Hello all! I have this blouse that I believe is late 70s, most likely 80s, but I have no idea what this [edit] shoulder is called. It reminds me of a graduation cape shoulder. I think it used to have shoulder pads. I tried googling sleeve types and shoulder types, but nothing comes up!
It's actually the shoulder treatment rather than the sleeve, that I think you mean? Though obviously they are connected! In knitting something similar is called a saddle shoulder, but I don't see that term used much in outside of knitting.
There is a saddle shoulder sleeve for cut & sewn clothing too - It's depicted in Mary Brooks Picken's "Dictionary of Costume and Fashion" in the sleeve treatment section, and described as "variation of the raglan sleeve with square-cut shoulder section extending into neck in saddle effect. Also called strap sleeve, epaulet sleeve." However, your blouse shows a separate piece of fabric making up the "saddle" section, with the top of the sleeve gathered and sewn into that piece. In this case, the alternative terms of "strap sleeve" or "epaulette sleeve" make more sense to me.
Yes, I realized after posting that it is indeed the shoulder that gathered into the sleeve. I couldn't find anything for different types of shoulder either. I googled your suggestion and nothing similar came up, unfortunately!
Thank you! I am seeing pictures that look similar to mine described as a "gathered epaulet shoulder blouse" Do you have a picture of the saddle shoulder from Mary Brooks Picken's book? The blouse I have does have a set-in sleeve that you cannot really see from the pictures.
While it may be a 70's blouse the style of that shoulder/sleeve detail is very late 30s-early 40s to me. I love that style of gathering, it is so flattering. Just found an image of a late 30s dress pattern, the furthest left seems most similar. Thinking about it, it's quite a military look, which would make sense for the era.
