Curtain heading types: pinch pleat, wave, eyelet and the hardware each needs

The heading is the top of the curtain, where the fabric is formed into folds and attached to a track or pole. It should be decided at technical design stage because it drives three other decisions: the hardware system, the ceiling pocket size and the fabric quantity.

A common site problem across Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, is a gypsum ceiling pocket built for a standard track, followed by a late switch to motorised wave curtains. The pocket is then too narrow for two tracks (typically about 25–30 cm internal width is needed), has no power point for the motor, and the ceiling has to be opened. Settling the heading early avoids that rework. Pocket and track dimensions are covered in curtain tracks, poles and ceiling pockets.

Pinch pleat suits formal, classic or neoclassical schemes such as villas, hotel lobbies and townhouse living rooms. The pleats are sewn onto a stiffening buckram, so the curtain holds its shape and stacks neatly when open.

• Double vs triple pleat: triple pleat gives a fuller, more formal look; double pleat uses less fabric and suits large patterns because fewer folds hide the design.
• Fullness: typically 2–2.5x the track width.
• Hardware: gliders on a track or rings on a pole; compatible with motorised tracks.
• Note: pleat spacing is calculated from the finished width, so the track length must be confirmed before making.

Goblet pleat is a more formal variant with padded, cup-shaped pleats. It usually hangs from a pole and is less suited to curtains drawn daily, as the goblets can crush.

A wave curtain forms continuous, even S-shaped folds from top to hem because the fabric snaps onto carriers spaced evenly along a dedicated track. Unlike pinch pleat, the fold shape is set by carrier spacing, not by stitching.

Wave is widely used in high-rise apartments and modern offices in Vietnam and much of the region, for three reasons: the clean folds suit minimal interiors, the curtain stacks into a uniform block, and wave tracks pair well with motors concealed in ceiling pockets.

• Fullness: typically around 2–2.2x, depending on the carrier spacing of the track system.
• Required hardware: a wave track and matching carriers from the same system; a standard track cannot substitute.
• Fabric: avoid very heavy, stiff or hard-coated fabrics, which crease into angles rather than rolling into waves.
• Motors: most wave systems have a motorised version; plan clearance and power in the pocket, see planning motorised curtains before the ceiling closes.

Eyelet curtains work only on a round pole. They are not used with recessed tracks and cannot run on standard motorised tracks, because the pole passes directly through metal rings punched into the fabric.

• Strengths: deep, even folds and a contemporary look; easy to take down for cleaning; suits townhouses, homestays and secondary bedrooms.
• Fullness: typically 1.5–2x.
• Limits: light leaks above the pole and at the sides, so not suitable where high blackout is required, such as hotel guest rooms.
• Specify: eyelet finish (brushed steel, brass, powder-coated black), eyelet diameter matched to the pole, and an even number of eyelets per panel so both edges turn back towards the wall.

These headings appear less in contemporary projects but each still has a clear use.

Pencil pleat (gathered tape)

The fabric is gathered on a corded tape, so fullness can be adjusted on site. Typical fullness is 2–2.5x. It suits small windows, back-of-house rooms or a sheer layer behind the main curtain. Folds are less regular than sewn pinch pleats.

Tab top

Fabric loops slide over a pole. The look is relaxed and suits rustic or resort schemes. Light gaps between tabs are obvious, so it is not used for blackout, and it is heavy to draw because fabric rubs on the pole.

Pelmets

A flat or shaped pelmet conceals the track and heading. It is useful where there is no ceiling pocket but the track must be hidden, or in classic interiors. A pelmet needs its own support frame and adds projection above the window.

The table summarises what the design team needs to fix for each heading. Fullness figures are typical reference values; the final figure depends on the fabric and the hardware system.

For take-off, fullness multiplies the track width, not the window width. The full method is in how to calculate curtain fabric quantity.

Decide in this order: performance requirement, site conditions, then aesthetics.

1. Light control: hotel bedrooms and media rooms need wave or pinch pleat with blackout lining in a ceiling pocket. Rule out eyelet and tab top.
2. Pocket or no pocket: with a gypsum pocket, favour track-based headings. Without one, a wall-fixed pole with eyelet curtains is a sound choice.
3. Motorisation: if required, shortlist only wave or pinch pleat on a motorised track.
4. Fabric: heavy fabrics suit pinch pleat; soft, fluid fabrics suit wave; large patterns suit double pleat or moderate-fullness wave. The Bonario showroom, which serves as SEAMATER's Material & Spec Center, lets designers review real materials and check fabric drape before fixing the heading.
5. Climate and use: in humid tropical markets curtains absorb moisture and get heavier, so avoid pairing very dense fabrics with light-duty tracks. On coastal resorts, specify corrosion-resistant eyelets and fittings.
6. Maintenance: hotels and serviced apartments that launder curtains regularly benefit from quick-release headings such as snap-on wave or eyelet.

Terms such as fullness, stackback and leading edge are defined in the bilingual curtain and fabric glossary.

A complete heading line lets the supplier quote correctly the first time. At minimum, state:

• Heading type and variant (for example triple pinch pleat, wave, eyelet with 40 mm rings).
• Required fullness, or carrier spacing for wave.
• Hardware: recessed track, wall track or pole; wand, cord or motor.
• Draw: single panel one-way (state left or right) or pair centre-opening.
• Lining: unlined, standard lining or blackout lining.
• Window reference from the drawings for cross-checking at survey.

On SEAMATER, project teams create a project, order fabric samples inside it and send quote requests per window reference, including the chosen heading. Registered accounts see lead time and stock per product; verified trade accounts also see price. SEAMATER also surveys and installs curtains, tracks and motors.