Oprah Winfrey Brings Back the Most Controversial Accessory of the ’80s

Oprah Winfrey rose to fame in the 1980s, and nearly 40 years after her eponymous talk show first aired, she’s bringing back the decade’s most divisive style.

Winfrey, 71, posted a series of photos and videos to her Instagram from the final stop of her Australian speaking tour on December 11. At the Melbourne event, the prolific author, television personality, and entrepreneur wore a throwback-inspired look that may catch modern style lovers by surprise.

The media mogul chose to wear Australian designer Carla Zampatti’s Ivory Crepe Crop Jacket onstage, where Aussie TV presenter and journalist Melissa Doyle joined her. The jacket retails for $745 and features structured ’80s shoulder pads, as spotted by InStyle.

Sticking to the crepe theme, she paired the jacket with flowy crepe pants, also from Carla Zampatti, that were open at the ankles to show a little leg. The open calf drew attention to the chic suede ankle booties she chose.

While the shoulder pads of her Melbourne outfit may harken back to a time of corded telephones and cone bras, other aspects of Winfrey’s jacket feel “2025.” A slight funnel-neck detail makes this particular piece feel particularly on-trend and Gen-Z.

To accessorize the outfit, Winfrey wore a trendy pair of round, thin-framed glasses that showcased her impeccable smoky eyeshadow. Dangling black gemstone and diamond earrings let her soft glam makeup shine. She finished her look with pink lipstick and coral blush, and wore her highlighted hair in loose waves away from her face. Winfrey tagged her glam team on the post, including stylist Annabelle Harron, hair artist Nicole Mangrum, and makeup artist Derrick Rutledge.

Shoulder pads had their heyday 40 years ago. Women wore them to draw attention away from perceived imperfections—pear-shaped figures and wide hips, for instance—as shown in a 1988 clip from The Oprah Winfrey Show titled “Hide Your Figure Flaws.”

“Shoulder pads on a full hip and small shoulder absolutely balance it,” guest Adrien Arpel said in the clip. Winfrey chimes in that viewers “could take a simple T-shirt, add pads, look terrific.” The tailoring feature remained a popular element of Winfrey’s wardrobe through the rest of the decade and into the early 1990s.

Other recent posts from her feed include offstage moments from Winfrey’s time abroad, taking outdoor adventures in Brisbane, exploring Adelaide with health scientist Matt Riemann, and doing pilates sessions with Australian designer and Today show staple Megan Castran, who usually goes by the name Jewelchic. Because, like shoulder pads’ original purpose, life really is all about balance.