This article is the result of a request from Clarissa. She writes: “Hi, I love your site! But I miss one thing: could you post some style advice for narrow shoulders? I have an hourglass body shape but narrow shoulders … Thank you”. It’s indeed a topic we hadn’t discussed yet, so let’s do that today. Let’s talk about how to dress when you have narrow shoulders.
The ideal shoulder line is almost equal to your hips as in the hourglass figure. Not too square and broad and not too narrow and sloping. But if you don’t have it naturally (most of us don’t) then we can always create the illusion of this ideal with our clothes.
Why dressing to suit your narrow shoulders is so important
Narrow or sloping shoulders can be aging, as they can give the illusion that you are hunched over. You’ll see that many models have a rectangular shape, with broad shoulders as clothes hang well from them. So, your posture is important. Stand tall, and keep your shoulders back!
Natalia @odin.stylish.me above wears a top with drop shoulders, which can also be effective in making it look as if your shoulders are wider. She creates balance in her outfit with wide-leg jeans.
Get her look with this similar blouse, wide jeans, mules, bag, necklace and sunglasses.
What to think about when you have narrow shoulders
With narrow shoulders your main aim is to broaden the look of the shoulders. There are several ways to do this:
- Make sure that your shoulder seams are at the right place and fit perfectly, which means that the seam extends just past your natural shoulder. This may be tricky as one size down may be too tight and one size up may be too big for your shoulders. In that case there is no other good solution, but a good tailor.
- Choose an off the shoulder top or dress
- Puffy sleeves also work really well
- Boat and square necks give a widening effect too
- On shirts, the bigger the collar, the better!
- Cap sleeves also work well.
- A wide v-neck also leads the eye to the side which has a broadening effect
- Have accents on the shoulders
- Any horizontally placed details on your shoulder and neckline will also widen
- Use shoulder pads to widen shoulders (subtly of course)
- Opt for wider straps instead of smaller ones (avoid halter tops altogether)
- You can scrunch your sleeves a bit and blouse up your upper arm area, which draws attention up and away
- Although raglan sleeves are usually advised for broad shoulders, they can also work well for narrow shoulders, since you don’t have to worry that the seam is at the correct place of your shoulder.
- A trench coat with epaulettes is also great to add volume to the shoulders.
Cathy @themiddlepageblog above (read her style interview here) shows how you can create the illusion of wider shoulders with the style of top you choose.
Check out this similar blouse (another option here), jeans, sandals, shoulder bag, belt and sunglasses.
Should you wear shoulder pads?
Subtle shoulder pads can be a great option if you want to create the look of wider shoulders.
- Look for natural rounded shoulder pads
- Choose them in skin colour
- Make sure they are not too thick. You want them to widen your shoulders, not make them bigger and higher.
- You can just wear them underneath your bra and pull them as far wide as necessary to balance your hip
- Make sure your shoulders pads are not visible through your fabric
What to wear if you have narrow shoulders
Now, let’s take a look at a capsule wardrobe that would work well for you if you have narrow shoulders.
tops
The tops below feature details at the shoulder that visually widen the shoulder line, such as ruffles and cap sleeves. Another good choice if to look out for horizontal stripes that cut across the body and sleeve.
Loveappella Flutter Sleeve Jersey Wrap Top – CeCe Ruffle Sleeve Crepe Blouse – FRAME Puff Sleeve Cotton Crop Top – Zadig & Zoltaire Tchao Sequin Stripe Top
Melissa @melissabultburns above opts for a top with volumnious sleeves.
Recreate her outfit with this similar blouse, pants and sandals.
jackets and coats
Choose jackets and coats with strong shoulders, stripes, shoulder details and epaulettes.
Naked Wardrobe Bossed Up Oversize Blazer – J.Crew Emilie Sweater Stripe Sequin Lady Jacket – Kedera Rivet Pearl Denim Jacket – COS Classic Belted Trench Coat
Naked Wardrobe Bossed Up Oversize Blazer – Loveappella Flutter Sleeve Jersey Wrap Top – PAIGE Cindy High Waist Ankle Straight Leg Jeans – Söfft Carleigh Peep Toe Bootie – Vince Camuto Saly Canvas Tote – Ettika Set of 4 Crystal & Chain Link Necklaces
jeans and pants
The bottoms you choose will depend on the balance you want to create for the rest of your figure. If you have wider thighs and hips, you will want figure skimming pants that slim your lower half. If you have a slimmer lower half, you will be able to choose any style of pants.
