A suit has many components but few are as important as your shoulders. Unlike other elements of your suit/jacket that can easily be altered the shoulders are something that you don’t want to touch. In this edition of the Gotstyle MANual we’ll be focusing our attention on the three most popular styles of shoulders and how they can work for you.

GUIDE TO SUIT JACKET SHOULDERS

The Natural Shoulder (American)

The natural shoulder, as the name suggests, follows the body’s natural curves; it is a relatively unstructured shoulder, with little to no padding.

When To Wear It: 

Due to it’s unstructured design, this jacket type is ideal for men that already have a strong/pronounces shoulder profile and is best suited for a sporty/casual silhouette; although it is still used in regular business suits as well.

The Roped Shoulder (Italian)

The most pronounced of the traditional shoulder styles, a roped shoulder features a sleevehead that rises above the natural line of the shoulder at the connecting point. – Gilt

When To Wear It

The Roped Shoulder conveys a more rigid, formal look, and builds up the shoulders, so it is good for more formal jackets, and men with smaller shoulders. As Esquire says, it “conveys a rigorous formality and a little old-school glamour”.

The Padded Shoulder (British)

A stronger shoulder than its American counterpart, with light padding, and a vertical drop at the edge where the shoulder hits the sleeve. – Gilt

When To Wear It

The British style shoulder is the most structured and formal of the three, and makes for an excellent power suit. If have smaller, or sloping shoulders, and want to add a bit of bulk this is the style for you.