First off, we need to talk about the dress.

Our fashion stylist selected this striped number from Ronald Van Der Kemp for me to wear. I have to say, when he showed me the dress two weeks prior to the experiment, I was very apprehensive about wearing it for a day. It didn’t help that someone else from the team drew a comparison to Beetlejuice as well.

Stripes aside, the thing that struck me was how far the pagoda sleeves jutted out. Given that my frame was rather small, I was afraid I might look oddly proportioned.

Ronald Van Der Kemp dress, $1,034 (£572.67), from theoutnet.com.

Voila! Despite all my initial apprehensions, I actually really liked it once I put it on! The shape of the dress definitely called for a belt, and I happened to find a studded black belt that felt appropriate for the theme.

I also broke out my Sergio Rossi pumps because if I’m already wearing the dress, then I’m going to push this ‘80s thing as far as HR will allow me.

Overall, I love the dress!

Because I needed a bit more prep time in the morning, I ended up running late and had to have my husband drop me off at work.

Given that the office building looks like it belongs in the ‘80s as well, suffice to say that I looked like I had travelled back in time.

I tried taking a selfie in the elevator when a colleague from another department walked into the lift. Seeing that he had walked into my awkward selfie moment, he tried to hide in the corner of the elevator.

He did say I looked really nice today though, so all in all, not a bad start to this experiment.

We were having a team lunch that afternoon, so we left in batches to take a taxi to the venue.

On the left, you’ll see me flagging for a taxi. Pro tip: if you want to get the attention of the driver, then this trend is definitely for you. Usually, it takes us about 5 to 10 minutes to get a cab; today, it took me 10 seconds.

As we boarded the cab, I realized the cab driver was totally unfazed by my dress, which led me to wonder how many times he’s picked up people dress in ‘80s garb. Anyway, unsatisfied that we didn’t get a reaction from him, I asked him what he thought of my dress.

His reaction? “Very big.” I’ll take that as a positive.

We got to the lunch venue early, so I basically sat there eating complimentary snacks while waiting for the rest. In the midst of my pre-lunch snack, I noticed 2 service staff look at me and smile. They later told my colleague that they liked my dress, though they would never dare to wear it.

Also, because it was cold, the restaurant handed me a shawl to use. Long story short: I looked like a maroon square-shouldered box.

I’ve been getting pretty great feedback from people in the office, but I wanted to do some hardcore investigative fashion journalism and see what strangers really thought of my look. So after lunch, I volunteered myself (and my cameraman) to take the bus back to the office.

It’s a great idea, except we realized we didn’t know which bus to take to where. While figuring out the bus map, I caught three other commuters do a double take on my outfit. Score!

Last thing on today’s agenda! We had to do a quick team meeting, so here’s a photo of me looking all business-y and serious.

I noticed that the graphic stripes and the huge shoulders helped me stand out in the room, and I felt kind of powerful which gave me a confidence boost!

Also, no one sat next to me because they joked that my shoulders took up space. One point for personal space!

I’d say that the trend is actually pretty wearable, but you’ve got to have enough guts to wear it. Any lesser, and it might look costume-y.

But all in all, I’d wear this trend again!

1. Pay attention to fit and to the material as well – anything too shiny will just look tacky.
2. Lastly, if you’re going to do an exaggerated shoulder, keep the rest of your look sleek.
3. Avoid a big hairdo, and stick to a simple, matte lipstick.
4. We also recommend going without jewellery to avoid clashing too much.
5. If you’re feeling cold, use a shawl rather than a jacket as the latter might flatten your shoulder structure.

A sparkly party dress makes for an easy conversation piece. Plus, the flared cuffs are also very on-trend at the moment.

To avoid looking like an Edwardian maiden, pair this top with an A-line midi skirt and wooden flatforms.

For a more conspicuous option, look for pieces with ruffles instead of shoulder pads. They create ample emphasis on shoulder area without going too overboard.

The subtly puffed blouse is a stylish pick for evening events. Tuck it into a pair of skinny black pants and black pumps for a Le Smoking-inspired look.

Only for the brave! If you dare to wear, then this exaggerated jacket will certainly garner you extra style points.

Bring out your inner disco diva with a spandex bodysuit. For day, wear this with a pair of wide-legged pants and brogues, but slip into ankle boots and skinny pants before hitting the dancefloor.