Skirt with narrow knife pleats at the hip line, 1929.

The knife pleat is the basic pleat used in sewing.

A pleat (older plait) is a type of fold formed by doubling fabric back upon itself and securing it in place. It is commonly used in clothing and upholstery to gather a wide piece of fabric to a narrower circumference.^[1] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Fold or folding may refer to: fold (geology) folding, in poker, is the act of withdrawing from a hand rather than meeting the bet folding ingredients together is a cooking technique protein folding origami, the art of paper folding pattern welding, the folding of metal This is a disambiguation page... Sunday textile market on the sidewalks of Karachi, Pakistan. ... Girls wearing formal attire for dancing, an example of one of the many modern forms of clothing. ... Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. ...

Pleats are categorized as pressed, that is, ironed or otherwise heat-set into a sharp crease, or unpressed, falling in soft rounded folds. Pleats may also be partially sewn flat and allowed to fall open below. An iron Ironing or smoothing is the work of using a heated tool to remove wrinkles from washed clothes. ...

Types of pleats

• Accordian pleats are a the most basic form of pleat, consisting of a series of permanent folds of equal width in alternating opposite directions. When pressed flat in one direction, accordian pleats become knife pleats. Accordian pleats are rarely used in dressmaking, but are used to make folding fans.

• Box pleats are knife pleats back-to-back, and have a tendency to spring out from the waistline.^[2] They have the same 3:1 ratio as knife pleats, and may also be stacked to form stacked box pleats. These stacked box pleats create more fullness and have a 5:1 ratio. They also create a bulkier seam. Inverted box pleats have the "box" on the inside rather than the outside.

• Cartridge pleats are used to gather a large amount of fabric into a small waistband or armscye without adding bulk to the seam. This type of pleating also allows the fabric of the skirt or sleeve to spring out from the seam. During the 15th and 16th centuries, this form of pleating was popular in the garments of men and women. Fabric is evenly gathered using two or more lengths of basting stitches, and the top of each pleat is whipstitched onto the waistband or armscye. Cartridge pleating was resurrected in the 1840s to attached the increasingly full bell-shaped skirts to the fashionable narrow waist.^{[3] [4] [5]}

• Fluted pleats or flutings are very small, rounded or pressed pleats used as trimmings.^[6] The name comes frm their resemblance to a pan flute.

• Fortuny pleats are crisp pleats set in silk fabrics by designer Mariano Fortuny in the early 20th century, using a secret pleat-setting process which is still not understood.

• Honeycomb pleats are narrow, rolled pleats used as a foundation for smocking.

• Knife pleats are used for basic gathering purposes, and form a smooth line rather than springing away from the seam they have been gathered to. The pleats have a 3:1 ratio–three inches of fabric will create one inch of finished pleat. Knife pleats can be recognized by the way that they overlap in the seam.^[7]

• Organ pleats are parallel rows of softly rounded pleats resembling the pipes of a pipe organ. Carl Köhler^[8] suggests that these mare made by inserting one or more gores into a panel of fabric.

• Plissé pleats are narrow pleats set by gathering fabric with stitches, wetting the fabric, and "setting" the pleats by allowing the wet fabric to dry under weight or tension. Linen chemises or smocks pleated with this technique have been found in the 10th century Viking graves in Birka.^[9]

• Rolled pleats create tubular pleats which run the length of the fabric from top to bottom. A piece of the fabric to be pleated is pinched and then rolled until it is flat against the rest of the fabric, forming a tube. A variation on the rolled pleat is the stacked pleat, which is rolled similarly and requires at least five inches of fabric per finished pleat. Both types of pleating create a bulky seam.

• Watteau pleats are one or two box pleats found at the back neckline of 18th century gowns and some late 19th century tea gowns in imitation of these. The term is not contemporary, but is used by costume historians in reference to these styles as portrayed in the paintings of Antoine Watteau.^[10]

It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... Each Brachioradialis was a testimony to the needlework and time at the pianoforte demanded by her governess In this era the women have big sleeves thin waist and sloping shoulders. ... Trim or trimming in clothing and home decorating is applied ornament such as gimp, passementerie, ribbon, ruffles, or, as a verb, to apply such ornament. ... The pan flute (also known as panpipes) is an ancient musical instrument based on the principle of the stopped pipe, consisting usually of ten or more pipes of gradually increasing length (and, at times, girth). ... Mariano Fortuny y De Madrazo,(May 11, 1871 - May 3rd, 1949), Spanish fashion designer, opened his couture house in 1906 and continued until 1946. ... Smocking is a centuries-old embroidery technique where decorative, colored stitching is embroidered in patterns, pictures, or other designs over pleats in fabric. ... Paul Revere in a shirt gathered at shoulder and cuffs, 1776. ... Organ in Katharinenkirche, Frankfurt am Main, Germany // The pipe organ (Greek ὄργανον, órganon) is a musical instrument that produces sound by admitting pressurized air through a series of pipes. ... Torn linen cloth, recovered from the Dead Sea Linen is a material made from the fibers of the flax plant. ... Fashionable young men in early 16th century Germany showed a lot of fine linen in a studied negligence. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 10th century was that century which lasted from 901 to 1000. ... The term Viking commonly denotes the ship-borne explorers, traders, and warriors of the Norsemen (literally, men from the north) who originated in Scandinavia and raided the coasts of the British Isles, France and other parts of Europe as far east as the Volga River in Russia from the late... Location in Sweden During the Viking Age, Birka or Birca  , on the island of Björkö (also Bierkø, literally: Birch Island) in Sweden, was an important trading center which handled goods from Scandinavia as well as Central and Eastern Europe and the Orient. ... In this English family portrait, the ladies wear pastel-colored gowns with closed skirts and lace caps. ... Fashion in the 1890s finally got rid of the bustle which had haunted womens fashion for 25 years. ... A tea gown or tea-gown is a womans at-home dress of the late 19th to mid-20th centuries characterized by unstructured lines, light fabrics, and frothy or feminine detail. ... Jean-Antoine Watteau (October 10, 1684 - July 18, 1721) was a French Rococo painter. ...

