A shoulder strap is a

strap A strap, sometimes also called strop, is an elongated flap or ribbon, usually of leather or other flexible materials. Thin straps are used as part of clothing or baggage, or bedding such as a sleeping bag. See for example spaghetti strap, ...

over a shoulder. They are often affixed to women's dresses to support its weight or as part of its style. The term is also applied to carrying bags.

Dress shoulder strap

Image:Camisole.png,

Camisole A camisole is a sleeveless undergarment or innerwear typically worn by women, normally extending to the waist. The camisole is usually made of satin, nylon, silk, or cotton. Historical definition Historically, ''camisole'' referred to jacket ...

Image:Preprom.jpg, A typical pre-

prom A promenade dance, commonly called a prom, is a dance party for high school students. It may be offered in semi-formal black tie or informal suit for boys, and evening gowns for girls. This event is typically held near the end of the school y ...

gathering, with various shoulder strap styles File:Black jacket 017.jpg, Bridesmaid dress with spaghetti straps Image:Monica Bellucci (cannesPhotoCall)-.jpg,

Monica Bellucci Monica Anna Maria Bellucci (; born 30 September 1964) is an Italian actress and model. She began her career as a fashion model, modelling for Dolce & Gabbana and Dior, before making a transition to Italian films and later American and French ...

wearing a sheath dress Image:haltertop.jpg, A woman wearing a

halter top Halterneck is a style of women's clothing strap that runs from the front of the garment around the back of the neck, generally leaving the upper back uncovered. The name comes from livestock halters. The word "halter" derives from the Germanic wor ...

Image:Alla Folsom 2015.jpg, A model in an off-shoulder single strap dress Dress shoulder straps are a length of fabric, usually in pairs, used to support

clothing Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the human body, body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials ...

, especially women's clothing, such as a

dress A dress (also known as a frock or a gown) is a garment traditionally worn by women or girls consisting of a skirt with an attached bodice (or a matching bodice giving the effect of a one-piece Clothing, garment). It consists of a top piece th ...

camisole A camisole is a sleeveless undergarment or innerwear typically worn by women, normally extending to the waist. The camisole is usually made of satin, nylon, silk, or cotton. Historical definition Historically, ''camisole'' referred to jacket ...

apron An apron is a garment that is worn over other clothing to cover the front of the body. The word comes from old French ''napron'' meaning a small piece of cloth, however over time "a napron" became "an apron", through a linguistics process cal ...

brassiere A bra, short for brassiere or brassière (, or ; ), is a form-fitting undergarment that is primarily used to support and cover breasts. It can serve a range of other practical and aesthetic purposes, including enhancing or reducing the appear ...

. Shoulder straps such as these are usually made of the same material as the garment, and may be quite flimsy, as they are normally not expected to support much weight. The shoulder straps on some dresses may be very thin, in which case they may be called a spaghetti strap (also called "noodle strap"). These are common in clothing such as

cocktail dress A cocktail dress is a dress suitable at semi-formal occasions, sometimes called cocktail parties, usually in the late afternoon, and usually with accessories. After World War I, the idea of the "working woman" became popular. After 1929, it w ...

es, and

evening gown An evening gown, evening dress or gown is a long dress usually worn at formal occasions. The drop ranges from ballerina (mid-calf to just above the ankles), tea (above the ankles), to full-length. Such gowns are typically worn with eveni ...

s. Some institutions ban spaghetti strap dresses and bare-shoulder strapless dresses on grounds of

modesty Modesty, sometimes known as demureness, is a mode of dress and deportment which intends to avoid the encouraging of sexual attraction in others. The word "modesty" comes from the Latin word '' modestus'' which means "keeping within measure".Jen ...

.Whitford Dress Code

Military shoulder strap

Many

military uniform A military uniform is a standardised dress worn by members of the armed forces and paramilitaries of various nations. Military dress and styles have gone through significant changes over the centuries, from colourful and elaborate, ornamented ...

shirts, jackets, tunics, or greatcoats feature shoulder straps. They were originally designed to keep back packs, ammunition pouches or bayonets from slipping off the shoulder. They often display badges of rank,

shoulder mark A shoulder mark, also called rank slide, or slip-on, is a flat cloth sleeve worn on the shoulder strap of a uniform. It may bear rank or other insignia. A shoulder mark should not be confused with a ''shoulder board'' (which is an elaborate s ...

s, regimental insignia or

epaulette Epaulette (; also spelled epaulet) is a type of ornamental shoulder piece or decoration used as insignia of rank by armed forces and other organizations. Flexible metal epaulettes (usually made from brass) are referred to as ''shoulder scales ...

Carrier shoulder strap

A carrier shoulder strap is a length of fabric or other flexible material (such as leather, vinyl, rubber), used to suspend an item, often of some weight, from the shoulder(s). The strap may be worn slung over one shoulder or across the body. In the interest of comfort, they often have some manner of padding near the middle, where the strap rests directly against the shoulder or neck. Such items include purses,

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...

s, rifles, etc. In the case of rifles and other such weaponry, the shoulder strap is usually referred to as a ''

sling sling may refer to: Places *Sling, Anglesey, Wales *Sling, Gloucestershire, England, a small village in the Forest of Dean People with the name * Otto Šling (1912–1952), repressed Czech communist functionary Arts, entertainment, and media * ...

''. Shoulder straps may also be used in pairs on such items as a

backpack A backpack—also called knapsack, schoolbag, rucksack, rucksac, pack, sackpack, booksack, bookbag or backsack—is, in its simplest frameless form, a fabric sack carried on one's back and secured with two straps that go over the shoulders ...

or a baby carrier; the straps are worn one over each shoulder, and the item so carried is centred on the back or chest. Some camera strap manufacturers design their straps to fit over both shoulders allowing two cameras to rest at hip level. The use of such straps frees the hands for other use.

Notes and references

{{Clothing materials and parts Parts of clothing Sewing Military uniforms Armwear ca:Musclera (indumentària)

Dress shoulder strap

Military shoulder strap

Carrier shoulder strap

See also

Notes and references