Strong-Shoulder Jackets: Shoulder Pads, Sleeve Heads and Pattern Changes

A strong shoulder is defined by three things: width, height and shape. Width is the distance from the neck to the outer point of the shoulder; extending it beyond the natural shoulder bone broadens the figure. Height comes from padding that lifts the outer end of the shoulder. Shape is the profile of the sleeve head: rounded, roped (with a small ridge where the sleeve meets the shoulder) or squared.

The visual impact comes from the line, not the size of the pad. A jacket with a modestly extended shoulder, a firm pad and a well-pressed sleeve head can look much more defined than one with a thick, soft pad on a narrow shoulder.

Shoulder pads come in two main types. Set-in pads have a straight front edge and are designed for jackets and coats with set-in sleeves; they extend slightly past the armhole seam into the sleeve head. Raglan pads are rounded and molded, shaped to follow a raglan or dropped shoulder, and are used in garments without a defined shoulder seam.

Pads range in thickness from about 6 mm to 2 cm or more. For a bold shoulder on a tailored jacket, a pad of 1 to 1.5 cm is a typical starting point; thicker pads give a more pronounced 1980s look. Firm pads made of layers of felt or needled wadding hold their shape best. Soft foam pads are lighter but give a rounder, less crisp line.

Make sure the pattern was drafted for the pad thickness you plan to use. A thicker pad lifts the shoulder, so the shoulder seam and the sleeve head need extra height; adding a thick pad to a jacket drafted without one creates drag lines from the neck down to the armhole.

A sleeve head is a strip of padding sewn into the top of the sleeve, along the armhole seam, between the front and back notches. It fills the space between the shoulder pad and the sleeve so that the sleeve hangs smoothly from the shoulder instead of collapsing into a dent below it.

Sleeve heads are usually made of bias-cut wadding or lambswool, sometimes combined with a strip of canvas. They are sewn into the seam allowance of the armhole after the sleeve is set, with the wider part on the sleeve side. For a roped shoulder, a firmer or rolled strip is used to lift the seam into a small ridge.

Ease in the sleeve cap is just as important as the sleeve head. A strong shoulder needs a sleeve cap with enough height and ease to curve smoothly over the pad. Too little ease gives a flat, pulled sleeve; too much creates puckers that pressing cannot remove.

To widen the shoulder, extend the shoulder line beyond the shoulder point by the desired amount, usually 1 to 3 cm, and redraw the upper armhole to meet it. Adjust the sleeve cap so that its length still matches the new armhole; the sleeve cap may need to be slightly higher and narrower to keep a clean line.

To add height for a pad, raise the shoulder point by roughly the thickness of the pad, front and back, and redraw the shoulder seam from the neck point. Raise the top of the sleeve cap by the same amount. Without this, the pad pushes the jacket upward and pulls the front and back.

Make the adjustments in the back as well as the front, and check the shoulder seams match in length. If you have square or sloping shoulders, the pad thickness can also be used to balance them: a slightly thicker pad on a sloping shoulder evens out the line.

1. 1.Extend the shoulder line at the shoulder point.
2. 2.Raise the shoulder point by the pad thickness.
3. 3.Redraw the armhole to the new point.
4. 4.Raise and adjust the sleeve cap to match the new armhole length.
5. 5.Make a toile with the pads in place and check the line.

Set the sleeve first and press the armhole seam allowance toward the sleeve. Then add the sleeve head. Try the jacket on, slip the pad inside and position it so that its outer edge extends about 1 cm past the armhole seam and its center is aligned with the shoulder seam, slightly forward if you have a forward shoulder.

Pin the pad from the outside while the jacket is on a dress form or on the body, then sew it to the shoulder seam allowance and to the armhole seam allowance with loose hand stitches. Stitches pulled too tight create dimples visible on the outside.

Press the shoulder over a tailor's ham or a sleeve board, never flat on the board, which would crush the pad and the sleeve head. Steam the sleeve cap and shape it with your hand so it rounds over the pad. Allow everything to cool before moving it.

A strong shoulder needs a fabric with some body. Wool suiting, gabardine, crepe, wool flannel and firm cotton twill hold a defined shoulder well. Lightweight fluid fabrics can carry a padded shoulder only if the jacket is interfaced or lined with structure.

Interface the front, the upper back and the top of the sleeve cap in a tailored jacket. A back stay of lightweight cotton or interfacing across the shoulder blades keeps the back from stretching under the weight of the pads.

Broad shoulders change the proportions of the outfit, so the rest of the look should support them. A jacket with strong shoulders works well with a defined waist, a belt, and slim trousers or a pencil skirt. Wide-leg trousers balance the shoulder with volume below for a strong, symmetrical silhouette.

If you have broad shoulders already, a modest extension and a thin pad keep the line sharp without exaggerating width. If your shoulders are narrow or sloping, a bolder shoulder can balance wider hips.

The shoulder is one of the most difficult areas to alter, because it affects the neck, the armhole and the sleeve together. A pattern drafted to your shoulder width, neck and arm measurements gives you a correct starting point, so you only adjust the shoulder for the style.

Minerva Patterns drafts each pattern in garment-industry CAD to your measurements or to standard sizes. You choose the format: PDF for A4, US Letter, A0 or one long sheet, a projector file, PLT for a plotter, or DXF AAMA for pattern software, with or without seam allowances.