Thinking about giving fashion the bold shoulder? Tread carefully and don't blame it all on Balmain . . .

The elegant Meryl Streep (above) was the only red carpet regular in 'a shoulder'

Above: Joan Collins doing her stuff as Alexis Carrington in the 80s series, Dynasty.

Above: Kate Moss: big on Balmain

I love them. I really do. And while some of the style set are blessing Balmain for bringing back the shoulder pad, truly, there are some god-awful interpretations of the trend.

(For those not fluent in fashionese, the French fashion house Balmain (not the Sydney suburb) unleashed a slew of bold-shouldered jackets and dresses into its 2009 collections. And as 'trends' always do, this same shoulder line has filtered to the mainstream fashion racks.)

Meryl Streep was about the only big name giving some shoulder action in a wrap, tuxedo dress from (US) Project Runway contestant Chris March at today's Oscar ceremony.

But those who were around when shoulder pads started to rear their oversized head in the power-hungry 80s (and heralded by the likes of Joan Collins when she played Alexis Carrington in Dynasty) are a little hesitant about going back there. Again.

It was a great look. Back then. It suited the moment but the problem is some of the variations we are seeing now don't look like the petite bread and butter plate they should be and instead are looking like they could play home to an entire dinner party.

Simply, some are not giving the wearer an elongated, 'power' shoulder line but an extremely horrible 'sticking-out-like-dog's-balls' kind of look.

There are a few things to remember if you are wanting to joining the over sized shoulder club this year.

*If you are already of broad size in the shoulder department, avoid, avoid, avoid, as you will just look like you've come from the hockey rink.
*Make sure you get the shape right and go for a more moulded shoulder pad as opposed to an angular, dinner plate looking pair of pads. Kate Moss can (just) get away with it, but most of us won't.

*Avoid wearing under lace or under silk chiffon . . . no matter what the label is, when you can see a shoulder pad, well, it's just not pretty. VSL (visible shoulder line) is not a good look.

*Forget about dragging out your old 80s jackets as the whole silhouette is different to way back then. Think of a re-interpreted fashion trend as a designer car. A Maserati was great in the 80s, but it has moved on in shape since then.

*Wearing bold shoulders can make you seem slimmer, as they may balance wide hips but avoid shoulder pads in both your Tee shirt and your jacket. That is just too, too much . . .