What does it mean that the skirt hem is finished without sewing?
The product description introduces the hem as a 'laser-cut punched scallop finished without sewing,' but it is hard to picture how a hem without any thread is possible. It also makes one wonder if the finish might be weak.
It means that instead of folding and stitching the hem, the curves were cut out with a laser, making the cut edge itself the finished line.
Let us break down the words first. A scallop refers to a curved shape resembling the edge of a seashell, with continuous semicircles linked together. Punching means piercing holes into fabric. This skirt finishes the hem edge by cutting it into the shape of those curves and small holes[1].
Usually, the hem of a garment is stitched after folding the cut edge inward once or twice. This treatment is meant to prevent fraying, but along curves, the folded excess fabric on the inside tends to bunch up into fine wrinkles or add bulk. Because laser cutting slices the fabric with heat rather than a blade, the cut edge melts and hardens, becoming a fray-resistant edge on its own. This is why the step of folding and stitching can be skipped.
Therefore, no stitch lines are visible at the hem of this skirt[2]. Since seam allowances do not overlap, the edge falls thinly, and the curves of the connected semicircles remain as the skirt's final line as they are[3].
This product is currently no longer sold.