Pleats might be one of the most ancient trimmings of a dress, but they are certainly staying as a fashionable classic design for modern dresses. Pleats were used as a functional element of sewing in past practices. They make a dress or a gown increase in volume or achieve a specific shape that is desired for a practical purpose. They can create more room for better movement or more space for better utility. Pleats are made to make a practical purpose for making a wider space in certain segments of an outfit like the pockets or even sleeves. When the Europeans made dressing a lifestyle, pleats were also making a statement in their dresses. By this time, many of the gowns were already exhibiting this fascinating design for a more elaborate decorative purpose rather than the usual function. They have become more of an ornamental element as an attraction for the detail of the dresses. Slowly, pleats were changing their purpose into the world of fashion and styling.

Because of the rich history of pleats and its contribution to garments in past centuries, they have become widely associated with antiquity. There was a time when pleats became less and less appealing among the new generation of fashion enthusiasts. However, the latest trends in fashion showed that pleats are reviving into a much more revolutionary design and innovations were emerging from different cultural inspirations. The normal pleats have become more than an element on our dresses and gowns. Some of these designs are considered avant-garde not in the way they were made but in the manner of styling or the purpose of creating them. Take for example the Dress that displays knife pleats that look very easy on a short dress. One would think that this is of course, a decorative style rather than a function. But the way they were arranged in a lateral line on the bodice and how this was combined in two colors, the design has become very innovative and earned a reputation of being an avant-garde dress. You can find a similarly made dress with the same concept but this dress has something that is beyond the formation of the pleats. This set of pleats has an extraordinary personality reflective of a somewhat playful and a bit sophisticated style. In other words, these seemingly ordinary pleats are purposely made to make a certain visual illusion. With the lateral pleats, the figure of the body becomes more defined in a way that it is intended, creating an attractive contour. In effect, a woman will have more confidence about herself or build a fresh one if it is absent.

Another great example is the 2013 Hot Selling Dress(Code: ED-50234) that is worthy of an accolade just for being so elegant. The retro appeal of this dress is obvious for anyone’s curiosity with the wonderfully crafted accordion pleats while it maintains a resonant modern design on the bodice. It has all the elements of a hot dress that anyone can wear to a formal evening party. Despite the ancient reputation of the accordion pleats, the modern girl will definitely love how these were applied for this long dress.

There were some years when tight fitting dresses were in demand making the pleats in a sort of hiatus. But when the fascination for flared dresses has slowly returned to the fashion scen