What Is a Perforated Hem and Where It’s Used
A perforated hem is a decorative finish created by making small, evenly spaced cut-outs along the edge of a garment. In fashion, this technique is used to add texture, lightness, and a handcrafted feel.
You can find perforated hems on skirts, dresses, blouses, leather garments, and even accessories. They work especially well in summer looks, boho styles, romantic outfits, and designs inspired by laser-cut detailing.
Today I’ll show you how to create a perforated hem effect in Pocket Styler Studio.
How to Create a Perforated Hem in Pocket Styler Studio
🔹 Step 1. Build the Skirt Base
Open the skirt creation mode and use the Points tool to shape the silhouette you want.
Set the Fabric opacity to 0 — this makes the skirt fully transparent.
🔹 Step 2. Fill the Skirt Color
Select a solid brush, set all its properties to maximum (to make it fully opaque), and paint the entire skirt with the color you plan to use.
This gives you a clean, even base.
Then go to the Shadow property and set it to 0 so it doesn’t interfere with the next steps.
🔹 Step 3. Create the Waistband
Go to Details → Add Shape and create a new form for the waistband.
Use Points mode to shape it, then add light and dark shading to create volume.
Step 4. Adding Depth to the Main Skirt
1. Take a thin brush and carefully draw the areas of folds and soft curves of the silhouette, outlining the structure of the fabric.
2. Take a dark brush and add shadows along these folds — along the side lines, inner curves, and in the areas where the fabric naturally darkens. This creates a depth effect.
3. Take a light brush and add soft highlights on the same areas, but along the upper lines — where the light touches the fabric. This makes the skirt look dimensional and “alive.”
Step 5. Merge Brush Properties
If, like in my case, parts of the skirt were created using different brush properties:
— merge all the brush properties you used so the cutouts come out clean and don’t affect other layers.
Step 6. Create the Perforated Hem (Cutouts)
1. Go to the Eraser tab.
2. Select a suitable eraser brush shape — small, solid, and precise.
3. Carefully go along the bottom edge of the skirt, creating small, even decorative holes — the perforation.
Step 7. Add the Back Layer of the Skirt
When the cutouts appear, you will see empty space behind them. Therefore:
1. Create a back layer for the skirt.
2. Apply the same color.
3. Add shadows so the back part looks natural through the cutouts.
✨ Result You’ll have a skirt with a clean, decorative perforated hem that looks handcrafted and adds interest to your design — perfect for light, airy, or stylish outfits in Pocket Styler Studio.
