Comments on: How to dress when you have narrow shoulders

By: Kate

Kate — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 08:20:44 +0000

I have narrow, sloping shoulders and look fantastic in halter necks but can not wear wide necklines at all (as others have mentioned). I find cowl jumpers can work and jackets look great – but again, I can’t always wear them as I live in a warm climate. Frills on the shoulder also look pretty ridiculous on me, but that might be because I’m petite all over and frills are just too fussy.

By: Tina Fetter

Tina Fetter — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 10:51:16 +0000

I disagree. I think halter tops look better than regular straps on narrow shoulders. Halter top brings attention to the outfit and not the shoulders. Regular straps show how close they are to your neck.
Compare the difference.

By: Sylvia

Sylvia — Sat, 05 May 2018 01:47:44 +0000

In reply to Ahra.

We have all types of women showcased in the what you wore section of the site. https://40plusstyle.com/category/style-inspiration-tips-for-women-over-40/what-you-wore/ Unfortunately, we don’t have the budget to feature specific models for individual articles.

By: Ahra

Ahra — Tue, 01 May 2018 18:27:45 +0000

When was this post made? I don’t see a date. Seems important for a fashion blog! 🙂

Would you ever be able to show pictures of a woman with narrow shoulders, like a demonstration of your suggestions, or a ‘do/dont do’ or ‘before/after’ kind of thing? All the models shown have wide shoulders so the clothes pictured look extremely different than they would on those of us who want this advice!

By: Karen

Karen — Mon, 23 Apr 2018 23:23:20 +0000

Wide necklines do not work with narrow shoulders. There is no way to keep bra straps from being exposed. Even scoop necked clothes are problematic. One of the biggest problem buying clothes is that 90% have wide open necklines. Very frustrating.

By: Sylvia

Sylvia — Sat, 27 Jan 2018 13:59:52 +0000

In reply to Ginger Berman. Hi Ginger, Ruth here. I tend to use the haberdashers in the town I live in as it is an excellent shop and they offer great advice if needed. The shoulder pad you need depends what you want to use them for. Nude is often better than white as it doesn’t show through lighter fabrics. There are straight edge ones that work best for boosting the shoulders of a set in sleeve jacket, when someone has sloping shoulders. Otherwise there are more rounded ones that work better on softer fabric like blouses or thicker tshirt type tops and balance out a sloping shoulder. Some you sew in permanently and others you can attach temporarily to your bra strap, or with Velcro.

By: Ginger Berman

Ginger Berman — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 22:55:31 +0000

Hi Sylvia,

Great suggestions! Can you recommend a brand of shoulder pads such as the ones you describe for narrow shoulders? I’d like to order some.

Ginger

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Tue, 26 Dec 2017 00:09:28 +0000

In reply to Janet Calderwood. Agree, and I think cowl necks look bad too. I have narrow shoulders, and have never found a cowl neck that fits correctly.

By: Melisa

Melisa — Mon, 30 Nov 2015 17:59:11 +0000

I have very narrow sloping shoulders and it’s so hard to find tops that fit at the shoulder without being too tight across my bust and pear hips. Contrary to your advice, raglan tops are the kiss of death in a garment for me. I have never found one that didn’t make me look extremely frumpy. Scoop necks look best on me. Like another commenter, I find that boat necks don’t work at all because they literally fall off of you, exposing your bra and being very uncomfortable, too. Though possibly if your shoulders are narrow but don’t slope they could work. I know younger girls don’t mind if their bras show but most 40+ ladies do. Saddle shoulder tops can work but are hard to find. Large cowl necks on sweaters are good. Wearing a light jacket and not just a top is a big improvement but not usually do-able in my hot climate.

May I make a suggestion? It would be very helpful if you allowed post dates to show. I’ve seen many posts here that say things like “such and such is very popular this season” but I can’t tell what season the posts were made in. Other than that, I’m loving the site. Very helpful information here.

By: Erin

Erin — Mon, 30 Nov 2015 14:59:44 +0000

Thank you for this Sylvia. I am wondering if other ladies with narrow shoulders also have smaller busts, like I do. When I was younger I found that a padded bra helped ‘pull out’ the neckline of my garment forward. This helped me in two ways. It kept the garment from falling off my shoulders and also of course improved the balance of my figure. Well heck with those big uncomfortable things now. I’m into comfort. So I’ll just have to spend the time finding the right bra and the right garments. Would love feedback from you and other ladies. THANKS so much.
Erin

By: Sylvia

Sylvia — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 11:08:21 +0000

In reply to Janet Calderwood. I think that depends on the cut of that particular top. I certainly don't think that older women look ridiculous in boat necks.

By: Janet Calderwood

Janet Calderwood — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 13:05:09 +0000

Excuse me, but wide boat necks fall right off of narrow shoulders. On an older woman it looks ridiculous. That’s terrible advice.

By: Playing With Scarves

Playing With Scarves — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 08:28:03 +0000

In reply to Sylvia. I will for sure, Sylvia! Thanks :-) Enjoy your day!

By: Sylvia

Sylvia — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 02:46:56 +0000

In reply to Playing With Scarves. You are right Anne. I had added the wide v-neck to the list already but v-necks in general are great for women with narrow shoulders. When you ever do visit Singapore again, be sure to say hi.

By: Playing With Scarves

Playing With Scarves — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 22:22:08 +0000

Hi Sylvia!
These are great tips. Yet I think a V neck top (with long sleeves) is flattering too on women with large shoulders; it creates a nice vertical effect.
Enjoy the lovely new store you wrote about. Lucky you! Singapore is a dream city for women who love shopping. I so hope to go to Singapore again…..
xo,
Anne