Chapter 2: Lapel / Collar Geometry & Stance

Created by Sarah Choi (prompt writer using ChatGPT)

Lapel & Collar Geometry and Stance (Jackets & Coats)

Lapel and collar geometry is the steering system of jackets and coats. It governs the silhouette’s opening angle at the chest, the throat’s protection, and how the front behaves when characters sprint, aim, mount, or sit. For concept artists, the stance—the relationship between collar, lapel roll, and button position—defines a character’s rhetoric (authority, ease, menace) long before materials and trims. For production artists, the same geometry maps to canvas, facings, and vents that must hold a roll line consistently through animation and simulation. This article links lapels, facings, and vents as a single system so the design you thumbnail is the garment the team can build.

Vocabulary and the Stance Triangle

Three coordinates form a stance triangle: collar break (where collar meets lapel at the neck), lapel roll line (the fold path from collar break to buttoning point), and buttoning stance (the vertical position of the primary closure). Their proportions set the V of the chest. A high collar break, short roll, and high button position communicate discipline and warmth; a lower break, long roll, and low button communicate relaxation and swagger. The fourth silent partner is vent length, which governs how the back accommodates the front’s chosen stance without fighting the hips or sword belts.

Collar Architecture: Stand, Fall, and Undercollar

Every turn‑down collar has a stand (the upright portion) and a fall (the outward turn that becomes the lapel). The undercollar—usually cut on bias and often in melton or collar canvas—acts like a spring that remembers the intended roll. In concepts, sketch the collar as two layers: a compact stand hugging the neck and a fall that either hugs the chest (short roll) or arcs outward (long roll). In production, specify stand height, undercollar fabric, and seam allowances at the gorge (collar‑lapel junction); these parameters decide whether the collar bridges cleanly when the throat is latched and whether it collapses elegantly when open.

Gorge Height and Shape: Reading Rank and Era

The gorge is where lapel and collar meet. Raise it and you push the lapel points up, increasing formality and emphasizing shoulder breadth; lower it and you expose more chest, reading casual or louche. Historically, high gorges and peak lapels telegraph military and Edwardian rhetoric; low gorges with wide notch or shawl lapels skew mid‑century leisure or contemporary fashion. For cameras, a higher gorge produces a crisp triangular negative space that holds at distance; a lower gorge depends more on shirt/vest contrast to read.

Lapel Width, Belly, and Peak/Notch/Shawl Logic

Lapel width should echo shoulder scale and chest suppression. Narrow lapels sharpen posture and modernize silhouettes; broad lapels express bravado or ceremony. Belly—the convex curvature along the lapel’s outer edge—adds richness and period gravitas when full, or a racing, techwear vibe when flat. Peaks redirect energy upward (command, swagger), notches split energy horizontally (approachable authority), shawls create a continuous halo (ceremony, stealth). When painting, lay in the lapel’s outer edge first as a single curve, then place the notch or peak geometry; the facing reveal should be a consistent ribbon whose width subtly narrows toward the buttoning point to keep the roll believable.

Roll Line: The Invisible Hinge

The roll line is the garment’s hinge memory. A roll that ends just above the button creates a taut V and locks the fronts; a roll that floats past the button creates a soft drape that can bloom in wind. Specify roll length relative to button stance (e.g., “roll terminates 20 mm above top button” or “roll continues 15 mm past”). In production, the roll is set by canvas build and pad‑stitch direction; in concepts, show it by a gentle highlight gradient, a crisp edge at the break, and a slightly darker facing interior under the curve. Never let the roll line wander across frame to frame; it is the anchor for chest reads.

Button Stance and Closure Grammar

Buttoning stance determines how the torso articulates. High button stances keep fronts closed in crouch and aim poses, preserving a military read; low stances allow shirt or vest to flash and increase swagger. Double‑breasted systems shift the stance laterally; their lapel rolls often stop at the jigger (inner) button, reading fortresslike. For trenches, the throat latch adds a secondary, emergency stance; the lapel must re‑roll upward without creating bubbles at the gorge—call out both open and latched silhouettes.

Facing Strategy: Width, Interfacing, and Edge Discipline

Facings are the structural shadow behind the lapel. Wide facings stabilize long edges, hold pockets, and give the roll line a runway; narrow facings save weight in bombers and tunics but require precise fusible placement. Interfacing weight must step down from chest to hem to prevent “boardy” fronts that fight vents. In concepts, treat the facing reveal as a controlled band: a slightly darker interior tone with topstitch accents when utility is desired. In production, include a facing map with edge‑stitch distances and reinforcement at lapel tips and button areas.

