When I started reenacting mid-century and Civil War I heard the phrase ‘dropped shoulders’ at event fashion shows. It was a while later before I realized this actually refers to two seams not one. The armscye seam is dropped off the shoulder and the shoulder seam is dropped behind the natural shoulder. By dropping the shoulder seam back, usually from just beyond the ear line at the neck to a half inch to an inch and a half at the outer shoulder, this eliminates the visual seam line from view from the front. By extending the length of the shoulder beyond the natural shoulder and placing the armscye/sleeve lower, the illusion of wider shoulders is created.
Taking a look at these images of women, we can see a few additional tricks to they eye created in the shoulder area.
This image lets us see where the natural shoulder is as well as the the placement of the sleeve to bodice seam is. Notice the top of the sleeve also has some stitching which brings the eye down further in the sleeve. 
This image shows how horizontal stripes can look with the shoulder seam going beyond the natural shoulder. Notice how the stripes in the fabric bring the eye out and down. The trim, possibly cap placement, also brings the eye out. 
This woman’s bodice has a shoulder line that extends well beyond the shoulder creating that horizontal line. Further below is a sleeve trim. 
The check pattern in this fabric shows how a vertical print can appear with the dropped shoulder. The eye is again brought out through the shoulder. The trim coming just below the shoulder/arcmscye seam brings the eye further down. 
The sleeve treatment on this working class woman’s wool dress controls the fullness of the top of the sleeve while continuing the line down from the shoulder. 
This basic dropped, horizontal armscye is accented by the trim over the seam itself, down into the sleeve. 
The fullness at the top of this sleeve helps with the illusion of width at the shoulders. 
The sleeve treatment from the armscye seam down creates a horizontal band
Almost horizontal seam with horizontal trim.
Distinctly horizontal sleeve/armscye.
If I Had My Own Blue Box: 
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