Pleats Vs Ruffles

Right now, all around the world, pleats and ruffles are putting on a fashion show. They're on our pants, our shirts, our skirts, and our jackets - but what are they, and which one looks best?

For my previous posts on this topic, you can check out my Ruffle Top Review HERE, or my Pretty Pleats lookbook for Models.Company HERE.

What's The Difference?

REAL WORLD:

Pleats are a very precise and structured sewing technique that involves folding the fabric and sewing across, down, and over to secure them. There are many different types of pleats, which I will cover in a later post. Ruffles are a very easy, basic for of sewing, where a large piece of fabric is simply bunched up together or cut to sit in that way when attached to a garment. 

BITS OF BOTH: 

These is a sewing technique called the "ruffle pleat", which combines both. Some garments also use the two techniques in combination.

STARDOLL:

Some items, like the Iconic Evil Panda  Black Skirt, or the Powder Blue Pleathered Dress have the clean, precise lines necessary for a pleated look. Other items, like the Sonya Rykiel Inspired Chiffon Dress or the Denim Skater Dress fall into the loosely defined ruffle look.

A number of items fall into this odd space of looking like either one. The Tartan Pinafore Mini is one of these items. It appears to have a pleat, as it is structured in form, however, they are not evenly placed or repeating so it's hard to be sure, but clearly the fabric folds inwards at the waist.  Other items will often include Pleat or Ruffle in their names. Others will have Frill, which is essentially just an external ruffle.

Have you got a favourite?