Canvas and Pad Stitch: Teaching the Coat to Remember

Tailored jackets use haircloth or tailored fusibles to program the roll. Pad stitches act like springs that urge the lapel to curl at a specific radius. A firm chest canvas yields a snap‑open, precise lapel (officer, court wear); a soft half‑canvas yields a relaxed bloom (detective, traveler). For simulation, denote canvas zones as stiffer materials in the ID map so the roll doesn’t collapse into mush under gravity.

Vents as Counterweights to Stance

Vents allow the back to negotiate the front’s chosen stance. A high button with a short roll wants a single or double vent of moderate depth to keep the fronts flat while the back rides around hips. A low stance with wide lapels pairs well with deeper vents to avoid front flare in sprint. No‑vent coats demand either stretch in side seams or shorter hem lengths; otherwise, the fronts bow and the roll degrades as the wearer walks. In handoff, pair every stance spec with a vent spec (“double vents, 26 cm depth, angled to seat line”).

Raglan vs Set‑In: How Shoulder Style Alters Stance

Set‑in shoulders isolate lapel rhetoric from arm movement, ideal for crisp roll fidelity under action. Raglan shoulders distribute strain to the neckline; trench lapels must be designed to hold their shape when the raglan seam tugs during reach. A slightly taller stand and firmer facing at the throat helps raglans resist collapse in storms and sprint cycles.

ROM and Camera‑Distance Reads

At gameplay distances, stance reads as a triangle of negative space, a glinting lapel edge, and the vent flicker in gait. Keep one motif dominant. For officers: peak lapel spike + high button + double‑vent flutter. For rogues: low notch + long roll + deep single vent that flashes when turning. For ceremonial: shawl sweep + no vent + hem weight for disciplined sway. Paint micro‑speculars along roll edges and at notch/peak corners to keep the geometry legible in motion blur.

Genre and Period Dialects

High‑gorge peaks with firm chests signal military and court uniforms; low‑gorge notches with soft chests signal academia or merchants. Shawl collars with broad bellies and padded chests telegraph evening or temple rites. Techwear and sci‑fi reduce or re‑interpret lapels as sculpted panels; facings become bonded layers with laser‑cut edges, and vents become architectural slashes. In fantasy, exaggerated peaks can echo heraldic chevrons; shawls can merge into hood scoops—specify facing transitions so cutters can realize them.

Paintover Tactics for Clear Geometry

Block the collar stand first as a clean horseshoe; drop the roll line with one confident S‑curve to the button area; place notch or peak; then carve the facing reveal. Add a thin rim highlight on the lapel edge; a slightly cooler shadow in the facing interior sells depth. If the garment can latch at the throat, paint two states side by side and keep the roll radius consistent. Align vent seams in back views to the front stance to prove the system.

Production‑Facing Specs and Handoff

When you ship a design, include: gorge height relative to shoulder point; lapel width at notch and at waist; outer‑edge belly description (flat/medium/full); roll line end point vs button; button stance height from hem or nape; collar stand height and undercollar material; facing width and interfacing weights (chest, lapel tip, hem); canvas type (full, half, fused) and pad‑stitch density; vent scheme and depths; shoulder type (set‑in/raglan) and pad thickness; and closure logic (single‑ vs double‑breasted, throat latch). Provide an ID map separating shell, facing, canvas proxy, undercollar, lining, and hardware.

Failure Modes and Fixes

Roll collapses at notch during sprint: Increase chest canvas or shorten roll; add stay tape along the edge. Fronts bow out at lower ribs: Button stance too low for vent depth—raise button or deepen vents. Gorge bubbles when latched: Stand too short or undercollar too soft—raise stand and specify melton undercollar. Raglan trench gapes at throat in reach: Add hidden snap at latch, stiffen facing span. Shawl edges twist: Bias imbalance—cut undercollar in two pieces on opposing bias and pad stitch.

Quick Handoff Checklist

State stance intent (formal, relaxed, ceremonial); set gorge height and lapel width; draw roll path and termination; fix button stance; select facing width and interfacing; choose canvas build; pair with vent scheme; specify collar stand and undercollar; confirm shoulder style; supply open/closed silhouette frames. When stance, facings, and vents are designed as one geometry, your jackets hold their promise—from thumbnail to shipped asset.