MAYIN Guides

How to Make Saree Pleats: Front and Pallu Pleats, Step by Step

By Nishita Nathani20 min read

Line drawing of a saree on a dress form with front pleats at the navel, beside a clipped pleat stack and pins

To make saree pleats, fold five to seven even pleats from the fabric left at the front after the first wrap, about 4 to 5 inches wide in cotton and 3 to 4 inches in chiffon, keeping the top edges together and the hems level. Slip one pin through the pleats only, from the inside, then tuck the pleats in at the navel, facing left. Pallu pleats are folded the same way across the decorated end and pinned at the left shoulder from the inside. Below: how much fabric pleats use, two ways to fold them, width by fabric, pallu pleats, pre-pleating, patterns and fixes.

Saree pleats at a glance
5 to 7Front pleats
3 to 4 inPleat width in chiffon
4 to 5 inPleat width in mul cotton
At the navelTucked in, facing left
1 pinThrough the pleats only, from the inside
In this guide

Front Pleats and Pallu Pleats

A saree is one unstitched length, and pleats are how it turns into something you can walk in. The front pleats are the folds tucked in at your waist in the nivi drape: they store extra fabric at the front, so the saree opens as you stride and closes again when you stand still. The pallu pleats are folds made across the decorated end of the saree, the part that goes over your left shoulder, so it sits as a neat column instead of a wide sheet.

Pleated drapes are much older than the drape most people wear today; sculpture and painting from earlier centuries show lower garments gathered in dense front pleats. The nivi drape, often traced to Andhra Pradesh, is the base of most modern drapes. In the 1860s Jnanadanandini Devi popularised a version she adapted from the drape Parsi women wore in Bombay, with the pallu over the left shoulder so the right arm was free. That is the drape this guide pleats for. Once you can pleat a nivi, most other drapes are small variations, as our guide to saree draping styles shows.

How Much of the Saree Goes Into Pleats

Every MAYIN saree is 5.5 m long and 45 inches wide. When you drape it, the 45 inch width runs from your waist to the floor: the top edge tucks into the petticoat and the lower border becomes the hem. The 5.5 m length is shared between four jobs: the first wrap round your waist, the front pleats, a second pass round your back, and the pallu.

Saree laid flat, 5.5 m by 45 in, marked with the first wrap, the front pleats, the length round the back and the pallu
The four jobs a 5.5 m saree does. The split is approximate and shifts with your waist, your pleats and your pallu.

Pleats use more fabric than they seem to. Each pleat folds back on itself like an accordion, so one pleat uses roughly twice its visible width. The numbers below are approximate, but they explain why the count and the width are linked, and why a long open pallu leaves less for the front.

Top view of a saree pleat stack folded like an accordion, showing that each pleat uses about twice its width
Approximate fabric in the front pleats
PleatsFabric they useTypical for
5 of 3 inAbout 30 in, under 1 mChiffon on a shorter frame
7 of 4 inAbout 56 in, about 1.4 mMul cotton or chiffon on a taller frame
5 of 5 inAbout 50 in, about 1.3 mMul cotton with fewer pleats
7 of 5 inAbout 70 in, about 1.8 mThe fullest front; leaves the least for the pallu

This is also why advice on pleat numbers varies. Four things move it. The fabric: light, fluid fabric suits more, narrower pleats and crisp fabric fewer, broader ones. Your height: if you are petite, narrower pleats look neater, and if you are tall, wider pleats sit well. The pallu: set its length first and pleat what is left. And your waist: the first wrap takes a little more length on a larger waist, which leaves less for the pleats, so narrower pleats keep the count up. None of this changes the basic range of five to seven.

Before You Start

Good pleats start before you touch the saree. Do your hair first, so you do not crush the pleats or pallu afterwards. Then put on the petticoat, the blouse and the footwear you will wear all day, because the hem is set in your shoes.

What you need
A snug cotton petticoat with a drawstring, tied at the height you want the saree to sit. A slippery or loose petticoat is the most common reason pleats slide out. Under a sheer saree, match the petticoat to the saree where you can; if you have no match on a light saree, nude usually shows less than white. More in our saree petticoat guide.
Your blouse, stitched and tried on before the day.
The footwear you will wear, so the hem lands between just grazing the floor and just above it.
Four to six small, sharp, rust-resistant safety pins; fine dupatta pins for chiffon.
One or two pleat clips, or a large hair clip, to hold the stack while you check it.
A full-length mirror, plus a hand mirror for the back.
An iron and a thin cotton pressing cloth.

Press the saree before you drape. Pleats folded from a flat, crease-free saree fall in straight lines; pleats folded over old creases go wherever the creases go. Follow the care label first. On most labels one dot on the iron symbol means a maximum of about 110°C, two dots about 150°C and three dots about 200°C, and a crossed-out steam symbol means no steam.

Pressing before you pleat
FabricHow to press for pleatsWhy
Mul cottonIron while slightly damp; a light starch on plain mul is optionalDamp cotton takes a crease that holds
Mul modalA light press as the label allowsIt creases less, so it needs little
ChiffonDry, on the lowest heat, through a cloth; skip steam; press on the reverseWater can spot the fibre; low heat avoids shine
Handloom linenSlightly damp, on the setting the label allows; lift and press rather than dragLinen holds a crease the moment it is pressed
Tissue, zari, embroidered, hand paintedFrom the reverse, through a cloth; never iron directly over the workHeat and pressure can mark metallic thread and handwork

For keeping sarees smooth between wears, see how to keep a saree crease free, and for washing, how to wash cotton, chiffon and linen sarees.

