When you think of clothing silhouettes that evoke power and presence, 1980s-era padded shoulders might come to mind, the kind seen on Grace Jones when she wore a sharply tailored Giorgio Armani suit for her 1981 “Nightclubbing” album, or more recently, Doja Cat, whose exaggerated take at the 2025 Met Gala was designed by Marc Jacobs.

But long before power shoulders entered our lexicon, oversized sleeves were a status symbol at court in early modern Europe. They did much more than cut a striking figure — they were separate pieces that showed off one’s access to tailoring; used additional, expensive fabric as a flex during a period of luxury-limiting sumptuary laws; and represented one’s aptitude for the latest trends.

“The whole point of the style was to show off how much fabric you could

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