Fabric gets most of the attention when you order custom curtains in Perth. Colour, texture, sheer or blockout is where most of the decision time goes. The heading, meaning the way the top of the curtain is made, often gets picked in the last few minutes of a consultation.
It deserves more thought than that. The heading decides whether your curtains fall in crisp waves or tailored columns, how much fabric you pay for, what hardware you need, and how the curtains look every time you open and close them.
The heading is the one part of a curtain you can't easily change later
You can swap a rod, add a lining, or move a track. The heading is sewn into the curtain itself, so changing it usually means remaking the top of the curtain, or the whole curtain. That’s why it’s worth getting right first.
It shapes four things:
- The hang. The same fabric can look completely different depending on the heading. It can fall in even waves, in structured columns, or in soft, deep folds.
- Fullness. This is how much fabric is used across the width. It changes how rich the curtain looks, whether it covers the window without pulling flat, and how much fabric ends up on your quote.
- Sound. Fuller, heavier curtains soften echo in rooms with tiled floors and high ceilings. Curtains on a track also tend to glide more quietly than metal eyelets dragging along a metal rod.
- Hardware. Not every heading fits every track or rod. If the combination is wrong, hardware you planned to keep may need replacing.
This is also where custom-made curtains have the advantage. Ready-made ranges usually offer only a few headings, so you end up fitting the room to the curtain rather than the other way around. More on that in custom curtains in Perth vs ready-made.
S-fold, pinch pleat and eyelet: how each one hangs and who it suits
S-fold: even waves for modern rooms and wide glass
S-fold, also called wave fold, hangs in a row of gentle, identical waves. The fabric clips onto carriers on a dedicated track, and the carriers are linked at set spacing, so every fold is the same size whether the curtain is open or closed. There’s no bunching at one end and no flat patch at the other.
On a ceiling-mounted track, the curtain falls straight from the ceiling. That look suits square-set ceilings, modern builds and pared-back interiors. S-fold also stacks compactly when open, which is why it’s so often used on big windows.
A strong fit if you want a clean, contemporary look, you’re hanging sheers or lighter fabrics, or you’re covering a wide span.
Think twice if you want to keep an existing standard track or rod, because S-fold usually needs its own system. The same applies if the room is traditional enough that the neat regularity would feel out of place. Very stiff blockout fabrics can also turn the soft waves into larger, firmer ones.
Pinch pleat: tailored folds that can carry heavy fabric
Pinch pleat is the more formal option. The top of the curtain is stiffened and stitched into groups of two or three pleats at regular intervals, and below each group the fabric drops in a defined column. It looks deliberate and finished.
That structure is practical too. The stiffened heading holds weight well, so the pinch pleat handles lined, blockout, and thermal fabrics without losing its shape. That makes it useful for west-facing rooms that take the full force of Perth’s afternoon sun. It isn’t only for traditional homes, either. In plain linen or a textured weave, it can look quietly tailored in a contemporary room.
A strong fit if you’re dressing a formal living or dining room, a heritage-style home, or a window that needs heavy fabric, or if you want to keep an existing standard track.
Think twice if budget is tight, because pinch pleat needs generous fullness to look right, and that adds fabric. The same goes for windows where every centimetre of clear glass matters, since pinch pleat stacks bulkier than S-fold.
Eyelet: relaxed folds on a rod, usually for less
Eyelet curtains have metal rings set into the heading and thread straight onto a rod. The fabric falls in deep, soft, easy-going folds. With no track, carriers or pleating, eyelet is simpler to make and often the more budget-friendly choice.
The rod becomes part of the look, and timber or black metal against a plain wall can be a feature in itself. Eyelet suits bedrooms, studies, family rooms and anywhere a relaxed finish feels right.
A strong fit if you already have a rod, want a casual look, and are covering a standard-sized window.
Think twice if you need a dark room, because light leaks over the top of the rod. It’s also a poor match for heavy fabric on a long run, where the rings drag, and for any window wide enough to need centre brackets, because eyelets can’t slide past them.
At a glance
S-fold | Pinch pleat | Eyelet | |
Look | Even, continuous waves | Structured, tailored columns | Deep, soft folds |
Feels | Contemporary | Classic, formal | Relaxed |
Hardware | Usually a dedicated S-fold track | Track with gliders, or rod with rings | Rod only |
Fabric fit | Sheers and lighter fabrics especially | Heavier, lined and blockout especially | Medium weights; sheers need a reinforced heading |
When open | Stacks compactly | Stacks bulkier | Can’t pass centre brackets |
Relative cost | Varies with track and fullness | Often more fabric | Often more budget-friendly |
Three questions that narrow the choice quickly
Knowing how each heading looks is half the decision. The other half is checking it against your actual room, and these three questions usually settle it.
1. What’s already on your wall or ceiling?
This is the step most often skipped, and the one most likely to add unexpected cost.
- A standard curtain track: Pinch pleat generally works, because the curtain hooks into gliders that run along the track. S-fold depends on the track. Some can take S-fold carriers, and others can’t, so ask your supplier about your specific track before ordering.
