The word 'shoulder-baring' is a compound formed in English from 'shoulder' and 'baring', where 'baring' is the present participle of 'bare', meaning 'to uncover'.

'Shoulder-baring' was created in modern English by combining 'shoulder' (from Old English 'sculdor') and 'baring' (from 'bare', Old English 'bær').

Initially, it simply described the act of exposing the shoulders, but it has come to specifically refer to clothing styles that leave the shoulders uncovered.