What the heading actually does
The heading is the top few centimetres of a curtain, where the fabric is stiffened, gathered or pleated and attached to hooks, carriers, rings or eyelets. It looks like a style detail, and it is, but it also controls four practical things. It sets the shape of the folds all the way down the curtain. It decides how much space the curtain takes up when open. It determines what hardware you need, a track or a rod, and which kind. And it decides how close the top of the curtain sits to the track and the ceiling, which affects how much warm air can escape over the top.
Because of that, it pays to choose the heading early, alongside the fabric and the lining, rather than after the track has been picked. Some headings only work on specific tracks, some only on rods, and changing your mind later can mean new hardware.
S-fold, also called wave
An S-fold curtain hangs from carriers that clip into a tape sewn along the top of the curtain. The carriers run on a dedicated track and are linked at fixed spacing, often by a cord or tape inside the track, so the curtain forms an even, continuous wave from one end to the other. When drawn, the folds pack neatly back on themselves. The look is modern and uncluttered, and it has become the default in many new homes around Pakenham, Officer and Berwick.
The strengths are consistent folds and a predictable stack when the fabric and carrier spacing are matched. S-fold can suit long runs such as sliding doors and full-wall windows, including double tracks with a sheer and lined curtain. The folds project both forwards and backwards, so allow for their depth as well as the width of the open stack. Ceiling fixing can reduce the visible space above the curtain, but gaps can remain around the heading and through the waves. Ask for the actual top-clearance detail if insulation is a priority.
The limits are hardware and fabric. S-fold needs compatible carriers and heading tape; an ordinary rod with loose rings will not create the same controlled wave. Some decorative pole systems contain an internal track and support a matching wave heading, so check the actual product rather than its appearance. The wave projects forward and back, requiring clearance from glass and handles. Very stiff or heavy fabrics may form a less even wave. Carrier spacing must match the heading, so record it before taking curtains down, as described in the cleaning and care guide.
Pinch pleat
A pinch pleat heading has a stiff buckram band sewn into the top of the curtain, with groups of two or three folds stitched together at regular intervals. Hooks sit behind each pleat and hang from gliders on a track or rings on a rod. Between the pleats, the fabric falls in full, rounded folds. It is the classic tailored heading and suits formal living rooms, dining rooms and older homes, as well as heavy interlined curtains where a structured top holds the weight well.
Pinch pleats can be hung in different positions relative to the track by adjusting the hook height in the heading. Set high, the curtain covers the track and sits close to the ceiling. Set lower, the track shows above the heading. That flexibility is useful, but it also means the curtain can be hung with a gap at the top if the hooks are set carelessly.
Pinch pleats generally stack a little wider than S-fold, because each pleat is a fixed bundle of fabric that does not compress as tightly. With interlining, the stack can be substantial, which matters on a window close to a corner. The stack-back and track layout guide shows how to plan for it.
Pencil pleat
A pencil pleat heading uses a tape with cords running through it. Pulling the cords gathers the fabric into tight, narrow folds across the top of the curtain, like a row of pencils. It is common on ready-made curtains, because one curtain can be gathered to suit a range of track lengths. It hangs from hooks on a track or rings on a rod.
The adjustability is the main advantage. The disadvantages are that the folds below the heading are less regular than pinch pleat or S-fold, the gathering can loosen over time, and the gathered cord ends need to be tied off and tucked neatly behind the curtain. These gathering cords sit inside the heading and are not the same as the operating cords on corded systems, but tie them off securely and keep the ends out of reach. For made-to-measure curtains, pencil pleat is less common, because the fixed width means the adjustability is rarely needed.
Eyelet
Eyelet curtains have large rings set directly into the fabric along the top. A rod passes through the rings, and the fabric forms deep, even folds that alternate in front of and behind the rod. Eyelet curtains are easy to draw by hand, simple to take down and wash if the fabric allows it, and have a relaxed contemporary look. They are a common ready-made style.
For warmth they are the weakest of the common headings. The fabric rises above the rod in loops between the eyelets, leaving an open path over the top of the curtain for warm room air to reach the cold glass. A rod also cannot easily turn the curtain back to the wall at each end, so there are no returns, and the curtain cannot pass the brackets in the middle of a long rod. Eyelets suit rooms where the look and ease of use matter more than sealing the window, or windows where a blind in the reveal handles the thermal job.
See the headings made up, not just described
At the measure we show S-fold, pinch pleat and other headings in the fabric you are considering, and check which track suits your ceiling and wall.
Tab top and rod pocket
Tab top curtains hang from fabric loops over a rod. Rod pocket curtains have a sewn channel along the top that the rod slides through. Both are simple, informal and inexpensive to make. Both are also hard to draw, because the fabric drags along the rod, so they suit curtains that are mostly left in one position, such as a decorative side panel, a laundry window or a cafe curtain on the lower half of a window. They share the eyelet's problem of an open top and no returns, so they are not a thermal choice.
