Hemline

The hemline is the line formed by the lower edge of a garment, such as a skirt, dress or coat, measured from the floor.

[1] The hemline is perhaps the most variable style line in fashion, changing shape and ranging in height from hip-high to floor-length.

What is a fashionable style and height of hemline has varied considerably throughout the years, and has also depended on a number of factors such as the age of the wearer, the occasion for which the garment is worn and the choice of the individual.

Similar to necklines and waistlines, hemlines can be grouped by their height and shape: Dresses and skirts are also classified in terms of their length: In the history of Western fashion, the ordinary public clothes of upper- and middle-class women varied only between floor-length and slightly above ankle-length for many centuries before World War I. Skirts of lower-calf or mid-calf length were associated with the practical working garments of lower-class women or American pioneer women, while even shorter skirt lengths were seen only in certain specialized and restricted contexts (e.g. sea-bathing costumes, or outfits worn by ballerinas on stage).

The term was brought up by Wharton Business School Professor George Taylor in 1926 at a time when hemlines rose with flapper dresses during the so-called Roaring '20s.