You worry they'll look old-fashioned
Not because of the heading alone: the cloth counts for more. Pleats in plain linen or a soft weave look relaxed; in a heavy, shiny fabric they look formal. Unsure? Choose the softer cloth.
Pinch pleat curtains sewn as triple pleats
Pinch pleat curtains
Pleated to one track's width
Made to measure in our workshop
Price on visit
If your living-room curtains stay closed most evenings, pinch pleat curtains keep the folds in firm, even columns. Ours are triple pleats, three folds stitched together and spaced to fit one track or pole. For a plainer line, a wave heading suits better. We take the width and drop your curtains are sewn to at a free home visit.
Last updated
What separates a well-sewn pinch pleat from a poor one?
Three things at the top of a finished curtain show how well it was sewn. Check the gaps between pleats, how firm they feel and where the hooks sit.
The spacing
Equal gaps between pleats
Every flat space between two pleats should be the same width; a narrow one pulls the folds below it out of line.
The firmness
A stiff band inside
Pinch a pleat at the top: it should feel firm. A stiff band sewn inside keeps the folds upright.
The hook
Where the hook sits
Where the track shows above a closed curtain, the hooks sit high in the pleats; set lower, they lift the heading to hide it.
Looks, renting, tall glass or early sun: what changes with pinch pleats?
The landlord says no new holes
If a track is already fitted, its runners usually take hooks, so pinch pleats hang without new holes and unhook when you leave. On a longer track in your next home, the pair won't meet. Stitched pleats can't simply be let out, but we can re-pleat them for a new width when there's enough fabric.
Your windows reach a double-height ceiling
Shop-bought pairs come in set lengths; on glass this tall, we cut the drop to your measurement. A lined curtain this long is heavy to pull, so a motor on the track can draw it. Our fitters bring scaffolding for the job, charged separately.
The nursery is bright by 5:30 am in June
Sunrise tables put Dubai's June sunrise around 5:30 am. A blackout lining stops it shining through the cloth; a ceiling track wider than the window narrows the edge gaps. Stitches through the lining can leave tiny holes, so ask how the heading is sewn. Draw the curtain with a rod hung from its edge, not a looped cord.
In a plain linen
Pinch pleat or wave: which heading suits your room?
Pinch pleat and wave headings both run on a track, and both can take a motor. Pencil pleats are gathered with cords; eyelets slide along a pole. Choose by the top line you want and the track or pole already up.
Eyelet
Pinch pleat
Wave
Three curtain headings
| If you want | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Crisp, upright folds | Pinch pleat | A stiffened band behind each pleat |
| A plain, modern line | Wave | Even curves, nothing gathered at the top |
| A soft, casual gather | Pencil pleat | Many small folds, less formal |
| A curtain a motor draws | Pinch pleat or wave | Both run on a motor track |
| To use a pole already up | Eyelet, or pinch pleat on rings | Eyelets slide on it; pleats hook into rings |
Lined or not, and on a track or a pole?
We sew triple pinch pleats and hang them on metal hooks, from a track or a pole with rings. That leaves two choices: the lining, and what the hooks hang from.
Lining
Unlined, in a sheer
Unlined
For sheers and light fabrics.
Lined
Firmer pleats, and direct sun kept off the fabric you see.
Blackout-lined
For bedrooms slept in after sunrise.
Track or pole
Hooked into a pole's rings
Ceiling track
Hangs from the ceiling, leaving little gap above for light.
Wall track
Mounted on the wall over the window.
Pole with rings
A pole on show, the hooks in its rings; usually drawn by hand.
What has to be decided before the pleats are sewn?
Pleat spacing follows the track or pole; cut length follows the drop. Both rely on sound fixings and, for a rented home, the landlord's approval.
- Track or pole: on the ceiling or the wall, and how long. The gap between pleats is worked out from that length. If a pole is already up, compare eyelets on a pole.
- The drop: from where the hooks sit to the floor, measured at several points because floors are often uneven. The hem usually stops just clear of the floor. If a curtain we measured doesn't fit, we alter or remake it at no charge.
- The fixing: lined pleats down to the floor are heavy. In a gypsum ceiling, we drill the board, fit gypsum plugs and fix the brackets, then the track. Planning a motor? Read what a curtain motor needs first.
- Permission, if you rent: under Article 19 of Dubai Law No. 26 of 2007, altering a rented property takes the landlord's approval. Article 21 says you return it in the state it was let to you (Khaleej Times sets out both).
Your tenancy contract may already allow drilling, with the holes filled when you leave. This is information, not legal advice.
For fitting day, we arrange what the building asks of us as the contractor. Any NOC that has to come from you, as owner or tenant, is yours to obtain and pass on to us.
