To some, a shrug is a gesture that suggests a seemingly noncommittal attitude e.g. 'Are you, like, obsessed with Paul Mescal?' *Shrugs* To others, however, the noun doesn't simply mean raising then dropping one's shoulders but covering them with an item of clothing, the shrug.
It's coming back to you now, isn't it? Those knitted garments, essentially shrunken cardigans that may or may not have come with batwing sleeves (!), that you paired with a strappy top and low-slung jeans. They provided next to no protection from the elements but they looked cool (supposedly!).
Jessica Barrett, Grazia's assistant editor, remembers them well. 'Shrugs weren't just a part of my wardrobe, they were a part of who I was in the early noughties,' she says. 'I had a variety, from the sequinned tie-front number, to Topshop's shrug with the twisted front, I thought they were the height of sophistication and cool. In my mind, I was channelling Mischa Barton and Lauren Conrad, the style influencers of the moment. Looking back, they were probably deeply unflattering but I wore them with everything. Am I ready for them to be reinstated? Maybe...'
If Emily in Paris has any say in the matter, shrugs might be poised to have a second wind. The Netflix show has just dropped some new promo images from the hotly anticipated next season and, lo and behold, its titular character is wearing none other than a shrug from Jacquemus.
Ticking off all the vital stats of a shrug but with the structural integrity of a cardigan, Jacquemus' take might just convince those millennials still haunted by their collection of early '00s shrugs to give them another go.
This millennial, in fact, fashioned a shrug just the other day out of a cashmere wrap from Rise & Fall. Was I into it? I was.
Shop: The New-And-Improved Shrugs
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Natalie Hammond is Grazia’s Senior Fashion News Editor. She loves winter, hates summer and can often be found writing about the weather (and what on earth to wear).