off The Shoulder Dresses In The 80s?
As with any style in any era, when somebody well-known and glamorous wears a particular trend, the whole world soon follows, and this was particularly popular with off the shoulder dresses.
There were some amazing stars who enjoyed wearing Bardot-style dresses to any big event, music videos, and so on. Some of these stars include Madonna, Jennifer Grey, and Princess Diana. The off the shoulder dress was also featured in numerous hit movies like “Footloose” (1984) and “Pretty In Pink” (1986).
Basically, at any party or event when there were cameras, there would be an array of beautiful women soaking up the style, and they looked amazing doing it. A bunch of famous fashion houses and designers started bringing out off-the-shoulder styles that only pushed the trend into the limelight even more.
Is The Off The Shoulder Dress Still Popular?
While fashion is ever evolving, it is constantly being recycled too, and off-the-shoulder dresses are popular today and that is simply because of how good they look. The great thing about this style is that it is quite versatile, and it can instantly make quite an ordinary outfit stand out from the crowd.
Whether you want to wear a casual bardot dress to the beach or you want a more glamorous off-the-shoulder dress to wear out to a fancy restaurant, the opportunities are endless. But one thing is for sure, you are guaranteed to look and feel gorgeous with an off the shoulder dress.
Today there are many fashion lines out there offering off-the-shoulder dresses, so if this is a clothing trend that you can get on board with, hit the shops today and let your inner 80s out!
