Curtains do more than block light. The heading style, the part that gathers the fabric at the top, sets the whole tone of a room. Some pleats look tailored and formal. Others look soft and casual. Picking the wrong one can throw off a room that’s otherwise well put together, while picking the right one pulls a window treatment together without much extra effort.

Two of the most common heading styles are pinch pleat and pencil pleat. Both use hooks to hang from a rod or track, and both come in a wide range of fabrics. But they behave differently on the window, and they suit different kinds of spaces.

Here’s a closer look at each style, and what it takes to order custom curtains once you’ve made your choice.

What Is a Pinch Pleat Curtain?

A pinch pleat curtain has fabric gathered into small, evenly spaced clusters, usually stitched near the top of the panel. Each pleat is "pinched" together and then left to fan out slightly below the stitching. The result is a structured, tailored look with clean vertical folds running down the length of the curtain.

This style tends to suit living rooms, dining rooms, and other spaces where you want curtains that read as a finished design element rather than a soft accent. Because the pleats hold their shape, pinch pleat curtains also work well with heavier fabrics.

LindaKale makes pinch pleat curtains with hooks, built to order from your own measurements. You can choose from heavy-duty velvet or a floral pattern fabric, with dozens of color and print options within each.

What Is a Pencil Pleat Curtain?

Pencil pleat curtains get their name from the tight, narrow folds across the top of the panel, which line up like a row of pencils standing on end. Instead of a few defined clusters, the whole heading is gathered evenly, which gives the curtain a fuller, softer look when it's closed.

This style reads a bit more relaxed than pinch pleat. It suits bedrooms, casual living spaces, and rooms where you want fabric with more volume and movement. Because the gathering runs the full width of the panel, pencil pleat curtains often use a bit more fabric to get the same finished width.

LindaKale also offers pencil pleat curtains made to order with hooks, using the same fabric range as the pinch pleat option: heavy-duty velvet and floral pattern.

Key Differences at a Glance

Here are some key differences between pinch pleat and pencil pleat curtain styles:

• Look: Pinch pleat has defined, spaced-out folds. Pencil pleat has tight, even gathering across the whole width.

• Formality: Pinch pleat tends to look more structured and formal. Pencil pleat tends to look softer and more casual.

• Fabric weight: Pinch pleat holds its shape well with heavier fabrics. Pencil pleat works with a wider range of weights, since the gathers do more of the visual work.

• Fullness: Pencil pleat headings often need more fabric width to achieve a gathered look, since the pleats aren't grouped and spaced the way pinch pleats are.

• Hardware: Both styles from LindaKale come with hooks, so they hang from a standard curtain rod or track.

Which Style Suits Your Windows?

There's no single right answer here. It comes down to the room, the window, and the look you're after.

If your window is a focal point, say, a large bay window in a living or dining room, pinch pleat curtains can add structure and make the space feel designed. Their clean lines also suit rooms with a more formal or classic style.

If you want something that feels warmer and less rigid, pencil pleat is worth a look. It's a common choice for bedrooms and casual spaces, where a softer, fuller fold suits the mood better than sharp pleats.

Fabric choice matters too. A heavy velvet in pinch pleat gives a rich, tailored finish. A lighter floral fabric in pencil pleat can bring in movement and pattern without feeling stiff. Since both headings are available in the same two fabric lines on LindaKale, you can compare swatches side by side before deciding.

How Custom Curtains Are Measured and Ordered

Getting the size right matters more than the pleat style itself. LindaKale builds curtains from measurements the customer provides, so here's what goes into that process, based on the site's own ordering guide:

• Measure the width: This is the total length of your curtain rod or rail. The curtains are made in two panels with matching measurements, sized to give the finished curtain a good, full look once hung.

• Measure the height: Measure from the rod or rail down to wherever you want the curtain to end. If you want the curtain to reach the floor, measure to the floor. If you just want it to cover the window, measure to the bottom of the window frame.

• Choose a fabric: Pick from the heavy-dut velvet or floral pattern options for either the pinch pleat or pencil pleat style.

• Enter the measurements: Select inches or centimeters, then type in the width and height. For fractional inches, they should be written as decimals, so 12 1/4 inches becomes 12.25.

• Click calculate, then add to cart: The price appears once the measurements are entered, and the order can be placed directly from there.

Customers who want to check color and texture in person before committing can order fabric samples first.

Once an order is placed, curtains are delivered in 3 to 4 weeks. For packages shipped to the United States and the European Union, customs duties are already included in the order total, so there are no extra fees to pay when the package arrives.

Read Also: Slipcovers vs. Reupholstering: Which Is Better for Your Sofa?

Summary 

Pinch pleat and pencil pleat curtains both use a hook heading, but they create very different looks. Pinch pleat gives you defined, spaced folds and a tailored feel that suits heavier fabric and more formal rooms. Pencil pleat gives you tighter, fuller gathering and a softer feel that suits bedrooms and casual spaces.

Either style can be made to your exact measurements in heavy-duty velvet or a floral pattern fabric, and getting the width or height right up front makes the difference in how the finished curtain hangs.

If you're ready to measure your windows or just want to see fabric swatches first, LindaKale can help. Reach out at info@lindakale.com and expect a reply within 24 hours on working days, or within 48 hours on weekends.