Take the plunge: it's an upfront new era for fashion, with sweetheart necklines now every woman's power player

Revealing stuff, says Karen Dacre
Helena Christensen modelling for Reformation's winter collection
Reformation
Karen Dacre7 January 2020

If you do one thing this decade, fall in love with your body.

At least, fall in love with your curves because breasts/boobs/tits/bosoms — however you choose to describe them — are very much back for 2020.

In what must be a backlash against years of concealment and undercover dealings at the hands of a fashion industry which considered boobs to be both a puzzling and problematic entity, breasts are no longer to be hidden away under oversized blouses and rollnecks but to be worn with all the pride of a radiant complexion or a new pair of Gucci boots.

The development is enhanced by a renewed affection for sweetheart necklines which not only promote a woman’s shape but also frame it in the same way that a well-chosen mount does a work of art.

Kaia Gerber walking for Versace in its spring/summer 2020 Milan Fashion Week show
AFP via Getty Images

On the catwalk, this look found favour with labels such a Khaite, a New York Fashion Week highlight, where the retro silhouette gave life to casualwear looks with carpenter jeans and classic black trousers offset by tops with dipping, sweetheart-style lines.

Saint Laurent, the unofficial house of Parisian sex appeal, relied on sculptural shapes and super bodycon dresses to make the female figure its leading component.

And of course there was Versace, a long-time backer of the boob, who sought to reclaim cleavage for modern and empowered luxury consumers with unapologetically revealing gowns that celebrate the style and substance of the women wearing it.

Kourtney Kardashian and Kim Kardashian West at the amfAR New York Gala in February 2019
Wire Image

The celebrity world, which has long chosen thigh-splits or a deep plunging neckline as its sensual calling cards of choice, has taken to this sweetheart shape with gusto.

Accordingly, this new moment for femininity is not about skin and how much of it can be put on display, rather it’s about curves and, crucially, curves which come in all of shapes and sizes. Sarah Jessica Parker, once a fully fledged ambassador of a waifish, too-fashionable-to-have-tits aesthetic that dominated much of the last decade was among the early adopters of the look. Choosing a dress by Zac Posen to attend a recent gala in New York, the actress celebrated her shape instead of shying away from it.

She is joined by the Kardashian sisters who are habitually keen to back a revealing new trend.

Even Alexa Chung, a woman for whom cleavage was once an alien concept, is looking to scalloped necklines to add a new dimension to her wardrobe.

Sarah Jessica Parker at the 8th Annual New York City Ballet Fall Fashion Gala in September 2019
Getty Images

Undoubtedly, as with nearly all other fashion phenomenon, backing boobs is a trend for trend’s sake, with designers looking to the sweetheart neckline as a means to offer consumers something that feels fresh.

But it’s hard not to wonder if womankind’s reacceptance of breasts is indicative of a powerful shift in attitude.

Certainly, the opening stage of this new decade brings with it an opportunity for women to regain the control and ownership over their physiques that has been threatened in recent years. To this end, cleavage is an act of rebellion and of celebration of our bodies just as they are.

At the Golden Globes in Hollywood on Sunday, cinema’s leading women expressed this ownership on the red carpet in dip-front gowns and curve-enhancing dresses that suggested femaleness as a power tool.

Priyanka Chopra attending the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 5
Getty Images

In stark contrast to 2018, when Hollywood’s finest pledged their allegiance to the Times Up movement by opting for all-black ensembles, the 2020 alternative was about shouting about womanhood and its position in cinema from the rooftops.

Among the protagonists was Salma Hayek, who made no excuses or apologies for her body in a keyhole gown by Gucci, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas who wore a bubblegum-pink dress by Cristina Ottaviano.

Of course, it’s not all of us who’ll get the opportunity to swank around LA brandishing our breasts and a couture gown this year but that need not mean shying away from the sweetheart.

A strapless, bustier-style top, worn with low-slung jeans and a pair of ankle boots, is an entry-level way to bare this season. A bardot-cut dress, worn low on the shoulders, will achieve just a hint of cleavage for those who would rather avoid taking the plunge.

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