Guides

Curtain pleat styles, explained

The pleat is the sewn top of a curtain. It shapes every fold below it, sets how formal the room feels, and decides whether the curtain hangs from rings on a rod or glides on a track. Here are the five we make and how to choose.

The short answer

For a classic curtain in almost any room, choose a double pinch pleat. For a cleaner, modern line, choose a double or triple tailored pleat. For a fuller, more formal look, choose a triple pleat or a box pleat.

The five styles

Double pinch pleat: pairs of folds pinched together partway down the header — **Double Pinch Pleat**Two folds pinched together partway down the header, then released into soft folds below. The classic tailored curtain: it suits almost any room and any fabric weight. It's included in the base price.

Triple pinch pleat: three folds pinched together partway down the header — **Triple Pinch Pleat**Three folds per pleat instead of two, sewn with a little more fabric. Fuller and more formal: dining rooms, tall windows, traditional rooms.

Double tailored pleat: two folds pinched at the very top edge, fanning out below — **Double Tailored Pleat**The folds are pinched at the very top edge and fan out freely below, so the header looks clean and the folds run straight to the floor. A modern take on the pinch pleat.

Triple tailored pleat: three folds pinched at the top edge, fanning out below — **Triple Tailored Pleat**The tailored top with three folds per pleat. The fullest of the clean-lined styles, with a generous, even drape.

Box pleat: flat, squared folds pressed into the header — **Box Pleat**Flat, squared folds pressed into the header, spaced evenly across the top. Crisp and structured; it looks especially good in tailored rooms and on curtains that stay mostly closed.

Side by side

Style	Look	Fullness	Hangs from
Double Pinch Pleat	Classic, relaxed	2×	Rings or track
Triple Pinch Pleat	Full, traditional	2.2×	Rings or track
Double Tailored Pleat	Clean, modern	2×	Rings or track
Triple Tailored Pleat	Clean, generous	2.2×	Rings or track
Box Pleat	Crisp, structured	2×	Rings or track

How to choose

By the room's style. Traditional and transitional rooms suit pinch and triple pleats. Modern rooms suit tailored pleats.
By how often you open them. Curtains you draw every day are easiest as pinch or tailored. Box pleats look their best on curtains that mostly stay put.
By the fabric. Every style works in our lighter and mid-weight fabrics. Triple pleats are made on about half our fabrics; each product page shows the styles that fabric offers.

Rings, track and fullness

Every pleated style hangs from small hooks, either on rings over a rod or on the gliders of a track.

Fullness is how much wider the fabric is than the space it covers when closed: 2× means twice as wide. You never have to work this out. Enter the finished width you want each panel to cover, and we sew in the fullness your style needs.

Your hardware also changes where you measure the length from. The curtain length guide shows how, and the measuring guide works it out for you.

Questions

What is a pinch pleat?

A pinch pleat gathers two or three folds of fabric and stitches them together at the base of the header, so the curtain falls in regular, rounded folds. It's the classic tailored curtain header.

Do some pleat styles cost more?

The double pinch pleat is included in the base price. Other styles add a little, and the product page shows the exact price as you choose.

Do I need to calculate fullness?

No. Enter the finished width you want each panel to cover. We add the extra fabric each style needs.

Every curtain shows the pleat styles its fabric offers, with a drawing of each, right in the product page.

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