Have you ever run into a perfect blazer, top, button up, or even a dress with one flaw-- bulky shoulder pads. This 80s/90s style has some crossover to modern fashion, but in many instances, shoulder pads are unnecessary. Some shoulder pads are simple to remove, and have small stitching along the inside of the padding that can be cut off directly. However, in many professional suits and blazers, the shoulder pads are built beneath the lining of clothing. If you don’t like the way the suit fits, or you’re looking for a more modern styled jacket, here are steps that you can follow to remove shoulder pads at home. Please remember to be careful when cutting and sewing on a nice suit, and reach out to us at Fair Fashion or a local seamstress with any questions.
Materials: needle, thread seam ripper (optional) & scissors
1. Identify the seam on the inside of the shoulder where it feels
like the padding is located. This is where you will open up the jacket by taking a seam ripper (or scissors) and gently cutting/ripping the stitches. Open the shoulder seam as wide as necessary to take out the padding.
2. Next, pull out the padding. This suit had huge bulky shoulder pads, so I had to open the shoulder seam more than I anticipated. This wasn’t a huge deal because I was able to stitch it up later.
3. Once all of the padding is out of the suit, carefully cut the padding free from the suit without trimming any of the actual suit. You can leave a part of the padding on the suit if you are unsure where to cut, and don't want to get too close to the suit material.
4. After the padding is fully removed from the suit lining, you will stitch up the shoulder seam that you opened earlier. This can be a simple stitch, as displayed. You can look up a video on YouTube on how to stitch if you are unsure. And don’t worry if the stitching doesn’t look pretty because the lining will not be visible from the outside!
Before:
After:
You can change the whole style of a suit, shirt, top, or dress by removing the shoulder pads. For more information about ways to access professional clothing for free on campus, visit SGA’s Professional Clothing Closet (https://sga-professional-clothing-closet.myshopify.com/) where you can order clothing 2 weeks in advance, schedule a pick up time, schedule a fitting time, or speak with an associate. The closet is located at Tate Room 201Q. All of the clothing from this organization is donated by alumni, donors, and community partners.
Now, go out with confidence in your sleek renewed suit jacket, and be sure to look through the amazing student resources available for free at SGA’s Professional Clothing Closet!
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