Track or rod
Headings divide into two families by hardware. Tracks carry S-fold, pinch pleat and pencil pleat curtains on gliders or carriers. They can be fixed to the ceiling or the wall, bent around bay windows, fitted with return arms that bring the curtain back to the wall, and fitted with overlap arms so a pair crosses in the middle. Rods carry eyelet, tab top and ring-hung pinch pleat curtains. They are decorative, visible, and usually wall-mounted on brackets above the frame.
If warmth and a clean look matter most, a track is usually the better base. If you like the look of a visible rod, a pinch pleat hung from rings is the most tailored rod option, and a pelmet or a close-fixed rod can reduce the top gap. The bay window guide explains why bays nearly always need a track.
Answer three questions about one window. The note below suggests headings to look at first and the main thing to check.
Choose an answer in each group to see a suggestion. Without scripting, the sections above compare the same points.
Headings and the top seal
Air can circulate above and around a curtain, cool near the glass and return to the room below. Reducing that circulation depends on the whole fitted arrangement. A ceiling-mounted track locates the hardware high, but carriers still suspend the fabric below it and wave folds can leave channels at the top. A high-set pinch pleat also needs its actual clearance checked. Heading names alone do not establish which finished curtain will insulate better. Compare the proposed top detail, side returns, centre overlap and hem position together.
A well-fitted pelmet can close the space above the curtain when its top and ends suit the installation. Ask how it meets the wall and surrounds the moving fabric without obstructing it. The pelmet guide provides background; request a drawing of your proposed fit rather than assuming a ceiling track provides the same enclosure.
How the heading changes the finished length
The heading also decides how the curtain's length is measured and where the hem finishes. On an S-fold track, the curtain hangs from carriers a short, fixed distance below the track. On a pinch pleat curtain, the hook position in the heading sets how far the fabric sits above or below the track. On an eyelet or ring-hung curtain, the fabric hangs from the rod, with the eyelet loops rising above it. Each one gives a different relationship between the track or rod and the hem, so the drop is measured from different points for each style.
This matters when curtains are meant to just touch the floor, which is where they seal best. A curtain made for one heading and then hung on different hardware will finish at a different height. It is also why measuring should happen after the heading and track are chosen, not before. If you are replacing a track and keeping curtains, or keeping a track and changing curtains, have the drop measured with the actual hardware in mind. The thermal curtains for winter guide explains why a curtain that finishes above the floor loses much of its warmth benefit.
Changing the heading on existing curtains
If you have good curtains with a heading you dislike, a workroom can sometimes re-head them. The old heading tape is removed and a new one sewn on, for example to convert pencil pleat to pinch pleat. Whether it works depends on the fabric left at the top, the width of the curtain compared with the fullness the new heading needs, and the condition of the fabric and lining. Converting to S-fold usually needs a new track as well. It is worth pricing a re-heading alongside new curtains, especially if the lining is also due for replacement, which the thermal relining guide discusses.
A Berwick living room has eyelet curtains on a rod over a north window. The owners like the folds but feel cold near the glass at night. Before changing the heading, they ask whether the window leaks air and compare drawings for a track with returns and a fitted pelmet around the existing rod. Each option needs its remaining gaps checked. The workroom also checks whether the existing fabric has enough width and length for a different heading.
For the fabric that goes with the heading, the winter fabrics guide covers how velvet, fleece and textured weaves fold, and the double curtain guide covers matching headings across two layers.
Hardware references checked 26 September 2026: Silent Gliss Wave system and Metropole poles with an internal gliding channel. Confirm compatibility and stack dimensions for the system being quoted.
Curtain heading questions
What is the difference between S-fold and pinch pleat curtains?
An S-fold curtain hangs from carriers set at fixed spacing on a dedicated track, which creates an even wave from end to end. A pinch pleat curtain has stiffened pleats sewn into the heading and hangs from hooks. S-fold looks modern and stacks compactly. Pinch pleat looks tailored and suits formal rooms and heavy interlined curtains.
Are eyelet curtains good for keeping warmth in?
They are not the best choice for warmth. Eyelet curtains hang from a rod, and the fabric loops above the rod, which leaves an open path over the top of the curtain for warm air to reach the cold glass. They also cannot easily turn back to the wall at the ends.
Can I change the heading on existing curtains?
Sometimes. A workroom can often replace the heading tape on a curtain if there is enough fabric at the top and the width suits the new heading's fullness. Converting to S-fold also usually means a new track. It is worth pricing against new curtains.
Which curtain heading stacks the smallest?
S-fold and eyelet headings generally stack more compactly than pinch pleat or pencil pleat, because the fabric folds back and forth evenly. The fabric weight, lining and fullness have a large effect as well, so heavy interlined curtains stack wide whatever the heading.