THOSE PLEATS

NZ Truth, Issue 1211, 14 February 1929, Page 17

THOSE PLEATS

Finding The Style To Suit Type

Pleats — all kinds, shapes, sizes and variations — are definitely m, and m to stay, for a while at least. There are tiny knife pleats, flat box pleats, graceful accordeon pleats, and sports pleats, to say nothing of grouped pleats and allround pleats. " . THAT fact being established, all that •*■ remains to be discussed is what kind of pleats suit certain people, and how they can best be managed by amateur dressmakers. A word of warning to the fat girl. Do not wear a whole skirt or bodice and skirt of accordeon pleats, as it always enlarges the figure, .bulging over all the curves and accentuating stoutness. Box pleats, on the other hand, are quite suitable, for stout girls, provided they are not placed too near the hem of the skirt, flapping • over the knees and shortening the figure too much. Knife-pleated panels, as well as accordeon -pleated panels, either caught down or floating, very often solve the problem of suitable trimming for a frock of plain or patterned material. Sports pleats may' be defined as those used m groups on the skirt or bodice of tennis and boating frocks. These are most effective when stitched down almost to the bottom. Pleats give a smart and finished air to the home-made creations which most of us are forced to patronise, and with very little thought they can be made to form the simplest and most effective trimming to a well- cut frock. But, judging from the plaints one hears from one's friends, i pleating is not 'the simple thing of stitching and ironing that it would appear to be. Several hints might be useful. For pleated skirts or frills you should allow about three times the width of the material you require when pleated, unless it is to be space pleated, that is, alternate groups of plain and pleated material. In the latter case, you will want about twice the width. The material must be joined "to make one long strip, and if the material is soft it can be 'hemmed, though a good way. of dealing with all materials for pleating is to have them picot-edged.