Whether it be a school uniform or a favorite pleated skirt that is currently trending, there will be times when parents are faced with the task of making sure that once a pleated skirt is cleaned that the pleats return to their crisp state. Something that can feel like a daunting task, especially if keeping pleats in a skirt has never been attempted before. A task that once may have been passed down from one generation to the next now feels completely foreign to do instead. This is why parents may need to utilize online resources when learning how to properly pleat their daughters' school skirts.
Because parents feel like they do not have time to wash and then pleat school skirts, many take advantage of dry-cleaning services nearby. And while these services do provide impeccable pleating services, they can also be expensive. As such, it makes financial sense to pleat at home, especially when parents realize that pleating is not such a difficult process to master after all.
Here is how to properly pleat your daughter's school skirt.
What A Pleat Is
It is possible that before a skirt was to be worn for school as part of a uniform, pleats were never introduced to the household. This happens partly because they were considered more in fashion in years past. But more likely than not, parents did not want to deal with what they saw as difficult upkeep on pleated skirts and just chose not to buy them. Because of this, some may not know what a pleat is.
According to Silver Bobbin, pleats are a "shaped fold in a fabric." These folds can elevate flat skirts to a new level while providing some volume at the same time. The look can be whimsical or sophisticated, depending on how it is styled.
There is not just one pleat, however, Per the publication, there are many that designers have to choose from. Those pleat types, according to Silver Bobbin include:
- Knife pleats
- Accordion pleats
- Box pleats
- Cartridge pleats
- Cascade pleats
- Crystal pleats
- Fancy pleats
- Fluted pleats
- Graduated pleats
- Honeycomb pleats
- Inverted pleats
- Kick pleats
- Kingussie pleats
- Mushroom pleats
- Plisse pleats
- Rolled pleats
- Sunburst pleats
This is quite a variety of pleats. The most common ones that are found on the rack, per the publication, include:
- Knife pleats
- Box pleats
- Accordion pleats
- Kick pleats
- Inverted pleats
Fortunately, all are easy to set into clothing after washing. All that parents need is a quick tutorial and a bit of confidence and crisping up pleats can be done in a snap.
Steps To Properly Pleat A Skirt
For the crispest of pleats, dry cleaners may be the best bet, according to Flair Cleaners. But, before a deep cleaning of a skirt is needed, pleats can easily be touched up at home.
The way to properly set a pleat at home, per the publication includes:
- Locate large paper clips
- Lay skirt on an ironing board
- Clip paperclips to each pleat
- Turn iron on to the hottest steam setting
- Start from the waistband and move to the bottom of the pleat
- Begin to press the pleat, careful to move each pleat as ironing is done
- Hold each section for five seconds
- Hang skirt when done
- Keep skirt out of the closet until completely cool to help set the pleat
While it looks like a daunting list of instructions to follow, as soon as parents get the hang of ironing pleats, it becomes second nature and pleats can be touched up in no time at all.
Consider Going To The Dry Cleaners With Any Problems
While pleats can be touched up at home, they should be properly pressed by a dry cleaner from time to time to keep the integrity of the pleats intact.
According to Butler Luxury, if there are any tricky or common stains that get onto a pleated skirt, the skirt should be taken to the cleaners. This is because scrubbing out a laundry stain on a pleat can cause it to lose shape as well as discolor. And because some fabrics cannot be washed at home, this makes it much more important to seek out a dry cleaner to take care of pleated skirts.
Furthermore, some of the equipment that dry cleaners use is made specifically to press clean pleats into clothes. This is why to make the skirt last as long as possible, trips to the cleaners every now and again are recommended.
Source: Silver Bobbin, Flair Cleaners, Butler Luxury