The Accessory Store

 Pleats - Shade Identity 

1)Knife pleat 

 This pleat is fine, flat and crisp with no visible gaps in-between; the pleats can have a slope, however, most often they are perpendicular to the frame.  Knife Pleat creates a very structured look; it is used on french ovals, empires or drums. Perfect for a traditional look with a twist.

Knife pleat can be extraordinary flattering, as it elongates the silhouette of a female due to closely arranged rigid vertical lines.

2)Shirred Pleat

One of the world's oldest pleat variations, it dates back to Louis XV.  This pleat will flawlessly complement antique French and Italian porcelain figural lamps.

The Shirred Pleat creates a voluminous three dimensional look which is less structured and more arbitrary. Not concealed  Shirred Pleat allows for beautiful fluidity  - a very organic and harmonious flow of fabric.

3 .V-Drape

V- drape  is highly associated with 1940' vintage look, however,  it can bring a very unique touch when combined with a modern lamp.  The V-Drape is a crisply folded pleat forming a V over each vertical wire; a combination of V's on top and bottom parts of the lamp  shade creates a distinct diamond pattern. The base of a V-Draped shade is a box pleated one, the pleats are then interconnected carefully to create a desired pattern.

 

 Fashion industry truly takes the V-drape to another level. V-drapes  beautifully emphasize the waist in the example below. 

4. Box Pleat

Closed Box Pleat –  A classic pleat that achieves elegant, traditional look; it is the most preferred "hand-made box". Closed pleat is defined by lack of spaces between pleats.

Open Box Pleat - this pleat is best complimented by textured fabric such as linen and duping silks. The open box pleat shade will have distinct spaces between the folds.The width of the pleat is determined by the circumference and style of the shade.

 Box pleat is perfect for creating an A-line silhouette due to tight gathering of the pleats on the top and diffusion of pleats on the bottom. 

 Information gathered from: http://www.illumenyc.com/lampshades/  - our Sister store Illumé.

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Thank you for reading.