For a dark bedroom, see blackout linings and tracks; for daylight, a sheer hung behind the pleats. Linen pleats well but creases. On wide new glass, weigh the pleats against the rolling curves of a wave heading.
If you'd rather keep curtains you already own, we can shorten them or add a lining. Our guide to curtain designs compares every heading; see also the other curtains we make.
Stack on the glass
Stack past the frame
Where the open pleats stack
How do you get a rough figure for pinch pleat curtains?
Enter the window's width and height. The calculator multiplies width × height by 2 for our triple pleats' fullness, then by our starting rate per m² of fabric, which covers making and fitting. The final price follows the measurements taken at your free home visit and the fabric you choose.
Side to side, across the window
Top to bottom, where it will hang
Pinch pleat curtains
- From
- 50per m² of fabric
- Fullness
- 2× the window's width
- Includes
- Fabric, making and fitting
- Window
- 200 × 300 cm
- Fabric
- 6.00 m² × 2 = 12.00 m²
Estimate
Enter a width and a height to see an estimate.
600
Charged at the 6 m² minimum.
Width × height × fullness gives the fabric; it is charged on 6 m² at least.
The final price depends on the fabric or material you choose and the measurements we take at the free home visit.
Before you compare quotes, see what a full quote lists, part by part.
How do pinch pleat curtains look at each window size?
A small window
One pair on a pole with rings.
A bedroom window
A blackout-lined pair on a ceiling track.
Wide living-room glass
A pair on a track run past the frame.
Message, visit, workshop, fitting: what happens at each step?
The Curtains Dubai measures your windows at a free home visit, pleats the curtains in its own workshop and fits them.
Fabric samples on a sill
Tell us about the windows
Name the rooms, say if there's a track or pole in place, and mention any fabric you like. A photo of each window, ceiling to floor, helps.
The free home visit
At each window we note the width and the height from the hook position down, then talk through fabric, lining and track or pole. We bring fabric samples, so you judge each one in your own light. We cover all of Dubai, and your order is confirmed once the deposit is paid.
Pleated in our workshop
We cut, line and pleat the fabric to your measurements. Fitting day comes 3 working days after your approval; large or complicated jobs take longer. The stitching and making carry a 2-year warranty, though sun fading isn't covered.
Fitting day
The fitter puts up the track or pole, hangs each curtain by its hooks and arranges the folds into even columns. The fabric, the track's position and the drop are all agreed at the free home visit, before anything is cut.
Before you order pinch pleats: five questions
Anything else, ask on the phone: 050 257 7765
How much do pinch pleat curtains cost in Dubai?
The starting rate is 50 per m² of fabric, making and fitting included. Pinch pleats take twice the window's width in fabric, so a 2 × 3 m window needs 12 m² and its estimate starts at 600. Eyelet and wave take 2.5 times, so pinch pleats usually cost less. The fabric you choose sets the final figure.
What is the difference between pinch pleat and pencil pleat curtains?
A pencil pleat heading comes from a tape with cords: pulling the cords bunches the fabric into tight, narrow folds. It looks softer, and the tape can be drawn up to a slightly different width. A pinch pleat's folds are stitched at fixed gaps, so its width is settled when it is sewn.
What other types of curtain pleats are there?
Besides the pinch pleat, pleated curtains come as pencil pleats, gathered on a corded tape, and goblet pleats, cupped at the top. Most pinch pleats are double or triple: two or three folds stitched together. Cartridge pleats are round tubes; box pleats are flat folds turned both ways. A wave heading isn't pleated: spaced carriers make its curves.
Can pinch pleat curtains be motorized?
A motor track takes pinch pleat curtains: their hooks go into its runners. A pole with rings is usually drawn by hand, so if a motor may come later, choose a track. We can motorize pinch pleats you already own: the old track comes down and a motor track replaces it.
Can pinch pleat curtains be washed?
Often not in a machine. Many pinch pleat curtains carry a dry-clean label, because the stiff band in the heading can soften or shrink in water. Take the hooks out before any cleaning. We don't clean curtains. In a dusty room, pick a fabric whose care label allows the cleaning you'll want.
Curtain pages to read next
C05 Eyelet curtains
A simpler heading that slides along a pole.
Made to measure in our workshop
Price on visit
C06 Wave curtains
Rolling curves on a track, for a plainer, modern line.
Made to measure in our workshop
Price on visit
C03 Motorized curtains
A motor to draw tall or wide curtains for you.
Made to measure in our workshop
Price on visit
C01 Blackout curtains
The lining and fit that keep a bedroom dark.
Made to measure in our workshop
Price on visit
C04 Linen curtains
A soft weave that gives the pleats a relaxed look.
Made to measure in our workshop
Price on visit
Request received
We call or message you on the number you gave to agree a day for the visit. Then we visit and measure every window. The visit and the measuring are free.