Quick answer: Sleeve head wadding is the soft roll or thin pad set into the sleeve crown so the head sits cleanly on the shoulder; shops must say light, moderate or fuller wadding, not leave the crown to chance. Write the wadding level next to the shoulder pad line and confirm the crown on the sample photos. Shi Yuan (Suit Factory) takes MTM from 1 and bulk from 50 per style for overseas tailor shops, MTM boutiques and private-label brands, not retail — send the wadding level and a shoulder-crown photo on WhatsApp.
Shoulder divots and hollow crowns get long WhatsApp threads. Many of those threads mix a defect map with a missing component brief. The defect-and-feedback page is shoulder divots and sleeve-head sample feedback. This page is the component itself: what sleeve head wadding is and how to name it before cutting.
What is sleeve head wadding?
Sleeve head wadding is a strip of soft material — often cotton or a blended wadding — set along the sleeve crown inside the head. It fills the gap between sleeve and shoulder so the crown looks round rather than collapsed. It is not the same as a shoulder pad, and it is not canvas through the chest. Soft versus structured shoulder still needs its own line in soft versus structured shoulder.
Wadding levels — decision table
LevelCrown ideaBrief risk if vagueLight / minimalQuiet crown; soft or natural shoulderStructured look may look hollowModerateClean round head for most day suitsCommon default; still write itFullerHigher round crown; fashion or strong padCan look puffy on a soft clothNone statedWorkshop house defaultClient and brand may disagree later
Same table as a list
Light / minimal: quiet crown for soft or natural shoulder — a structured look may look hollow.
Moderate: clean round head for most day suits — a common default, still write it.
Fuller: higher round crown with a fashion or strong pad — can look puffy on a soft cloth.
None stated: workshop house default — client and brand may disagree later.
What else sits next to wadding?
Shoulder pad thickness, sleeve pitch and canvas at the scye. A fuller wad with a thin pad can still look odd. Pitch faults show as drag lines; do not add wadding to hide a pitch error. Keep pitch comments on the fitting note and wadding on the component list.
Spec lines
Wadding: "light", "moderate" or "fuller" sleeve head wadding.
Pad: shoulder pad soft or structured as a separate line.
Pitch: sleeve pitch note if the house has one.
Cloth: soft cloth may need less wad than a firm cloth for the same look.
Sample proof: "crown roundness matches reference photo".
A worked note
"Brand ref A-12. Soft natural shoulder. Light sleeve head wadding. No heavy pad. Crown to match attached soft-shoulder reference. Divot checklist used after the component is confirmed."
At the sample
Look at the crown from the front and the back before reading divot notes.
Compare to the wadding level on the brief.
Pinch the head gently; feel whether a wad is present.
Separate "add wadding" from "change pitch" in the feedback list.
Photograph both shoulders in the same light.
Private-label consistency
Seal one wadding level per shoulder family on the line sheet. A soft block and a structured block should not share an unspoken default. When a salesman sends a photo of a high fashion crown, ask whether that is fuller wadding or a different pad before the ticket is cut.
How wadding interacts with cloth and pad
A soft cloth with fuller wadding can look puffy at the crown. A firm cloth with light wadding can look hollow next to a structured pad. Write cloth hand, pad and wadding on the same style ticket. Soft shoulder programmes usually prefer light or moderate wadding. Structured programmes often use moderate or fuller wadding, but that is a house choice, not a rule to invent on WhatsApp.
When a sample shows a one-sided hollow, check whether the wad was omitted on one sleeve before you rewrite pitch. Mirror both crowns in photos. Many divot threads start as a missing or uneven wad and then sprawl into a full shoulder redesign.
First WhatsApp checklist for the crown
Wadding level: light, moderate or fuller.
Shoulder: soft or structured.
A crown photo of the reference jacket.
Whether the brand wants a quiet or round fashion head.
Any prior sample note that already mentioned divots — attach it so the component brief and the defect map stay separate.
Keeping those lines apart saves a round of confused remakes.
Which track needs a sleeve-head wadding lock?
MTM — from 1 piece: one client's jacket with light, moderate or fuller wadding written on his order.
Bulk — from 50 per style: a brand's style with the wadding level sealed on the sample before bulk from 50.
The sample takes 7–14 days; production takes 14–21 days after measurements, cloth and construction are locked. Production days are not delivery days. How cutting, sewing and finishing follow each other is on our process page, and how you approve the sample on our sample policy page.
Send the wadding level and a shoulder-crown photo on WhatsApp +65 8013 8838 and we reply with what is still open.
FAQ
What are Shi Yuan's order tracks and clocks? Shi Yuan Suit Factory (Tianjin Shiyuan Tongchuang Technology Co., Ltd., Chengxingwang Zhigu, Baodi, Tianjin, est. 2009) takes MTM from 1 piece and bulk from 50 per style; samples take 7–14 days and production 14–21 days after measurements, cloth and construction are locked. WhatsApp +65 8013 8838.
Is sleeve head wadding the same as a shoulder pad? No. The pad sits on the shoulder; wadding sits in the sleeve crown. Write both.
Can extra wadding fix a sleeve pitch fault? No. Pitch is a set-in angle problem; wadding is fill. Fix pitch on the fitting note.
Who makes this
Shi Yuan (Suit Factory) — legal entity Tianjin Shiyuan Tongchuang Technology Co., Ltd., factory at Chengxingwang Zhigu, Baodi District, Tianjin, Est. 2009. Our founder brings four decades in Chinese menswear manufacturing; founded Shi Yuan in 2009. acumenwear.com is the export domain for Shi Yuan Suit Factory. Order threads: WhatsApp +65 8013 8838 · houzhenying226@gmail.com. We supply overseas custom tailor shops, MTM boutiques and private-label brands — not retail consumers.
Shi Yuan Suit Factory is not affiliated with Tianjin Shiyuan Clothing Co., Ltd.
Next step: sample or inquiry
Send light, moderate or fuller wadding and a crown reference photo. Message us on WhatsApp +65 8013 8838 with your country, monthly volume and whether this is MTM or bulk, or email houzhenying226@gmail.com. We reply with the sample route and what we still need from you.
Last checked: 2026-11-07. Figures on this page were checked against Shi Yuan's own published terms (sample policy and process pages). Anything not listed here is confirmed in writing on the order thread.