Modern usage

Spring dress of chiffon with pleated skirt detail, 1936. Pleats to allow movement in narrow skirts have been a recurring theme in fashion since the later 19th century.

Clothing features pleats for practical reasons (to provide freedom of movement to the wearer) as well as for purely stylistic reasons. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 237 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (664 × 1680 pixel, file size: 121 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Misses spring dress of plaid chiffon, Marshall Fields Fashions of the Hour catalog, Spring Number, 1936 This work is copyrighted and unlicensed. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 237 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (664 × 1680 pixel, file size: 121 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Misses spring dress of plaid chiffon, Marshall Fields Fashions of the Hour catalog, Spring Number, 1936 This work is copyrighted and unlicensed. ...

Shirts, blouses, jackets

Shirts and blouses typically have pleats on the back to provide freedom of movement and on the arm where the sleeve tapers to meet the cuff. The standard men's shirt has a box pleat in the center of the back just below the shoulder or alternately one simple pleat on each side of the back. In American English, a dress shirt is a mens shirt with a collar, a full-length opening down the front from the collar to the hem, and full length sleeves with cuffs. ... A blouse A blouse most commonly refers to a womans shirt, although the term is also used for some mens military uniform shirts. ...

Jackets designed for active outdoor wear frequently have pleats (usually inverted box pleats) to allow for freedom of movement. Norfolk jackets have double-ended inverted box pleats at the chest and back. Look up jacket in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A Norfolk jacket is a loose, belted, single-breasted jacket with box pleats on the front and back, now with a belt or half-belt. ...

Skirts and kilts

Skirts and kilts can include pleats of various sorts to add fullness from the waist or hips, or at the hem, to allow freedom of movement or achieve design effects. Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres depicts the Comtesse dHaussonville, wearing a dress. ... Formal Highland regalia, kilt and Prince Charlie jacket for Black tie. ...

• One or more kick pleats may be set near the hem of a straight skirt to allow the wearer to walk comfortably while preserving the narrow style line.
• Modern kilts may be made with either box pleats or knife pleats, and can be pleated to the stripe or pleated to the sett (see main article Kilts: Pleating and stitching).

Formal Highland regalia, kilt and Prince Charlie jacket for Black tie. ...

Trousers

This article has been nominated to be checked for its neutrality. Discussion of this nomination can be found on the talk page.

Pleats just below the waistband on the front of the garment are typical of many styles of formal and casual trousers including suit trousers and khakis. There may be one, two, three, or no pleats, which may face either direction. When the pleats open towards the pockets they are called reverse pleats (typical of khakis and corduroy trousers) and when they open toward the zipper, they are known as forward pleats. Casual styles such as jeans and cargo pants usually have a flat-front (without pleats at the waistband), however they might have a distressed and faded "natural pleat" mark where they would naturally fold. After the 90s, modern couture gave pleats a "dated" profile while at the same time explained that pleated pants make the wearer appear much heavier, hence many stores which cater for young people and fashionistas avoid pleats at all costs. Bargain or affordable stores which cater to older or crowds stuck in other decades encourage them. If in doubt, use the golden rule of clothing: "Pleats are only fashionable in drapes and curtains." Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Pants. ... Suits from the 1937 Chicago Woolen Mills catalog At the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 heads of state wore morning dress or lounge suits for more informal meetings but frock coats for formal daytime meetings A suit, with varieties such as a business suit, three-piece suit... Blue Jeans Jeans are trousers traditionally made from denim, but may also be made from a variety of fabrics including corduroy. ... Cargo pants are much like regular khaki pants, but are baggier and have several additional cargo pockets. ...

Pockets

A bellows pocket is patch pocket with an inset box pleat to allow the pocket to expand when filled. Bellows pockets are typical of cargo pants, safari jackets, and other utilitarian garments. "If God wanted pockets on the sides of our legs, or any other part of our bodies, He wouldn't have made Kangaroos and Koalas to prove His point". An example of a pocket as seen from the inside with some of its contents. ... A safari jacket is a garment originally designed for the purpose of going on safari; the word safari entered English from Swahili in 1890. ...

