Curved Hem (Shirttail Hem)

Lay a classic crew tee flat next to a fashion-fit tee and the difference at the bottom edge is the curved hem — a shirttail cut that dips an inch or two lower at the sides and back than at center front instead of running straight across. Bella+Canvas's 3001 stays close to straight, but plenty of fashion-fit tees, especially women's and boyfriend cuts, add that curve so the shirt doesn't ride up when the wearer sits or reaches. The shape is cut into the pattern before sewing, not added afterward, which is why it stays consistent across a size run rather than varying shirt to shirt.

That dip matters for anyone laying out a front design, because a full-front print centered on a straight-hem tee will sit noticeably higher, relative to the bottom edge, once it's transferred onto a curved-hem blank instead. A reorder we handled once looked noticeably "off" compared to the original batch, purely because the supplier had quietly switched from a straight-hem blank to a curved-hem one and nobody adjusted the vertical placement.

Always check hem style before finalizing a print position on a new blank, and measure placement up from the center-front hem point, not the side seam, since that's the shortest and most consistent reference across sizes. Curved hems pair naturally with side vents, so expect extra fabric movement at the hips that a boxy straight-hem blank simply won't have.

Some buyers assume a curved hem means the shirt runs longer overall; it doesn't — total body length can be identical to a straight-hem style, it's only the shape of the bottom edge that changes, longer at the sides and back, shorter up front.