Shoulder expression

[OttoSkadelig]

great post jeffery.

speaking of - i have always been curious as to how one achieves a pagoda shoulder.

my uninformed guess is that the basic ingredients are a high collar, light to non-existent padding (maybe a bit as you get close to the shoulder to straighten things out), and a bit of roping.

how wrong am i?

TIA.

 

[WorkingOnIt]

Fantastic explanation!

And another note, at least around here, attempts to adjust the suit from the shoulders will probably run about ~$100.

 

[dbc]

Am getting a roped shoulder for my next commission; this was a useful read. Thanks.

 

[comrade]

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

I thought it was a shoulder that is so beautiful, so unearthly, that the tailor weeps a torrent of tears as he sews it?


- B

A torrent of tears? Might that not cause unwanted shrinkage?

 

[Sanguis Mortuum]

Originally Posted by OttoSkadelig

speaking of - i have always been curious as to how one achieves a pagoda shoulder.

my uninformed guess is that the basic ingredients are a high collar, light to non-existent padding (maybe a bit as you get close to the shoulder to straighten things out), and a bit of roping.

how wrong am i?

There's a lot more to it than that, you should read the Pagoda Shoulders posts on Jeffery's blog for more information.

 

[jefferyd]

Originally Posted by kdv10

If I may ask, what particular shoulder type would be more flattering for a guy like me (5'7 and slim with 36' chest and 30' waist)? Or would it not matter? Thxs!

It depends on a lot more than just your height, chest and waist- the shape of your shoulders and their size and angle relative to the rest of you. Your personality and lifestyle also has a lot to do with it. Try a few of each on and see what you like best.

Originally Posted by OttoSkadelig

great post jeffery.

speaking of - i have always been curious as to how one achieves a pagoda shoulder.

my uninformed guess is that the basic ingredients are a high collar, light to non-existent padding (maybe a bit as you get close to the shoulder to straighten things out), and a bit of roping.

how wrong am i?

TIA.

Here, here and here

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Great poast. I think it is safe to say that not every tailor has the same terminology when referring to certain suit attributes. So, knowing how to articulate differences in shoulder as opposed to sleeve cap is very important when dealing with your tailor. I feel that the amount of wadding in the sleevehead can change the look of the shoulder quite a bit and mask some of these textbook cases Jeffery has described.

Also a certain term could mean something very different to one tailor vs. another. There is a great thread in the London Lounge on the crooked vs. straight debate that blew my mind. Nothing like a bunch of experts discussing the same terminology to mean different things.

 

[jefferyd]

Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH

Nothing like a bunch of experts discussing the same terminology to mean different things.

The problem with internet forums, and one in particular, is that there are far more "experts" than there are people who actually know what they are talking about, and the "experts" are usually the loudest.

 

[Manton]

The crook v. straight thread on LL was not tailor vs. lay "expert." It was tailor v. tailor.

 

[niidawg3]

jeffreyd delivers again!!

 

[Eustace Tilley]

Great post.

 

[jefferyd]

Originally Posted by Manton

The crook v. straight thread on LL was not tailor vs. lay "expert." It was tailor v. tailor.


Possibly- I don't remember it. But that's not the forum I have in mind.

 

[Manton]

Originally Posted by jefferyd

Possibly- I don't remember it.

It started with a Tom Mahon blog post on his own blog. Len Logsdail thought that it was innacurate and said so on LL. It was all very polite. I did not come away understanding what either crooked or straight really meant. I thought I did before I read the thread but didn't by the end.

However, all the tailors I have worked with say that I need a crooked coat.

 

[jefferyd]

Originally Posted by Manton

I did not come away understanding what either crooked or straight really meant. I thought I did before I read the thread but didn't by the end.

I don't think you really need to understand certain things as long as your tailor does. I think Vox was right that sometimes a little information can be dangerous and I often hesitate in getting too technical but when I see people consistently confused about something I try to clear it up a bit. It seems I hear on a weekly (daily?) basis about someone wanting to take padding out, or someone commenting in WAYWN "too much padding" when it may not be the case at all.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Originally Posted by Manton

It started with a Tom Mahon blog post on his own blog. Len Logsdail thought that it was innacurate and said so on LL. It was all very polite. I did not come away understanding what either crooked or straight really meant. I thought I did before I read the thread but didn't by the end.

However, all the tailors I have worked with say that I need a crooked coat.

Edwin had some good illustrations in there as well. I think Len made it kind of easy to tell the difference based on the angle that pinstripes approach the skye. The more straight the stripes the straighter the shoulder point, the more pitched towards the skye the more crooked..