Curtain Headings - The Complete Guide

CURTAIN HEADINGS

The heading is the top of the curtain. Each different heading has something different to offer. Some are more contemporary and others more traditional. Some fabrics will be more suitable to one heading style than another. The fabric below the heading falls differently with each heading style.
Below you will find a list of the options.

S-fold (Wave fold)

This is one of the most popular headings, as it is simple and contemporary. Some rods or tracks come with their own s-fold tape that you must use with that particular rod or track. They come in either a stud tape or hook format. This type of s-fold can be quite structured looking. That is why we use a French s-fold tape, along with other reasons. The tape is clear which is a less visible colour than the white. It is a soft tape, so it gives curtains a softer, more relaxed look. We can use almost any fullness unlike the stud tape, as the tape can be let out or gathered in as we please. Most importantly we can use it on all decorative rods.

Flat panel / 1 tape not gathered  

This heading has one row of clear or white tape with gather hooks at intervals, but we don’t gather in the curtain. It can simulate the look of the s-fold depending on the fullness you use. You just need to be mindful that it requires more work than the s-fold to get the curtain to sit evenly. It can also be used so that the curtain sits completely flat. This heading is a good choice if you want less than double fullness (ie. 1.5 x or 1.75 x fullness) and it is a less expensive option than the s-fold. Clear tape will give a more structured look, whereas if you use the white tape with larger spaces between the hooks, you will get a more relaxed, floppy feel.

Scandi

This is as the name suggests a simple, pared back heading. It has no stiffening tape or 1 tape, only pin in hooks at intervals to create an s-fold look. You just need to be mindful that it requires more work than the s-fold to get the curtain to sit evenly.

Hand sewn hooks

This is a soft, organic heading where the hooks are sewn directly into the fabric. As no tape is used the curtain has a more relaxed look than the s-fold. The wider the hooks are spaced apart, the more the curtain heading droops. This particular heading is delicate and better used on curtains that aren’t going to be opened and closed often.

Cylinder (cartridge) pleat   

This is like a goblet pleat, but not stitched at the bottom of the pleat. The cylinder runs into the curtain seamlessly, so if offers a simple yet tailored look. You can vary the diameter of the cylinder. We love a large cylinder for a more contemporary look.

Goblet pleat   

These are similar to the French pleat where they are pinched at the bottom of the pleat, but there is dacron inside the pleat to form the goblet shape. This heading is a little more formal than the French pleat. It usually has stiffening tape behind the fabric, but you can get a lovely, soft pleat with no stiffening tape.

Top pinch pleat  

This is a variation on the French pleat, but it is pinched at the top of the pleat instead of the bottom of the pleat. It can be either a double or triple pinch pleat. It gives a more contemporary look than the French pleat, but still very tailored. We love the soft top pinch pleat which has no stiffening tape, for a less structured feel.

French pleat (traditional pinch pleat)

This is a traditional, classic, formal heading. It is either a double or a triple pinch pleat, where the curtain is pinched at the bottom of the pleat. It usually has stiffening tape behind the fabric, but you can get an interesting more relaxed look if you don’t have stiffening tape, which is called a soft french pleat

Gathered

This is a casual, relaxed heading style. It can be made using either 1, 2, 3 or more rows of white gather tape. The rows of tape can be sewn on as individual rows of tape, or there are tapes that have the number of rows already part of the tape. The curtain heading sits straighter with the latter tapes.

Pencil pleat   

This is similar to the gathered heading but a little more structured. There are different height tapes available. It needs a minimum of 2.5 x fullness to sit well.

Inverted box pleat  

It is a more contemporary pleat than the French pleat as the pleats are at the back of the curtain creating a flatter look. But as the fabric forming the pleat is sitting at the back of the curtain, it creates stack back issues. To ensure you don’t cover up all the window with curtains, we suggest the curtain be taken off the window a lot more than you would with other curtain headings. This heading can sag in areas when used on sheer curtains.

Eyelet

A metal eyelet is punctured into the top of the curtain. There are different diameters of eyelets available, and they will need to be large enough for the rod to fit through. You will need an even amount of eyelets on each curtain. An eyelet can not pass through a rod bracket, so a centre opening curtain can only have 3 brackets, and a one way curtain only 2 brackets. This can be an issue for large one way draw curtains, depending on the weight of the curtain.

Rod pocket  

This is an old style of curtain heading where the curtain is fixed onto the rod, so you can not open or close the curtains. It is a cute heading for the back of glass door panels (ie. On an armoire) for a traditional, European feel.

A FINAL NOTE

There are a lot of curtain heading options and we find making an appointment to visit to our studio and seeing the many full sized curtains we have on display greatly helps our clients to decide what style they like. We also talk through the positives and negatives of each heading style based on your practical and aesthetic requirements.
Click here to read our complete guide on shopping for custom made curtains.