Spring Fashion 2016: The cold shoulder is cool

So, shoulders are a thing.

Not because of a quintessential bare-all moment like cleavage had at the 2000 Grammy Awards when Jennifer Lopez wore that Versace gown.

And not because any shoulder got itself a Twitter account like Angelina Jolie's leg did in 2012. The thigh-high slit in the actress' black Atelier Versace earned her limb 38,000 Twitter followers that year.

This spring's shoulder reveal was slow and somewhat surprising. One minute, we were all wrapping our arms in filmy, floral scarves and plush pashminas - in the summer months, too - with even our T-shirts raglan-sleeved.

And then: Everyone seemed to be showing off those delts.

"It just sort of started popping up everywhere," New York designer Nicole Miller said at a recent event at her namesake boutique in the Hyatt at the Bellevue. Miller's spring collection featured jewel-toned evening gowns with cutouts sliced into cap sleeves creating what is so cleverly called the "cold shoulder."

"It was just something I was feeling," she said.

Also in stores: muted, pastel, off-the-shoulder blouses, and dresses with necklines that can be adjusted to hit right below the clavicle or stop midway down the arm.

Halston Heritage and Ted Baker cocktail dresses expertly expose just one shoulder. Jumpsuits - yes, they are staying with us through this summer, too - are straight strapless.

The cutest of warm-weather frocks feature both reverse halter tops or racerback silhouettes. And ribbed tanks that you like to tuck into pleated skirts will not require a cardigan or blazer to complete the look. (Feel free, however, to throw one over your arm.)

"Shoulders are the No. 1 trend we are seeing in our stores," said Amanda Hill, fashion spokeswoman for Bloomingdale's in the King of Prussia and Willow Grove malls. "Showing them off is a nice way for women to be springy without exposing everything."

The unabashed uncovering of our shoulders comes from the convergence of several trends.

Cold-shoulder Ts and halter tops were the cornerstone of several athletic-inspired pieces from contemporary labels like Alexander Wang and Alex + Olivia. After all, those yoga and Pilates classes have toned up our arms big-time.

But many of these designers also are sprinkling evening-wear touches among ready-to-wear looks.

Although navel-grazing Vs and deep slits are virtually impossible to make cubicle-appropriate, a neutral-hued blouse with geometric cutouts showing off just the top of our shoulders, or an elastic top that can be worn to reveal or not reveal, can modernize your summer day-work wardrobe. Add a statement earring - preferably something that sparkles - and you are ready for a full day.

"A strong chandelier is one of the biggest accessories of the season," said Denelle Green-Drake, fashion spokeswoman for Neiman Marcus in the King of Prussia mall. "It's great for sex appeal."

Bare shoulders are very much a part of fashion's continued love of the 1970s. Wide-legged jeans and midiskirts with slim A-line silhouettes are being smartly paired with lace and eyelet off-the-shoulder tops.

In the 1970s, Roy Halston's simple silhouettes and flowy dresses that draped off, around, and down one shoulder were the designer's hallmark. Today, under the name Halston Heritage, creative director Marie Mazelis is resurrecting the brand with all of Halston's classic flourishes.

And, said Anne Gitter, whose Chestnut Street boutique, Knit Wit, is very cold-shoulder heavy, in the late 1970s, Donna Karan introduced the cold shoulder to working women.

"Back then, Donna said, 'The ball of the shoulders are the only part of a woman's body that doesn't age, so flaunt them.' It still holds true today," Gitter added, emphasizing the ageless aspect of the look.

Even when fashion was at its most puritanical - we are talking mid-1800s, when a woman's skirts had to brush the floor - a little shoulder action was OK.

"During the day, shoulders were covered, but in evening wear, shoulders were very much in vogue," said H. Kristina Haugland, associate curator of costume and textiles at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

"Women's shoulders were to be sloping, soft, and fleshy," Haugland explained. "The idea of the rounded shoulders was very feminine and fit right in with the cultural ideas of what was respectable."

However, Haugland added: "Strapless dresses were just scandalous."

Fashions from the 1920s brought in shorter hemlines and dropped waists, so to play it safe, the Coco Chanels of the world covered up the collarbones and décolletages.

With the 1930s came a return to Victorian-inspired looks. The 1950s made strapless dresses OK. And starting with the 1970s, shoulders have come and gone.

"I designed my first cold-shoulder T-shirt back in 1978," Miller said. "Some of my spring 2016 collection is based on that era."

So the verdict is in.

Give 'em the cold shoulder.

ewellington@phillynews.com

215-854-2704

@ewellingtonphl

Drew Granachelli and the staff at the Fillmore Philadelphia for its hospitality and use of its space, 29 E. Allen St., 215-309-0150, www.thefillmorephilly.com.

Clothing and Accessories

Bernie Robbins Jewelers, 775 E. Lancaster Ave., Villanova, 610-971-2446, bernierobbins.com;

Bloomingdale's, the Court at King of Prussia, 610-337-6300;

Margot & Camille Optique, 47 N. Third St., 215-923-0508, www.margotcamille.com;

Nicole Miller at the Bellevue, 200 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, 215-546-5007, www.nicolemiller.com;

Skirt Rittenhouse, 212 S. 17th St., 215-309-8419, www.shop-skirt.com/rittenhouse;

Theory, 1616 Walnut St., 215-735-1034, www.theory.com.

Hair: Colin Shebby (Instagram, @colin_richard) and James Buckley (Instagram @heroinechic_kendoll)), Giovanni & Pileggi, 308 S. 12th St., 215-568-3040, www.giovannipileggi.com.

Makeup: Naomi Weiss (Instagram, @naynay131)), 3000BC WellMed Spa, 8439 Germantown Ave., 215-247-6020, www.3000bcspa.com.

Assistant stylist: Mark Anthony Barksdale (Instagram @romanwarriorstyle)

Model: Kristina Smolyar, MMA