Chapter 4: Hem Shapes & Layering with Armor / Outerwear

Created by Sarah Choi (prompt writer using ChatGPT)

Hem Shapes & Layering with Armor/Outerwear (Tops: Shirts, Blouses, Tunics)

Hems are the pressure‑relief edge of a top. Their geometry decides how a shirt, blouse, or tunic clears belts, scabbards, faulds, or backpack straps and how it telegraphs motion from a distance. For costume concept artists, hem shape is a storytelling dial (rank, function, agility) and a performance dial (range of stride, crouch, mount/dismount). For production artists, hem engineering—facing, binding, and vent placement—determines whether a garment jitters in sim, clips under armor, or rides up on animation. This article connects hem logic to the collar–placket–yoke triad so you can design tops that layer cleanly beneath armor and outerwear.

The Hem’s Job in the Collar–Placket–Yoke System

A collar and placket provide vertical structure; yokes distribute shoulder stress. The hem is the horizontal exit for that energy. If the yoke grants expansion (pleats, gathers), the hem must accept and shape the resulting volume; if the placket is stiff, the hem near center front should resist distortion so the spine stays straight. Hem shape also frames how a collar presents: a high‑stand collar with a disciplined visible placket pairs best with a controlled hem (straight or minimally curved), while a shawl or mandarin with softer fronts loves a freer hem (shirttail, high‑low) to echo the flow.

Core Hem Shapes and What They Communicate

Straight hem: Even baseline from side seam to side seam. Reads orderly, uniform, modern. Great under armor skirts (faulds/tassets) because length predictability eases collision. Risk: can box the hips—add side vents for stride.

Curved shirttail: Scooped front and back with higher sides. Reads classic shirt, mobility, and layered sophistication. Side scoops clear belt hardware, keeping placket vertical during crouch. Excellent for blouses that must peek under cropped armor or vests.

High–low (drop back): Lower back, higher front. Conveys forward motion and protects kidneys when seated or mounted. Works with back yoke pleats: when the pleat opens, the long back drapes cleanly over belts or faulds.

Split‑front tunic hem: Center‑front slit up from hem, sometimes mirrored at center back. Enables long garments to stride around thigh armor and scabbards. Ensure the placket strategy matches: if the front opens fully, avoid competing seams at the split apex.

Side vents (notched hem): Slits at side seams. Primary fix for stride restriction in straight hems. Under outerwear, vents prevent hem from tenting at the hip shelf formed by belts or cuirass edges.

Scalloped/pointed tabs: Repeating tongues or points. Historic/ceremonial reads and useful as “soft armor” under faulds. The gaps relieve pressure when sitting or kneeling but require careful thickness to avoid sim flutter.

Handkerchief/diagonal hems: Asymmetric points or bias‑heavy drape. Communicate drama, magic, or non‑uniform factions. Bias edges swing and lag (inertial reads) but can collide unpredictably with greaves or thigh plates—pair with lighter outerwear or open skirts.

Peplum/godet extensions: Hem flares added via panels. Create readable silhouette breaks above the hip. Under cuirasses, a peplum hem can bridge from bodice to tassets visually, implying articulated layering.

Tabard/surcoat over‑hem: A separate layer worn over armor. Its open sides act like giant vents; the under‑top ideally has a compact hem so only the tabard carries visual motion.

Hem Finishes: How Edge Engineering Affects Motion

Facings: Turned‑in fabric that adds weight and keeps a clean edge. Best for straight or curved hems under armor—weight dampens flutter and resists cape‑like behavior.

Bindings: Visible edge tape (bias binding or leather). Adds graphic outline for camera readability and minor stiffness. In fantasy or sci‑fi, colored bindings can encode rank; they also protect edges from lamellar abrasion.

Rolled/narrow hems: Light and agile; read feminine or airy on blouses. They flicker in animation—great for wind reads, risky under sharp armor edges.

Weighted hems: Sewn‑in chain or beading. Stabilizes long tunics in horseback or aerial scenes; call out weight per meter for sim.

Layering with Armor: Interaction Maps

Cuirass/breastplate: The lower rim creates a shelf. A straight or high‑low back hem with side vents avoids bunching. Keep center‑front hem simple so the placket remains true; if using a split front, set the split apex clear of cuirass overlap.

Faulds/tassets (waist armor skirts): Favor compact hems that enter the gaps between plates. Scalloped tabs can nest between lames. Avoid deep handkerchief points that will jam under descending plates.

Pauldrons/shoulder harness: They indirectly affect hems via yoke strain. Use back yoke pleats so the hem doesn’t leap up when arms raise to accommodate pauldrons.

Gambeson/arming doublet: Thick quilted outerwear. Underneath, choose a shorter, straight hem with vents to prevent bulk stacking at hip belts.

