Tuxedos for Uneven Shoulders or a Forward Stoop

Most of us have shoulders that are slightly uneven. One side may sit higher or carry more muscle, and years at a desk can leave a gentle curve in the upper back. Faults too small for anyone to notice in daily life then become visible in a tuxedo, because a dress jacket is cut smooth, close and often photographed. Made to measure lets a tailor address each point rather than leaving the wearer to put up with it.

Why off-the-peg shows the fault

A ready-made jacket is symmetrical: two equal shoulders, a straight back, an even collar. When your shoulders are uneven or the upper back curves forward, the jacket reacts in ways that are easy to see.

• An uneven hem: one side hangs lower than the other, visible from the front and the back.
• Folds at the lower shoulder: surplus cloth gathers into ripples on the side that drops.
• Creases across the back: when the back rounds forward, the back panel pulls tight or wrinkles at the nape and shoulder blades.
• A gaping collar: the collar stands away from the neck rather than hugging it. The article on a tuxedo collar that gaps at the back of the neck deals with this fault separately.

On a plain black tuxedo these creases show more on the dark surface and the sheen of the satin lapels.

This is an observation from the trade, not a statistic: in fittings, many men learn for the first time that their shoulders are uneven when the tailor points it out in the mirror. It is perfectly normal and nothing to be shy about.

Measuring each shoulder separately

Off the peg there is a single shoulder measurement. In made to measure, the tailor measures each side: the slope of the left and right shoulder, and the length from neck to shoulder point on each. They may differ by a few millimetres up to a centimetre.

From those numbers the tailor can:

1. Use shoulder pads of different thickness on each side, so the line across the top of the jacket reads level.
2. Cut the pattern with a different slope on each side where needed.
3. Adjust the hem and sleeves to balance against the lower shoulder.

This is a familiar technique of bespoke work. All you need to do is stand naturally and let the tailor measure; do not force yourself upright, as the numbers will then not reflect how you really stand.

Adjusting the back

With a slight stoop, where the shoulders roll forward, the back panel needs a little more length than the front, and the centre-back seam is shaped to follow the curve of the back. Without that, the back hem kicks up, the shoulders pull and the front is left with surplus cloth.

• The tailor adds length to the back and takes a little from the front.
• The centre-back seam is curved to follow your real back.
• The shoulders are set to sit with the forward roll.

The result is a jacket that falls straight from nape to hem, with no wrinkles across the back, and no sign from the side of the jacket being dragged up behind the neck.

A collar that hugs the neck

The collar is the hardest point on a stooping back, because the nape projects and the collar tends to lift away from it. When the jacket is right, the collar rests on the shirt collar with no gap behind.

The tailor can change the height and angle of the collar in the pattern, and add just enough canvas for it to stand close. Come to the fitting in the shirt you intend to wear so the tailor can match the shirt collar to the jacket collar.

Preparing for the fitting

The article on preparing for a tuxedo measuring session lists what to bring. For uneven shoulders or a rounded back, you should:

1. Bring the shirt and shoes you plan to wear.
2. Let the tailor look at you from behind while you stand relaxed.
3. Tell the tailor about any injury, sitting habit, or your dominant hand.
4. Mention any change of build you expect before the event.

How Mon Amie can help

Mon Amie's workshop grew from the Hoàng Vy workshop of 1991, with a team of tailors who have many years of experience with individual builds. You can see the made-to-measure tuxedo page and book a fitting so the tailor can see your back and shoulders in person.