Explore a variety of pleat styles, from traditional knife and box pleats to more intricate designs like inverted, accordion, sunburst, and godets!

Overview

A pleat is simply a fold in a piece of fabric. It’s like a little pocket of extra fabric that gives you more room to move. Think about the skirt of a tennis player or the back of a dress shirt - those folds you see are pleats. They’re not just practical, though. Designers also use pleats to make their clothes look more interesting and stylish.

Creating pleats can be done in different ways. Sometimes, the fabric is folded, pressed with an iron, and then stitched to keep the fold in place. Other times, the fold is left as it is, without pressing or stitching. Pleats can be evenly spaced or unevenly spaced, depending on the design. Also, the depth of the fold, or ‘pleat’, can vary - it can be single, double, or even triple, meaning one, two, or three folds stacked on top of each other.

Pleat Terminology

• Pleat Depth: The distance from the outside fold of the pleat(labeled A) to the inside fold(labled B)
• Pleat Underlay: This is the fabric portion that is folded to creat the pleat Pleat underlay is always twice the pelat depth (A to B to C)
• Pleat Spacing: The distance between individual pleats (left A to right A)

Types of Pleats

• Knife Pleats: Knife pleats are pleats with all folds facing the same direction, giving a sharp, knife-like look.

• Box Pleats: Box Pleats are folded away from each other (facing opposite directions), forming a box shape.

• Inverted Pleats: Inverted pleats are folded to meet in the center.

• Accordion Pleats: Accordion pleats are narrow, even spaced pleats resembling the bellows of an accordion.

• Sunburst(sunray) Pleats: Sunburst(sunray) pleats fan out and graduate from the waist. To sustain pleating, the fabric should be mostly synthetic and also usually need a professional heat-treated job.

• Godet: While not technically a pleat, a godet is a piece of fabric inserted into a seam to add volume, often found in skirts and dresses.

I hope this post helped you understand the major types of popular pleats, from classic knife pleats to godets. Each type offers its own unique aesthetic and functional appeal. Applying these pleats can add fun and utility to your sewing and pattern-making endeavors! I’ll also post detailed instructions and tips for applying various pleats like kick pleats and godet variations. So, keep an eye out!👀💗