Adjusting garments with set-in sleeves to fit broad straight shoulders

What are the ways to make clothes fit broad straight shoulders?

If your shoulders have a close to 90 degrees slope and are wider than the standard measurement, it means you have straight and broad shoulders. It is a quite common feature if you have a wide chest or back.

How can you compare your shoulder measurements to the standard?

1. Take your measurements and compare them to the standard measurements table.
2. Make a toil to check the fit. If you notice creases similar to those in pic.1, then you can consider your shoulders broad and straight.

What fitting issues are we looking for?

1. There may be diagonal drag lines radiating from the shoulder joints towards the center of your chest. The neckline or lapels may stand away from your neck and chest. You may feel that the horizontal lines of the garment (bust, waist, and hem lines) are riding up.
2. If your shoulders are high you might see curved folds at the center back, under the collar, or under the neckline.
3. There may be vertical downward draglines starting at the sleeve cap’s highest point. Your garment may feel a bit tight in your armpit.
4. If you have broad and straight shoulders coupled with a wide back or chest, you may also see horizontal drag lines at the front and back armscye as well as tension and pulling across your chest and back.

Adjusting the front and back:

1. When you try on your toil with set-in sleeves, unpick the shoulder seam and the top part of the sleeve cap a little. Measure the opening between the shoulder seams. Divide this number by 2.

For example, 3 cm (1 1/8”) / 2 = 1.5 cm (just under 5/8”). Therefore, we have to lift the shoulder points of the front and back 1.5 cm (5/8”) up.

2. Then we need to lengthen the shoulder seam according to your shoulder width measurement.

That way, you raise the shoulder seam, and make it longer while making the front and back of your top wider. Make sure to check back width + back width ease and bust width + bust width ease.

Raising the sleeve cap:

We need to raise the height of the sleeve cap ½ from the number we’ve used to adjust the front and back. And then we check:

• front armscye = front sleeve cap + 0.7-1.5 cm (1/4-5/8”)*
• back armscye = back sleeve cap + 0.7-1.5 cm (1/4-5/8”)*

* 0.5–0.7 cm (1/4”) if you’re using unpliable fabrics that don’t shrink when pressed (synthetic blends), 1–1.5 cm (3/8-5/8”) if you’re using soft, pliable fabrics that shrink when pressed (woolen cloth, cashmere coating, 100% wool fabrics)

And that’s how you achieve the perfect fit for your assets!

Other articles on how to adjust your patterns:

Alya T-shirt Straight Shoulder Adjustment

Сup size in Vikisews patterns and pattern adjustment for large bust and narrow back