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Standard Measurements expect the difference between the front and back shoulder width (shoulder point to shoulder point) to be .5 - 1 inch.

The back shoulder dart is added to make the front and back shoulder match. (neck to shoulder point)

If the back shoulders are wider than expected than the front shoulders the dart is an important fitting tool.

Three things that can make the back shoulder width more than 1 inch wider than the front shoulder width are curving of the shoulders and neck with age, muscular development from weight training or swimming and weight gain. Weight adds padding the the back shoulders, the back of the neck area and the circumference of the neck.

How the pattern draft when "No Dart" is selected.

I looked at some commercial patterns that didn't have a back shoulder dart and found the following.

Front and Back shoulder width difference was 1 inch.
Dart was eased into the front shoulder.
Dart was rotated to the neck making the back neck wider than the front neck.
Front shoulders were extended to match back shoulder without dart.


To add the dart to the neck, increase the neck circumference in the measurement chart until the back shoulder dart became almost nothing. I selected no back dart for the blouse draft. Because the added back width is now in the neck, when you select "No Dart" the shoulder length remain the same.

You can see the shoulder width remains the same but the back neck is wider. If you have padding behind the neck this MAY be an option. You can test to see how you like the fit of the back neck.













Another option is to select the neckline dart. You can see it leaves the shoulder width the same and the dart is rotated to the neckline, increasing the neck width.

If you don't want to have the dart you can smooth the neckline and leave it open. You will need to draft a new neck facing if extra back neck width works for you.

Depending on the size of the dart you could test easing the neckline to the collar.













Selecting "No Dart" removes the back dart. The Back Shoulder is not as wide.



















Use the red sloper underlay as a guide to extend the shoulder point to the full back shoulder width. This will extend the front shoulder width to match. This option is found in jackets with shoulder pads. For a blouse it will give a casual look.







A greater difference between the front and back shoulder width most likely needs to use the shoulder dart or a combination of options to elminate the dart.



Another user has offered her chart for the examples on working with a back shoulder dart. There is 2.5 inches difference between her front shoulder width and back shoulder width.

The program drafts this way.

Front shoulder width minus shoulder length leaves neck opening.

Back shoulder width minus the neck circumference formula (about 1/3 plus adjustments) minus the shoulder length and the balance becomes the back shoulder dart.

The greater the difference between the front and back shoulder width, the larger the back shoulder dart will be.

Back Shoulder Width: 17

Neck Circumference: 14.25

Front Shoulder Width: 14.5

Shoulder Length: 4.75

Her neck circumference already puts about an extra inch in the back of the neck.

These examples show her draft and what the draft would look like if the neck was adjusted to have the front and back neck the same.



























Not all styles are for all body measurement proportions. The Dress Shirt drafts with a straight side seam so it best fits the body with the bust and hip circumference the same of with less than 2 inches difference.

The Dress Shirt drafts without a back shoulder dart. The Shoulder Point settings needs to be used to add back the width of the dart. Use the red sloper underlay to adjust your settings.





This setting gives the needed back shoulder width without a dart and extends the front shoulder width.













The Yoked style drafts only as no shoulder dart. It does no have the shoulder width setting. The Yoke is easily redrafted in the Pattern Editor to add the shoulder dart which would be sewn.

Here are two ways to add the shoulder dart in Pattern Editor.

Draft the Yoke style. Save with the red sloper. Open saved pattern in Pattern Editor.

Overlay the yoke piece over the top of the sloper back.

Remove the shoulder and armhole seams and seam allowances.

Snap lines on the shoulder and dart of the yoke using the sloper as a guide.

Snap an arc from the shoulder point to the bottom of the yoke. Place over sloper armhole lines.

Use True Dart to true back shoulder dart.

Add seam allowances with Offset.

This would be a good method to add the back shoulder dart to the Yoked Swing Jacket.



Another way to create a yoke with a back shoulder dart is to use the Classic Blouse with the back shoulder dart.

Open the blouse in Pattern Editor.

Locate Point to mark the yoke depth on the back of the pattern. Do not include the seam allowance in your measurement.

Snap a line to the point and use Ctrl to draw a straight line for the bottom of the yoke.

Interset to connect the line to the side of the armhole.

Remove the bottom section of the pattern.

Offset seam allowance on bottom of the yoke pattern.



This yoke may also be done with a pencil. Print the back shoulder of the classic blouse pattern. Use the printed yoke as a guide and mark the bottom edge of the yoke. Cut on that line (that included your seam allowance) for a yoke pattern with a shoulder dart.