时尚街拍网The high street is now flooded with summer tops and one of the most popular incarnations being touted for 2017 is the off-the-shoulder style.Topshop has no less than 76 purse-friendly "cold shoulder" optionsavailable right now, in poplin and jersey fabrics and dozens of holiday-ready colours.
But, as Michelle Obama proved over the weekend when on holiday in Italy, the off-shoulder top isn???t just for teenagers and trend addicts.
Wearing an oversized one-shouldered blouse by Finnish label Teija, the former First Lady was dining al fresco with friends in Montalcino and her look felt simultaneously classic and cool.
Teija one-shoulder top, ??381, from matchesfashion.com
The key to its success was theshaping - the ruching around the bust and shoulder emphasised that this topwas made for a woman, not a girl, and the pink pinstripe fabric balancedthe authority and sophistication of a traditional workwear fabric, with a pretty off-duty pastel colour.In all respects, it suits Obama???s post-FLOTUS fashion strategy perfectly, as she seeks to switch up her public image, showing her personality beyond the White House.
Isa Arfen poplin top, ??340, from net-a-porter.com
Teija, a label likely introduced to Mrs Obama by her long-serving stylist Meredith Koop, is all about putting twists on shirts- literally, in that they pull them around anddeconstructthem to create flattering new silhouettes.
Priced at ??382, though, it???s an undoubtedly more expensive summer topthan the aforementioned high street hits.But the point here is that it can be worth paying extrafor something that is morecannily shaped, if you???re keen to show some shoulder in a sophisticated way.
In another look from her Italian jaunt, Obama proved that she"s sticking with the shoulder-baring silhouette, opting for a white cotton design with delicate ties and flounce detailling across the chest.
The classic Bardot neckline, which is the shape dominating on the high street, exposes two full shoulders and a lot of chest which, depending on how much you???re keen to bare, might feel like trend overkill, or worse, flesh overspill.The most common (and cheapest) way to get that look is with a stitch-and-go elastic band to hold the top in place - a line that cuts right across the top of the bust and flatters very few.
Asymmetric gingham frill top, ??29, topshop.com
It"s worth considering that something well constructed should offer a little bit of coverage on the shoulder and shaping around the neckline.Obama???s arms are famously toned, but even she knows that a superior quality fabric and clever draping will better frame her decolletage and do justice to all that hard work at the gym - she even had her tailor ChristyRillingmake some tweaks to the fit for her.
Other labels offering grown up takes on the off-shoulder topinclude Off-White, Caroline Constas and Tibi - the brandarguably responsible for starting the trend???s revival in the first place.
Look for cotton fabrics that feel weighty, rather than being so thin that they"resee-through, and consider what you"ll be able to wear it with.Billowing, oversized blouses will look great withwell-tapered white denim or tucked into high-waisted trousers, a la Michelle, while slimmer cut tops can be tucked into midi and maxi skirts for relaxed yet smart vacation vibes.
Just add sandals and your most expensive-looking sunglasses to tie it all together.
How to travel in style, according to The Telegraphs fashion team
