Pinch Pleat Curtains

A double pinch pleat folds two pleats together at each point along the heading. A triple folds three. The triple is fuller and more formal. The double is leaner and suits a modern room.

The spacing between groups is set when the curtain is made, so the folds fall the same way down the whole drop. Because the pleats are fixed, the width cannot be adjusted later, so the track or rod measurement matters.

The stitched heading controls the fabric from the top down, so the folds stay upright and evenly spaced along the full drop. Open, the curtain stacks into a neat column beside the window. Closed, the pleats give the fabric a gentle rhythm. It suits formal living rooms, main bedrooms and period homes, and in a plain lined fabric it reads as crisp in a modern room too.

Pinch pleat curtains hang from hooks set into the back of each pleat. On a track the hooks run in gliders; on a rod they go into the eyes of the rod rings. The hardware takes the full weight of a lined curtain, so it needs solid fixing. A ceiling-fixed track or a pelmet hides the hardware; a rod with rings shows it.

Curtain rods and tracks

Pinch pleat curtains are cut with a generous fullness so each pleat holds its shape. Triple pleats stack wider than double when open. Extend the track past the glass so the open curtain sits on the wall, or use a double pleat on a narrow window.

S-fold uses fixed glider spacing on a track to make a soft, continuous wave. Pinch pleat uses stitching to make defined pleats with flat fabric between them. S-fold is the modern look and takes a motor easily. Pinch pleat is the tailored look and suits heavier lined fabrics and pelmets.

S-fold curtains

Lined blockout is the most common: your face fabric with a blockout lining that adds weight and helps the pleats hang straight. Linen takes a double pinch pleat well. Velvet is the natural partner for a triple pinch pleat.

Velvet curtains