Some Notes on Designing a Shoulder Pad

The shape and direction of the shoulder pad is important in the design of the shoulder pad. Note that the shoulder pad has direction i.e. towards the shoulder tip. This is obvious because you are aiming to give shape to the sleeve as well as the shoulder line itself. And direction is important in the overall shape of the shoulder pad.

The semi-circle is a popular shape for the shoulder pad. You could say that the typical shoulder pad reaches its full shape at the shoulder tip. There is a full curve here and this curve reaches its height at the shoulder tip. This new shoulder tip is not pointed but curved and padded. There is new shape at the shoulder tip.

It is possible that one of the attractions of the shoulder pad is this shaping at the shoulder tip which affects then the look of the sleeve. But there is also the padding in the general shoulder area. The shoulder pad covers the shoulder so that padding is then given to the upper front bodice and then the back. This whole area is an important area for the design of the shoulder pad.

It is natural to think that this curved semi-circular shape, that is the basis of the shoulder pad, is a natural shape for padding. It is the curved part of the pad that is placed at the tip of the shoulder line and this gives new shape/padding to the garment. Other important elements of the shoulder pad are the centralizing of the shoulder pad and also the lower base line of the shoulder pad.

The length of this base line or the radius, you could say, controls or directs the whole curve and shape of the pad. In this article, I am asking if a new shoulder pad can be developed by abandoning the popular semi- circular shape. Maybe you can reduce the length of the radius. Yes you can keep the curve at the shoulder tip but there would be more shaping at the sides. Of course, the pad would cover the shoulder completely but the aim is to give padding where you want it most e.g. the shoulder tip area and thus reduce/minimize any excess padding. The aim then is to give more shape to the shoulder pad.

I have referred to the curved shape of the pad that covers the shoulder tip. Because of the semi-circular shape, there is more padding at the sides of the shoulder i.e. to the high front of the bodice and then over to the back. You can call this area, the area covered by the circumference or side lines of the semi-circle. Another area of design interest is that there is too much padding produced by this circular shaping behind the shoulder tip. Yes this padding is sewn down but it also causes the garment to lift up and there may be a pull on the garment. You could say also that by lifting the garment, this padding creates too much space.

I was thinking of a shoulder pad design for shirts and I was thinking that this popular semi-circular shape may not be suitable. Shaping is important for a lighter type of shoulder pad such as for a shirt and that is why I wanted to write an article about shaping in the shoulder pad. Let us call the shoulder line, the length and then there are the various widths at the side of the shoulder line. This width is, of course, at a maximum amount at the base and this is the radius.

It is possible then that more shaping should be effected by abandoning the semi-circular shape and reducing then the base line. Of course if you wanted a curve at the shoulder tip and then a reduced base line, the semi-circle shape would go. My point was that there is too much padding at the sides (in a semi-circular shoulder pad) and this took away from the curved shaping at the shoulder tip. The extra padding at the sides or the circumference area should be given attention and the width should be reduced here. This can be effected perhaps by keeping the original base line length but giving more shape at the sides of the shoulder pad but still retaining the curved shape at the tip.

This article tries to examine the popular semi-circular shape of the shoulder pad and aims to examine whether this semi-circular shape produces the right look. Mention has been made of the base line which is the radius and then there are the lines curving into the shoulder tip area. Yes the wearer may want padding at the shoulder tip/sleeve area above all. The semi-circular pad gives this shape. However, with this semi-circular shape, the question has to be asked whether there is too much padding behind the shoulder tip area. One could say that in the general shoulder area and then at the sides, that shape is lost; that there is too much padding. Maybe the original radius at the base line of the semi-circle is too long. Maybe indeed the circular shape should be abandoned.

The nature of any shoulder pad should take into account proper padding from the shoulder neck point to the shoulder tip. Now here is a suggestion for a shoulder pad. It is a semi- shoulder pad. It doesn't begin at the shoulder neck point but maybe 1-2 inches along the shoulder line from this latter point. This pad may of course be on the market. My idea for a pad takes into account the variables of shape and direction already mentioned. It also aims to give a new look to the shoulder area and a suitable amount of padding. It is only a suggestion and there is of course no mention of the materials here.

The aim of this new semi-shoulder pad is to abandon the idea that the shoulder pad runs from the shoulder neck area to the shoulder tip. This shoulder pad gives suitable padding at the shoulder tip/sleeve area but the padding rises from the mid shoulder area to a maximum amount at the shoulder tip. Thus there is a sharp look, a more shaped look. Although new types of semi- shoulder pads are possible and they may be on the market.

This shoulder pad may appear sharp and with too much of upward direction. But maybe with general semi-circular shoulder pads, there is too much straightness; there is no real direction and there is too much padding. If you want a fitted shoulder pad, maybe a semi-shoulder pad is suitable. Shoulder pads are about shape and this is my idea for a shoulder pad. ; A shoulder pad with less padding or minimal padding in the mid shoulder area and then with more height, width and general padding in the shoulder tip area. As said shoulder pads are about a certain type of look. And this is a possible look.

It is possible that maximum padding is obtained through a semi-circular shape. This may be the case but maybe with shoulder pads, the wearer doesn't want maximum padding. Good shape and direction is important too.

In this article, I suggested that maybe the wearer may want a 'different' type of padding to the 'maximum' padding effected by a semi-circular shape and I tried to look into shape and direction in the shoulder pad. Maybe the wearer doesn't want 'full' padding. Maybe too, the wearer wants a different type of padding : Padding which has less length along the shoulder line, less width at the side and then maybe less curve at the shoulder tip. All of these variables are important.

Of course, the material too is paramount for shoulder pads; the padding material as well as the covering for the pad, if any. Yes material is important but the emphasis in this article was on shape. I hope to write some more notes on shoulder pads.