Not all pleats are made the same way, and in haute couture the difference is everything. Some folds, such as knife and box pleats, are stitched into a garment as it is sewn; others, including accordion, sunburst and Watteau pleats, are set by hand in a Kraft board mould and fixed with heat rather than thread. Understanding which construction method lies behind a pleat is the key to identifying it, and to appreciating why houses such as the Parisian pleating specialist Atelier Lognon remain indispensable to couture ateliers.
Categorizing Pleating Techniques by Construction Method
The clearest way to organize couture pleating is by how the fold is physically created and held in place. Floriane Schmitt, writing on fabric manipulation, distinguishes between pleats made with a sewing machine, pleats produced by industrial pleating machines, cardboard pleating done entirely by hand, and handmade pleats executed by expert pleaters. FashionUnited journalist Céline Vautard, reporting on Atelier Lognon, adds the crucial detail that the atelier's techniques rely on unique Kraft board moulds, with production processes unchanged since the start of the twentieth century.
Four broad categories emerge from these accounts: pleats stitched into a garment, pleats set in moulds, pleats built from applied elements such as ribbon, and pleats draped directly on the body. The table below places the named pleat styles within that framework.
Comparing Haute Couture Pleating Techniques
| Technique Category | Construction Method | Named Pleat Examples | Primary Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stitched pleats | Fabric is folded and secured with machine stitching, typically at the top, then pressed along the length | Knife, box, inverted box, side, topstitched pleats | Garment construction during sewing; structured, regular folds |
| Mould-set pleats | Fabric is hand-folded and pressed between Kraft board moulds, then heat-set | Accordion, sunburst, Watteau, Fortuny-inspired pleats | Haute couture and small-scale production; flowing, uniform or radial effects |
| Applied pleats | Rows of ribbon are sewn onto a base fabric to form pleated surfaces | Ribboned pleats | Textile embellishment and bouncy silhouettes, as at Dior haute couture |
| Draped pleats | Folds are pinned directly on a mannequin and then stitched in place | The pleated drapery associated with Madame Grès | Sculptural, organic folds formed on the body or form |
The categories are illustrative rather than exhaustive, and some pleat names appear under more than one method: Schmitt lists accordion and sunburst pleats among machine-stitched patterns, while the mould-based evidence from Lognon shows these same effects being achieved through heat-setting. The distinction matters because the finished appearance, and the durability of the fold, depend on which route the maker takes.
Stitched Pleats: Precision and Structure
Stitched pleats, as Schmitt explains, are all the techniques that use the sewing machine to create the fold. Topstitched pleats are made by stitching the top part of each pleat and pressing the rest of its length; the result is regular, with each pleat similar and mostly parallel. She notes a distinctive behavior in wear: when the garment is still, the pleats lie closed, and they open only as the wearer walks and moves. Because they are formed while sewing the garment, these pleats belong to the construction of the piece itself rather than to a separate finishing process.
Within this family, Schmitt names accordion and knife pleats, box and inverted box pleats, side pleats, and sunburst or sun-ray pleats among the standard patterns. Box pleats create a fuller fold with two creases facing away from each other, while knife pleats fold in a single direction; the sunburst variant arranges the folds to radiate outward. The common thread is that stitching, not heat, holds the structure, giving these pleats their fixed, tailored character.
Mould-Set Pleats: The Heritage Craft of Atelier Lognon
The second route abandons stitching in favor of pressure and heat. Vautard's report on Atelier Lognon describes a house whose pleats, from flat and coated examples to rounded, flexible and draping versions, are always created with a unique Kraft board mould or pattern. The atelier holds roughly 3,000 moulds in stock, the oldest of which date back to 1900, and the production processes, she writes, have not changed since the start of the twentieth century.
The range of effects this single method produces is remarkable. Vautard's inventory includes accordion pleats, Watteau pleats described as a succession of box pleats flared at the bottom, sunburst pleats set at very close intervals that expand outward, Fortuny pleats inspired by Greek woollen tunics, and cutaway, flower, peacock, pyramid, ribbon and origami pleats. Schmitt confirms that cardboard pleating is completely handmade and reserved for haute couture garments or small-scale production, and that machine pleating, by contrast, can only produce quite regular patterns such as accordion, side and sunburst pleats.
One designer illustrates how mould-set pleating can define an entire aesthetic: Schmitt points to Issey Miyake, whose garments are sewn together three times larger than their final size and then pleated down to the finished dimensions. The pleat, in other words, is not an embellishment applied afterward but the very form of the garment.
Other Specialized Pleating Approaches
Beyond stitching and moulding, couture has developed further routes to the pleated surface. The Cutting Class, examining the Spring-Summer 2015 Christian Dior haute couture collection, describes rows of ribbon sewn to a base fabric to form pleated skirts and create bouncy silhouettes, a construction that builds the pleat from applied elements rather than from folds in the ground fabric itself.
Draping offers a fourth method. Schmitt cites Madame Grès, who pinned her pleats directly on a mannequin and then stitched them together, forming the folds on the body rather than in a mould or a machine. Fortuny's own pleats, made by hand by the Venetian silk, dye and pleat master Mariano Fortuny, belong to this artisanal lineage as well; the precise secrets of his process remain unknown, and no account should pretend otherwise. What the evidence does establish is that handmade pleating of this kind, in Schmitt's words, is made by expert pleaters only and is quite technical to achieve consistently across several garments in production.
Recognizing the Craft: A Guide to Appreciating Couture Pleats
When encountering haute couture garments, observe the pleats to identify their construction method and appreciate the specialized artistry involved. A pleat held by visible stitching at its head, opening only in movement, points to the stitched family; a soft, uniform accordion fold running the full length of the fabric suggests heat-setting in a mould; a pleated surface built from applied ribbon or draped and stitched on the form reveals yet another hand at work. The measurable indicator is the visual appearance and structural integrity of the pleats in the garment, which reveals whether they are stitched, mould-set or draped, and with it, something of the rare heritage craft, preserved by specialists like Atelier Lognon, that made them possible.