Gallery

1 - Accordian pleats [Fan with maple leaves] SUMMARY: Ukiyo-e print book wrapper (fukuro). ...	2 - Box pleats Image File history File links Size of this preview: 269 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (742 × 1652 pixel, file size: 595 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Grands Magasin Du La Samaritaine (department-store catalogue) Saison DEte 1886 (Summer season, 1886) Detail of matinee or afternoon costume, page 21 (:Image:GrandsMagasinDuLaSamaritaineSaionDEte1886page21. ...	3 - Fortuny pleats Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (363x605, 55 KB) Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Fashion design Mariano Fortuny (designer) Delphos gown ...	4 - Inverted box pleat (right) Image File history File links Norfolk_Jackets. ...
5 - Knife pleats Image File history File linksMetadata Highland_Dance_002. ...	6 - Organ pleats Image File history File links Size of this preview: 456 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2024 × 2659 pixel, file size: 296 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Pleat Male portraits by Antonello da...	7 - Watteau pleats Image File history File links Size of this preview: 528 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1576 × 1790 pixel, file size: 245 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): 1890s in fashion Victor Borisov-Musatov...	8 - Pleated trousers Image File history File links English Slacks (left) and English Drape trousers (right). ...

1. Painting of accordian pleated folding fan, Japan, 19th century
2. Afternoon costume with box pleated skirt and unpressed box pleated bodice panel, France, 1886
3. Fortuny pleated tea gown, 1917
4. Golfing jackets with inverted box pleats in the back for movement, 1920s
5. Knife-pleated kilt with pleats sewn down to the hip line, 2005
6. Organ pleated gown, Florentine, 1470
7. Tea gowns with Watteau-pleated backs, Russia, 1899
8. Pleated trousers, Chicago Woolen Mills, 1937

[Fan with maple leaves] SUMMARY: Ukiyo-e print book wrapper (fukuro). ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 269 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (742 × 1652 pixel, file size: 595 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Grands Magasin Du La Samaritaine (department-store catalogue) Saison DEte 1886 (Summer season, 1886) Detail of matinee or afternoon costume, page 21 (:Image:GrandsMagasinDuLaSamaritaineSaionDEte1886page21. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (363x605, 55 KB) Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Fashion design Mariano Fortuny (designer) Delphos gown ... A tea gown or tea-gown is a womans at-home dress of the late 19th to mid-20th centuries characterized by unstructured lines, light fabrics, and frothy or feminine detail. ... Image File history File links Norfolk_Jackets. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Highland_Dance_002. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 456 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2024 × 2659 pixel, file size: 296 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Pleat Male portraits by Antonello da... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 528 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1576 × 1790 pixel, file size: 245 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): 1890s in fashion Victor Borisov-Musatov... Image File history File links English Slacks (left) and English Drape trousers (right). ...

Notes

1. ^ Picken, Mary Brooks, The Fashion Dictionary, Funk and Wagnalls, 1957, p. 256-257
2. ^ Picken, Mary Brooks, The Fashion Dictionary, p. 257
3. ^ Tozer, Jane and Sarah Levitt, Fabric of Society: A Century of People and their Clothes 1770-1870, Laura Ashley Press,
4. ^ Arnold, Janet: Patterns of Fashion: the cut and construction of clothes for men and women 1560-1620, Macmillan 1985
5. ^ Arnold, Janet: Patterns of Fashion 1 (cut and construction of women's clothing, 1660-1860), Wace 1964, Macmillan 1972.
6. ^ Caulfield and Saward, The Dictionary of Needlework, p. 212
7. ^ Picken, Mary Brooks, The Fashion Dictionary, p. 257
8. ^ Köhler, Carl: A History of Costume, Dover Publications reprint, 1963
9. ^ Owen-Crocker, Gale R., Dress in Anglo-Saxon Englandrevised edition, Boydell Press, 2004, ISBN 1-8438-3081-7, p. 42, 218
10. ^ Picken, Mary Brooks, The Fashion Dictionary, p. 257, 370

External links

• Several types of pleats used in historical costuming
• The Fortuny Gown

References

• Arnold, Janet: Patterns of Fashion: the cut and construction of clothes for men and women 1560-1620, Macmillan 1985. Revised edition 1986. ISBN 0-8967-6083-9
• Arnold, Janet: Patterns of Fashion 1 (cut and construction of women's clothing, 1660-1860), Wace 1964, Macmillan 1972. Revised metric edition, Drama Books 1977. ISBN 0-89676-026-X.
• Kohler, Carl: A History of Costume, Dover Publications reprint, 1963, ISBN 0-4862-1030-8
• Owen-Crocker, Gale R., Dress in Anglo-Saxon Englandrevised edition, Boydell Press, 2004, ISBN 1-8438-3081-7
• Picken, Mary Brooks, The Fashion Dictionary, Funk and Wagnalls, 1957. (1973 edition ISBN 0308100522)
• Tozer, Jane and Sarah Levitt, Fabric of Society: A Century of People and their Clothes 1770-1870, Laura Ashley Press, ISBN 0950891304