Yoke
- Similar words
- Back yokeBack yoke
A panel piece cut and connected across the shoulders or waistline in shirts or bottoms
A yoke is a separate piece of fabric applied across the shoulders and back of a shirt, or below the waistline of trousers or skirts. It fits the curves of the human body to shape the garment's structure and connects the fabric pieces extending below it.
YokeSHIRT YOKEPleats below the yokeBOX PLEAT
YokeBACK YOKEAppearance
It appears as a horizontal seam line running from the neckline across the back of the shirt below both shoulder lines. It is common for a Tuck or pleats to be joined and sewn at the center or both sides of the hem of this seam line.
Use
- Shape retention Holds the fabric at the shoulders and upper back to maintain the garment's silhouette
- Allowance connection Joins the wider lower fabric together in the form of a tuck or pleats
When choosing
Check the back of the product photo for the position of the yoke seam line and the presence or absence of joined pleats. A back yoke that includes pleats provides ease of movement in the back fabric when reaching arms forward, so refer to it when gauging mobility.
Additional information
- Dart
- A technique that folds and stitches fabric without cutting it away to create three-dimensional shape, differing from a yoke, which is a divided fabric piece.
Some images are explanatory images created with AI.