Also take a look at how to dress the pear shape – as the aim there is to create balance by focusing on the top half.
PAIGE Cindy High Waist Ankle Straight Leg Jeans – AG Saige High Waist Ankle Wide Leg Jeans – Halogen High Waist Side Slit Straight Leg Pants – Anne Klein Stripe Flare Leg Pants
Marie-Louise @mrsmlmode above shows how you could wear your jacket over your shoulders rather than as you would usually.
Steal her look with this similar striped top, tweed jacket, wide jeans, sandals and handbag.
dresses and jumpsuits
Onto good dresses and jumpsuits for narrow shoulders. Again, puff sleeves will really help to create width at the shoulders. Another great option is an off the shoulder dress, which draws the eye across ad makes the shoulders look wider in comparison to your lower half.
Nobody’s Child Darcie Puff Sleeve Dress – Charles Henry Puff Sleeve Dress – Vince Camuto Popover Cocktail Dress – Julia Jordan Sequin Bodice Puff Long Sleeve Jumpsuit
Charles Henry Puff Sleeve Dress – Fttpdeaus Chunky Heel Strappy Sandals – COACH Crossgrain Leather Convertible Shoulder Bag – MEDWISE Long Drop Earrings
shoes to go with your outfits for narrow shoulders
Given that the aim is to widen the look of your shoulders, you can choose any shoes you love that go with your outfit.
Fttpdeaus Chunky Heel Strappy Sandals – Jack Rogers Debra Kitten Heel Slingback Pump – Söfft Carleigh Peep Toe Bootie – Converse Chuck Taylor® All Star® Platform Sneaker
Emms @beautifuleveryday_uk above chooses a puffed sleeve dress.
Recreate her outfit with this similar dress (another option here), sandals, handbag, earrings and sunglasses.
accessories
Below, you can see accessories that go with your outfits for narrow shoulders. A bag you wear at the shoulder line can create extra width there. Or, choose a tote if you have lots of essentials to fit in.
Vince Camuto Saly Canvas Tote – COACH Crossgrain Leather Convertible Shoulder Bag – Marc Jacobs The St. Marc Convertible Clutch – Ettika Set of 4 Crystal & Chain Link Necklaces – MEDWISE Long Drop Earrings – Jennifer Zeuner Jude Hoop Earrings
Vince Camuto Popover Cocktail Dress – Jack Rogers Debra Kitten Heel Slingback Pump – Marc Jacobs The St. Marc Convertible Clutch – Ettika Set of 4 Crystal & Chain Link Necklaces – Jennifer Zeuner Jude Hoop Earrings
Your outfits for narrow shoulders together in one capsule
Below, you can see all the outfits from above together in one capsule. You can easily change the tops and bottoms around to create different looks.
shop the best pieces to buy if you have narrow shoulders:
These are just some of our ideas. If you have narrow shoulders, let us know what works for you!
Continue reading:
- How To Dress A Pear Shaped Body
- How To Cover Your Upper Arms While Staying Stylish And Cool!
- How To Fit A Blazer – A Comprehensive Guide On How To Select The Right Blazer
Feature image by Cathy @themiddlepageblog
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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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
Excuse me, but wide boat necks fall right off of narrow shoulders. On an older woman it looks ridiculous. That’s terrible advice.
I think that depends on the cut of that particular top. I certainly don’t think that older women look ridiculous in boat necks.
Agree, and I think cowl necks look bad too. I have narrow shoulders, and have never found a cowl neck that fits correctly.
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
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.
I will for sure, Sylvia! Thanks 🙂 Enjoy your day!
I love the Donna Karan dress and want to look into getting it, but your link for that is the same as the Alex evening dress. Where’s the DK? thanks.
Hi Nomi. Thanks for pointing that out. I’ve updated the link now.
I have the opposite… broad shoulders. So I will give this article a miss. But one of my colleagues is interested and although she is not 40 yet (haha) she will pay a visit.
Thanks for referring her Greetje!
I have narrow shoulders. I wore shoulder pads constantly in the 80s – even under t-shirts. Thankfully I got over that addiction. I avoid halter tops (as you noted). I also avoid mandarin type collars and key holes as they close me in and make my shoulders look more narrow. In addition to your tips I also look for scoop neck shirts.
Yes of course Tracey. I forgot to add the scoop neck shirts to my list. Thank you so much for the feedback!