A new skin-baring region has emerged for 2016: the shoulder. It was seen on the catwalks where Phoebe Philo paired Renaissance-inspired scooped-out necklines with bell-shaped tops. While over at Monse, off-the-shoulder shirtdresses made the models look as though they’d just shrugged off their boyfriend’s bedsheets. However it was Proenza Schouler and Derek Lam, who nailed the trend with the cold-shoulder effect, with high necklines that cleverly exposed them.
The shoulder is sexy without being overtly sexual, in the way, say, a deep-V neckline or a thigh-high hemline might be and gets the thumbs up from designers. Ohne Titel co-designer of Flora Gill says, ‘The shoulder is a part of the body that is universally beautiful,’ while Alexa Adams, chimes in with, ‘Shoulders are an unexpected and sexy place to reveal skin without being cheap or obvious.’
The cold-shoulder trend has recently resurfaced on Instagram, thanks to images of ’90s Hillary Clinton wearing Donna Karan’s famed cutout dress. As Karan herself once said, the shoulder area is ‘the only place you never gain weight.’
You can reveal your shoulders this winter in a variety of tops that are heavy enough to be sweaters. To winter-proof your cold shoulder top, add a blanket scarf, skinny jeans and ankle boots. BBH faves: Free People Moonshine V-neck Pullover, £88; All Saints Cicely Jumper, £108
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