Back in the 1980s women not only wanted to be powerful – they wanted to look powerful also. So they bolstered their feminine frames with American Football-style shoulder pads.
Jackets had them sewn-in, as did blouses. Everywhere you looked there were women who looked as if they were about to play in the Super Bowl.
And the bigger the hair got, the bigger the shoulder pads had to be. It was a question of balance, rather than taste.