shoulder pads and cuffs

[sls]

Should a men's suit have shoulder pads? are they in style? Should I cuff my suit pants?

 

[Manton]

Shoulder pads are inevitable.  Only a tiny handful of bespoke tailors can make a jacket with no pad.  It is hard as hell.  I used to think no one could do it, but I have been proved wrong.

So no pad is for all intents and purposes out of the question.  So the real question is, How big and what shape pad do you want?  That depends on your shape and your tastes.  The more your shoulders slope, the more you will want a little "lift".  You also want them to balance your hips.  If your hips are substantially wider than your shoulders, you will want a little "extension."  Shape -- i.e., sloped, squared, pitched, etc. -- is largely a matter of taste.  But the more muscular you are, or if your shoulders are naturally straight, the less padding you want.

 

[Manton]

Cuffs are a nice touch, and a matter of personal preference. Skipping them can give short guys a touch of extra height. Lean silhouettes with flat front trousers also look better without them. Fuller clothes, with pleated trousers, look better with cuffs.

 

[stache]

The pad is really there for the hanger. You just have to wrap the canvas around to the back of the shoulder for the right shape, unless you don't like your natural shoulder line.

 

[Manton]

The pad is really there for the hanger. You just have to wrap the canvas around to the back of the shoulder for the right shape, unless you don't like your natural shoulder line.

I don't think this is right. The pad helps the sleeve hang at the proper pitch, and the chest and back to drape cleanly. None of the tailors I know or have used would say that the shoulder pad is "there for the hanger." Nor will they make a coat without one, because it is too hard to get everything else right. 99% of so-called "natural shoulder" coats have shoulder pads; they're just smaller and thinner.

 

[sls]

Now I'm confused. Are you saying that I can lessen the shoulder pad on my own? Im not sure how I would do that.

 

[Alexander Kabbaz]

You just have to wrap the canvas around to the back of the shoulder for the right shape

None of the tailors I know or have used would say that the shoulder pad is "there for the hanger." Nor will they make a coat without one, because it is too hard to get everything else right.

Pads ... canvas ... wadding ... sleeve heads ... NOW we know why tailors have it easy ... and shirtmakers have to do the REAL work.