What is a Pleat?

A pleat is a fold formed in fabric to control fullness, create shape or add a decorative detail to a garment. Pleats are made by folding fabric back on itself in a particular pattern and may be stitched, pressed or permanently heat set, depending on the fabric and the type of pleat.

How are pleats made?

At its simplest, a pleat is created by folding fabric back over itself rather than cutting away the excess fabric.

The fold can then be secured with stitching, incorporated into a seam, pressed into shape or, with some fabrics, permanently set using heat. This allows designers to introduce additional fabric into part of a garment in a controlled way.

When the wearer moves, the pleat can open to provide extra room and then fall back towards its original shape. This is one reason pleats are particularly useful in clothing where freedom of movement is important.

Why are pleats used in clothing?

Pleats can be both functional and decorative.

Functionally, they allow additional fabric and therefore extra movement or fullness without making the entire garment oversized. You'll often find them in skirts, dresses and trousers, as well as in uniforms and workwear where ease of movement can be important.

Pleats can also be purely a design feature, creating texture, structure, movement or visual interest.

The effect varies enormously depending on the size, direction and number of folds. A single inverted pleat can be an almost invisible functional feature, while dozens of narrow pleats can completely define the appearance and movement of a garment.

What are the different types of pleats?

There are many variations, but some of the most common include:

Knife pleats – a series of folds facing in the same direction. These create a neat, regular appearance and are commonly seen in skirts.

Box pleats – two folds face away from each other, creating a flat section or "box" at the front. Box pleats can provide considerable fullness while maintaining a structured appearance.

Inverted pleats – essentially the reverse of a box pleat, with the folds facing towards each other. These can sit quite flat when the wearer is standing but open to provide additional movement.

Accordion pleats – narrow, regularly spaced alternating folds resembling the bellows of an accordion. They create considerable movement and are often used across larger areas of fabric.

There are many other variations including cartridge, sunburst and tuck pleats. Pleating has been used in clothing for centuries and ranges from straightforward garment construction to highly specialised textile techniques.

Are pleats permanent?

Not necessarily.

Some pleats are held primarily by stitching and pressing and may need to be pressed again after washing. Others can be permanently heat set into suitable synthetic fabrics.

Modern manufacturing can use heat and pressure to set extremely durable pleats.

So whether a pleat stays perfectly crisp depends on the fabric, construction and pleating method.

Where are pleats used?

Although most people immediately think of a pleated skirt, pleats appear throughout clothing.

You'll find them in dresses, trousers, shirts, jackets, school uniforms, corporate clothing and workwear. A pleat across the back of a shirt, for example, can provide additional room for the shoulders and arms without requiring the whole shirt to have a much looser fit.

Outside of clothing, pleating techniques are also used in textiles and products such as curtains and other soft furnishings.

Pleats in uniforms and workwear

For uniforms, pleats are often more about function than fashion.

Pleats can provide additional room through areas that need to move while allowing the garment to retain a neat, professional silhouette. Depending on the garment, they may be incorporated into skirts, trousers, shirts, jackets and other clothing styles.

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