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Adjusting the shoulder width of a shirt

The Ideal Shoulder Width

The top of the sleeve should meet the tip of the shoulder bone. A correct shoulder placement reduces folds around the armhole while preserving freedom of movement.

LE CHEMISEUR® tips

✨ Achieving a clean drape

Shoulder width plays a major role in how cleanly the sleeve and armhole area drapes.
If you notice excess folds at the top of the sleeves, reducing the shoulder width by 1 cm is often enough to create a cleaner silhouette, while keeping enough room to move your arms.

🏋️ Particularly broad or narrow shoulders

Add or remove 1 cm from the recommended measurement; this is usually enough.

⚖ High or sloping shoulders

High, horizontal shoulders: subtract 1 cm.
Sloping shoulders: add 1 cm to the shoulder width (and add the same 1 cm to the armhole height).

↕ Link to the sleeve length

Changing the shoulder width automatically changes the sleeve length. For instance, moving the shoulder seam up by 1 cm (reducing the shoulder width) shortens the sleeves by 1 cm. Remember to add 1 cm back to the sleeve length. Conversely, if you add 1 cm to the shoulder width, remove 1 cm from the sleeve length.

How to measure the shoulder width on a shirt

Measure along the seam that joins the top of the sleeve to the collar base.

Updated on: 09/11/2026