Sill

Curtains

Pick curtains by how the top is made: wave, eyelet, pencil pleat or pinch pleat. See each one hung, with sheer and blockout layers.

Pick the top first

The top of a curtain is called its heading. It sets the look, and it decides what the curtain hangs from.

Wave curtains, sheer and blockout, stone. Sliding door.

Modern headings

Wave

Even, S-shaped folds that hang from a wave track.

Wave curtains

Eyelet

Metal rings sit in the top of the curtain and a pole passes through them.

It needs a pole, not a track.

Eyelet curtains

Sources call both of these modern, and eyelet the more casual of the two.

Wave curtains, blockout, stone. Sliding door.
Eyelet curtains, blockout, stone. Sliding door.

Classic headings

Pencil pleat

A tape across the top is drawn into small, even gathers.

It goes on a track or a pole.

Pencil pleat curtains

Pinch pleat

Pleats are pinched and stitched in groups of two or three, and the cloth opens out below.

The finish is tailored and formal.

Pinch pleat curtains

"Classic" describes the look. Pencil pleat suits most rooms, and pinch pleat is also used in modern rooms.

Pencil pleat curtains, blockout, stone. Sliding door.
Pinch pleat curtains, sheer and blockout, stone. Sliding door.

One layer or two

A sheer lets soft light through. A blockout stops nearly all light.

Both can hang together, each on its own track.

Sheer and blockout curtains

Wave curtains, sheer. Sliding door.
Wave curtains, blockout, stone. Sliding door.
Wave curtains, sheer and blockout, stone. Sliding door.

Track or pole

Wave needs a wave track. Eyelet needs a pole. Pencil pleat and pinch pleat go on either.

What the curtain hangs from is a separate choice after the heading.

Not sure?

Which suits my window?

Sources

Written by Sill from makers' fitting guides and published safety guidance, and last read on 18 October 2026. Sources are listed below.