Curtain Heading Styles Explained: Pleat, Eyelet & Wave

The heading — how the top of a curtain gathers onto its pole or track — has a bigger effect on the finished look than most people expect. The same fabric can look completely different depending on which heading it’s made up in.

Pencil pleat

The classic, versatile choice: a tape at the top of the curtain gathers into tight, even vertical folds resembling a row of pencils. It works with both poles and tracks, suits pretty much any room or fabric, and is one of the more economical headings to make since it doesn’t require buckram or hand-finishing. A dependable default if you’re not sure which heading suits your room.

Eyelet

Metal rings set directly into the top of the curtain that the pole passes through, creating soft, rounded folds and a relaxed, contemporary look. Eyelet curtains sit close to the pole itself, so the pole becomes part of the visible design — a good pairing with a decorative pole you actually want on show. They’re easy to draw by hand and glide smoothly, though they only work with a pole, not a track.

Pinch pleat (and goblet pleat)

A tailored, structured heading where the fabric is stitched into clusters of two or three pleats (pinch pleat) or a rounder, goblet-shaped pleat, spaced evenly across the top and hung from hooks. This is the most formal, hand-finished look of the four, using buckram to hold the pleat shape crisply, and suits period properties, dining rooms, and anywhere you want a more traditional, tailored curtain.

Wave heading

A modern heading that creates smooth, consistent S-shaped waves along the top of the curtain, using a specific track and glider system designed for the effect. Wave headings give the cleanest, most contemporary look of the four, with the curtain sitting almost flat when open and rippling evenly when closed. They require a compatible wave track rather than a standard pole or track, which is worth knowing before you fall in love with the look.

Quick comparison

• Most versatile and economical: pencil pleat.
• Best with a decorative pole on show: eyelet.
• Most traditional and tailored: pinch pleat or goblet pleat.
• Cleanest, most contemporary look: wave heading (needs a compatible track).

We’ll always talk through which heading suits your chosen pole or track, your fabric, and the look you’re after at your consultation — it’s much easier to see the difference in folded fabric samples than to picture it from a description. Not sure whether you want a pole or a track in the first place? See our guide to poles vs tracks.