Belts, sword frogs, holsters: Place side vents or front splits aligned to gear hang points. Ensure buttons/snaps at the lower placket don’t collide with buckles; consider hidden placket near the waist for frictionless draw.

Capes/cloaks: Their drag can lift under‑hems. High‑low backs counteract this by adding mass aft. Use facings or weighted edges on the under‑hem to resist suction when the cloak snaps forward.

Layering with Outerwear: Jackets, Vests, Coats, Ponchos

Vests/waistcoats: Hem of the under‑top should clear the vest hem by ~2–5 cm visually (or intentionally exceed it for layered fashion). Shirttail curves peeking beneath sell sophistication without clutter.

Short jackets: Cropped hems create a second read line. Favor a high–low or curved under‑hem so both layers remain distinguishable in motion.

Long coats: The coat dominates silhouette; keep the under‑hem either clean and short (tucked or straight) or dramatically long with disciplined splits that align to coat vents.

Ponchos/surcoats: Open sides free arm motion; the under‑hem should be compact with side vents so the poncho carries most of the movement language.

Hem Shape vs Collars, Plackets, and Yokes

Collars: Tall stands and formal collars prefer tidy hems (straight, modest curves) to maintain rhetoric. Shawl and mandarin collars love flowing hems that echo roll lines. If a collar is rigid, bias toward hems that won’t telegraph torque (avoid long front points that amplify twist).

Plackets: A visible, stiff placket is a visual spine—pair with hems that won’t kink it: straight with vents or controlled shirttail. Hidden plackets can tolerate freer, asymmetric hems since the center front is visually quiet.

Yokes: Back yokes with pleats invite longer backs and high–low hems to ‘catch’ the released volume. No‑yoke designs should avoid risky long hems unless side vents/godets provide expansion.

ROM Reads and Camera Distance

At distance, the hem is a moving underline for the torso mass. Clear, repeatable beats work best: side vents flashing open/closed; scallop tabs alternating; a split front creating twin pennants in sprint. Reserve one bold motion motif and keep the rest quiet. In thirds‑person cameras, a high–low back plus side vents gives the most consistent gait read.

Genre & Period Dialects

Medieval/Low‑tech: Split‑front/back tunics with square gussets; scalloped hems over mail skirts; bindings in leather. Reads practical and modular.

Regency/Victorian: Straight or modest shirttails tucked; outer layers carry the hem drama. Plackets are disciplined; hems are quiet.

Western/Frontier: Straight hems with deep side vents for saddle work; snap plackets align with utilitarian rhetoric.

East Asian: Straight hems with side slits and mandarin collars; tabard‑like over‑layers for ceremony; clean hidden plackets.

Sci‑fi/Techwear: Bonded or heat‑sealed hems, laser‑cut edges, architectural high–low with crisp vents. Hidden plackets, stand collars, articulated yokes.

Fantasy/Arcane: Handkerchief and godet hems for magical inertia; ornate bindings; shawl collars flowing into layered hems.

Paintover Tactics for Concepting

  1. Block torso and gear first (belts, plates, scabbards). 2) Choose collar and placket stiffness; this sets your hem discipline. 3) Sketch hem line as a single confident stroke, then cut vents/splits to solve motion. 4) Double the hem edge with a thin facing/binding highlight for readability. 5) In action frames, show vents opening and tabs staggering to establish cadence. 6) Use cast shadows from outerwear edges (cuirass, coat) to separate layers without extra linework.

Production Notes for Handoff

Specify hem type and finish (facing depth, binding width, roll hem mm). Provide vent lengths and bar‑tack positions. Call out split apex reinforcements (square or triangular patches). Define back length delta for high–low hems. Tie hem choices to yoke behavior (pleat depth and lock‑stitch options) and placket stiffness (interfacing weights). Include material ID separation for hem facings, bindings, and weights. If weighted, list grams per meter. Align hem lengths with armor clearances: distance to fauld edge at idle and at 120° hip flex.

Failure Modes and Fixes

Hem rides up under armor: Add side vents or reduce back length; increase facing weight for damping. Front placket kinks near hem: Increase interfacing or add a short horizontal stay tape at the lower button. Scallop tabs curl: Add interlining or top‑stitch perimeter. Handkerchief points clip: Shorten points or offset to avoid gear; convert to godets that fold inward. Hidden placket waves at waist belt: Deepen fly underlay or add discreet edge‑stitch.

Quick Handoff Checklist

State collar type and stiffness; declare placket type and width; describe yoke and whether pleats/gathers are active; choose hem shape and finish; define side vents/splits with lengths; align hem clearances to armor/outerwear; specify facing/binding/weights; include ROM sheet (walk, sprint, crouch, mount/dismount) showing vent behavior; and mark collision priorities (hem vs belt vs faulds vs coat panels). When collar, placket, yoke, and hem act as a system, your tops layer cleanly and read crisply—on the page and in‑engine.