- A rod: An eyelet is the natural match. Check that the rod’s diameter suits the eyelet size and that the finials and brackets leave the curtain room to travel. Pinch pleat on rings also works on a rod. S-fold generally isn’t designed for rods.
- Replacing the hardware anyway: Choose the heading first and let the hardware follow, then consider how the curtains will work alongside other window furnishings when weighing curtains vs blinds.
2. How heavy is the fabric you’ve chosen?
The same heading can look very different in a light sheer and in a lined blockout.
- Sheers: S-fold shows them off, letting light move evenly through the waves. Pinch pleat gives a more gathered, formal look that suits traditional rooms. Eyelet sheers are possible with a reinforced heading, but the metal rings are more visible through translucent fabric, and the fabric can bunch between them.
- Blockout and thermal fabrics: Pinch pleat is often chosen because the stiffened heading supports the weight. S-fold works too and gives a cleaner finish, although stiffer fabrics produce firmer waves. Eyelet blockout falls in attractive folds, but light escaping above the rod limits how dark the room gets, and heavy fabric on a rod is harder to draw.
Many Perth homes use both: a sheer for softer daytime light, and a blockout or thermal curtain for heat control and privacy at night. That usually means a double track, and matching or complementary headings on both layers help the pair look intentional. See how Perth designers love layering sheer curtains with blinds for a cohesive look.
3. How wide is the window or door?
Wide windows and the stacker doors that open onto many Perth alfresco areas show the differences between headings more clearly than any other opening.
- Stacking: When curtains are open, the fabric has to sit somewhere. A bulky stack can cover a good part of the glass on a large opening. S-fold tends to stack more compactly. Whichever heading you choose, extending the track past the frame lets the stack rest against the wall instead of over the glass, if there’s wall space on either side.
- Fullness: On a wide window, too little fullness makes the curtain look flat and leaves gaps at the edges where light gets through. Too much creates a heavy stack. A consistent heading such as S-fold, or well-spaced pinch pleats, helps a wide curtain look even from end to end.
- Sliding doors: Stacking the curtain in front of the fixed panel rather than the sliding one keeps the doorway clear. You can also choose whether the curtains part in the centre or draw fully to one side, depending on the door layout.
Eyelet is usually the least practical heading for large openings, because long rods need centre brackets that the eyelets can’t pass. Track-based headings avoid that problem, and motorised options are generally built around tracks too. That’s why S-fold and pinch pleat are so often used on big windows and doors.
Choose the heading first, and the rest follows
The heading comes down to three things: your hardware, the weight of your fabric, and the width of the opening. S-fold suits modern rooms and wide glass, pinch pleat carries heavier fabric in tailored folds, and eyelet brings a relaxed look to a rod. Get that choice right, and the rest falls into place. If you’re planning custom curtains in Perth, Marvel Blinds can help you match the right heading to your track, fabric and window before anything is made.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sometimes, but it's rarely simple. Changing eyelet to pinch pleat, for example, means cutting away the top with the rings, which shortens the curtain. Whether that works depends on how much spare length the curtain has and whether the fabric can take a new header. In many cases, remaking the curtain gives a better result than altering it, which is why the heading is worth settling before your custom curtains are made.
Yes. S-fold and wave fold describe the same style: even, continuous ripples created by carriers linked at set spacing on a dedicated track. Suppliers may use either name, or their own track system's name. When you compare quotes for curtains in Perth, check that each supplier means the same system and ask to see a sample hanging on the track, not just a fabric swatch.
For heat, the fabric and lining matter more than the heading. What the heading does affect is how well the curtain seals around the window. A ceiling-mounted S-fold or pinch pleat track, with good fullness and enough overlap past the frame, leaves fewer gaps for heat and light to get through. Eyelet curtains leave a gap above the rod, which makes them less effective in rooms that take strong afternoon sun.
It depends on the heading and the look you want. S-fold fullness is set by the carrier spacing on the track, while pinch pleat generally needs generous fullness for its columns to look right. Too little fullness leaves curtains looking flat, and too much makes them bulky when open. Fullness also changes the price of custom-made curtains in Perth, so check that each quote states the fullness it's based on.
S-fold or pinch pleat on a ceiling-mounted track, paired with a blockout fabric, tends to give the darkest result, because there's no gap above the curtain for light to spill through. For more on fabric, placement and coverage, see curtains for bedrooms in Perth. Eyelet looks relaxed and suits bedrooms visually, but light escaping over the rod can be noticeable early in the morning. If darkness matters as much as appearance, the track-based headings are usually the better fit.
Often, yes. Motorised curtain systems are generally built around tracks, and many S-fold and pinch pleat tracks have motorised versions. That can be worth considering for wide stacker doors, high windows or curtains you open and close daily. Eyelet curtains on rods usually aren't motorised. If you think you might want motorisation later, mention it before ordering, since it can affect which track goes in now.
Yes, and many homes do. You might choose pinch pleat in a formal dining room, S-fold across the living area's sliding doors, and eyelet in a child's bedroom. Where rooms flow into each other, as in an open-plan living and dining space, keeping one heading usually looks more cohesive. The same applies to layered curtains: matching or complementary headings on the sheer and blockout layers help the pair look intentional.