What is Spalla camicia?

Spalla Camicia or Shirt Sleeve Shoulder. Spalla Camicia roughly translates to ‘shirt sleeve’ in Italian and is a shoulder style created and popularised by Neapolitan tailors.

Can a tailor adjust shoulders?

While a tailor can make alterations to the fit in the shoulders, it doesn’t mean they should. It’s often an ill advised adjustment to make because it can trigger a cascade of other adjustments needed throughout the garment. The amount tailors have to charge for that usually make this alteration not worth it.

What is a pleated shoulder?

The Pleated Shoulder aka the “Spalla Camicia” This is a true Neapolitan staple in tailoring; essentially the sleeve arm hole is cut larger than the hole on the jacket, to compensate for this the tailor creates these pleats when sewing the sleeve on.

Can shoulders on blazers be altered?

Altering the Shoulders of a Suit Jacket Of course, as the first thing we consider, shoulders are an exception to the rule; making shoulders either bigger or smaller are both not recommended as alterations. The structure of a jacket shoulder is complex enough that reshaping them involves major surgery.

Can a tailor make jacket shoulders smaller?

A tailor can fix a lot of things on a jacket: waist, length, sleeves, and more. But a tailor cannot easily change the width of the shoulder pads. The result is that even if the tailor can take in the rest of the suit to your proportions, the shoulders will be too broad.

What is roped shoulder construction?

Roping implies that the sleeve attachment is slightly raised in relation to the shoulder, forming a ridge. The higher it is, the more imposing the shoulder line appears. Although some credit the Italians with the roped shoulder, it is more common on Savile Row jackets and the French Ciffoneli.

Do Italian suits have shoulder pads?

Italian suits are also highly tailored and fit tight and close to the body with a tapered waist, high armholes, and very little shoulder padding.

How should a suit jacket fit in the shoulders?

The seam that connects the shoulders to the arms of the jacket is a reliable indicator for fit. Basically, the seam should be at the edge of your shoulder, right where it slopes down to your arm. The shoulders on a suit should be flat and smooth. You don’t want any rumpled fabric or creases.