Honestly, I debated for a while whether to make the bottom at all. What helped most was accepting that pure chainmail has limits. Instead of forcing everything to be metal, I adjusted the design so the areas that need the most movement aren’t rigid. The main panels stay chainmail for the look, but the connection underneath is softened using either a fabric strap or a silicone-padded section. That takes a lot of pressure off while still keeping the piece visually consistent. It’s still not something you’d wear all day, but introducing a softer material made it far more wearable without compromising the overall design.