Removing shoulder pads

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Have you ever found a second-hand jacket you loved, but decided to leave it behind because the shoulder pads made you look a bit eighties?

Never fear! They are incredibly easy to remove.

What you’ll need:

Scissors
A thread pick (not compulsory, but it makes the job easier. If you have a small pair of sewing scissors they can work too)
A needle
Some thread to match the colour of the jacket

You need to start by finding the edge of the seam that the shoulder pad is underneath. (Generally, um, on the shoulder if anyone is feeling confusion at this point.) I used a vintage Liz Davenport jacket I bought at an op-shop for this post, and it was incredibly hard to find the seam because of the style of the material.

 

 

Then, using your thread pick (or small scissors), unpick the first few threads. It should become easier after that, and once you’ve made a hold you should be able to pull the seam apart to the other end. If there are any tough stitches, just pick them apart again and continue.

 

 

Once the hole is big enough to see all of the shoulder pad, you need to find the first stitch attaching it to the lining of the jacket. Shoulder pads are generally a type of foam that are quite easy to remove. The Liz Davenport jacket had large, wide stitched attaching the shoulder pad to the lining, and once I’d unpicked one I had no trouble pulling it out. The same issue applies with any tough stitching – just keep unpicking!

 

 

 

Once the shoulder pad has been removed, all you need to do is stitch up the lining again. Allow enough thread on your needle to finish the whole seam. (At this point, some people may prefer to use a sewing machine, but I don’t own one so that part of the tutorial is not included!)

The style of stitching you use will vary on the jacket. My jacket is quite colourful, so it didn’t really matter how neat my stitches were. I do try to use a neat, basic in and out stitch though.

 

 

 

Tie a tight knot at the end so the seam doesn’t come apart, and voila! You have a much less eighties-looking jacket!

 

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