A lettuce hem is a frilled hem invented by Stephen Burrows. The hem was popular in the disco era for how it added movement to a garment.[1]
The lettuce hem is named for its resemblance to a lettuce leaf. The hem gets its characteristic waves from a zig-zag overlock stitching pattern typical of Burrows' work, which emphasized rather than concealed hems and stitching.[2] The technique is mostly used on knit textiles such as jersey fabric, which allow the hem to hold its shape.[3]
Stephen Burrows invented the lettuce hem in the 1970s.[1] The nature of the invention is disputed, with The Museum at FIT characterizing the invention as arising from a sewing error while the FIDM Museum claims he was inspired by Diana Vreeland requesting a garment in "lettuce green."[4][5] Regardless, the hem became a signature of Burrows and remained popular throughout the decade. The style reemerged in the 1990s, particularly on knit "babydoll" style T-shirts. Lettuce hems became popular again in the late 2010s and early 2020s, largely as a reference to the 1990s iteration of the trend.[2][6][7][8] With the increased interest in upcycling old and thrifted clothing during this period, the lettuce hem became a way to update a garment. The patchwork top, which features lettuce hems all across the garment rather than just along the edges, enjoyed popularity starting in 2020.[9][10]