Front Pleats, Step by Step

Start the drape as usual. Hold the plain end with the inner side facing you and tuck it in at your right hip, a little to the right of your navel, a good 2 to 3 inches deep, with the hem at the height you want. Wrap once round your waist, right to left, back to the front. Then take the rest round your back once more, under your right arm, and up across your front over your left shoulder, and set the pallu length, about the back of your knee for a pleated pallu, before you pleat. The front pleats come from whatever fabric is left between the first wrap and the pallu. On chiffon, pin the pallu at the shoulder at this point, as our guide on how to drape a chiffon saree explains.

Method 1: finger winding

Finger winding, six steps
1
Hold the top edgeTake the top edge of the loose fabric where the first wrap ends, close to your navel.
2
Set the width with your handSpread your thumb and index finger to the pleat width you want. Check the first pleat against the width for your fabric; after that, match each fold to the first.
3
Wind back and forthFold the edge over your thumb, back over your finger, and over your thumb again, until you have five to seven pleats.
4
Keep the top edges togetherEach fold should lie exactly on the one below, all the same width. Equal width matters more than the exact number of inches.
5
Level the hemsLet the stack drop and look in the mirror. Lift or lower individual folds until the bottom edges are level, then run your fingers from top to hem so each fold lies on the one below.
6
Press and clipPress the folds firmly with your fingers and clip the stack while you check it from the front and side.

Method 2: on a bed or the floor

For straighter folds, especially on crisp linen and tissue, fold the pleats flat. Stand beside a bed, lay the section to be pleated across it, and fold the pleats from the top edge to the hem, checking each against the first. Square the hems along the edge of the bed, clip the stack top and lower down, then lift, pin and tuck it. Without a bed, some people let the hem rest on the floor, level the bottom edges there first, then square the top.

Two ways to make saree pleats: finger winding over the thumb and a finger, and folding the pleats flat on a bed

On chiffon and other fluid fabrics, let each pleat sit a few millimetres out from the last at the hem, rather than stacking them exactly. That small step lets the pleats open as you walk instead of swinging as one block. This is a deliberate step of a few millimetres, not the uneven hem described under fixes.

Six saree pleats held before tucking: one stack with level hems and one with each hem stepped a few millimetres

Pleating on your own, or with help

Alone or with a second pair of hands
On your ownUse a clip to hold the stack so both hands are free to level the hems. Check the front and side in a full-length mirror, then sit down once before you leave.
With helpHold the top edges together while a helper levels the hems from below and runs a hand down each fold. Tell them the pleats face your left.

How Many Pleats, and How Wide

Make five to seven front pleats in every fabric. What changes is the width, and with it where you land in that range. Soft and fluid fabrics hold narrower pleats; crisp or heavier fabrics such as linen, tissue, starched cotton and heavier silks can take slightly broader pleats, so you land at the lower end, five or six.

Pleat count and width by fabric
FabricPleatsWidth and handling
Mul cottonFive to sevenAbout 4 to 5 in. Soft mul holds narrow pleats better than wide ones; finger-press before tucking.
Mul modalFive to sevenAbout 4 to 5 in, as for mul cotton. Smooth, so the pleats fall cleanly; the easiest to learn on.
Pure chiffon and chiffonFive to sevenAbout 3 to 4 in. Press the night before and fold without pulling. Georgette behaves much the same way.
Handloom linenFive or sixSlightly broader. Linen holds a crease as soon as it is folded.
Cotton tissueFive or sixSlightly broader. Crisp and semi-sheer; press the folds with your fingers.
Dhakai jamdaniFive to sevenFold gently, letting the folds fall between the woven motifs.
Starched cotton and heavier silksFive or sixSlightly broader. Thick folds stack quickly at the waist.
Saree pleat width by fabric: chiffon 3 to 4 in, mul cotton and mul modal 4 to 5 in, linen and tissue slightly broader

You may read elsewhere that cotton needs fewer, broader pleats. That is true of crisp starched or handwoven cotton. Soft mulmul behaves more like a light fabric: wide pleats in it collapse, while pleats of 4 to 5 inches stay crisp. With chiffon, petite women can go down to about 3 inches and taller women up to about 4.

If you are learning, start with plain fabric that grips: a plain mul modal such as Mauve Melody, or a plain mul cotton such as After Dark or Olive Oasis. With no border or print to line up, you can concentrate on equal widths. You will find more easy everyday cotton among our daily wear sarees.

Pinning and Tucking

The order matters more than the number of pins. Pin the stack first, so it moves as one, and tuck it second, so the tuck holds it to you.

Pin, then tuck
1
Fold five to seven pleatsEqual widths, top edges together, hems level.
2
One pin through the pleats onlySlip one pin through the pleats only, from the inside, across the top of the stack. Keep it horizontal, so it does not drag the pleats when you sit.
3
Tuck in at the navel, facing leftTuck the stack in at the navel with the folded edges facing your left, a good 2 to 3 inches deep, so the pin sits hidden inside the waistband. Take the clip out once the pin is in; a clip is bulky inside the tuck.
4
Optional second pinFor a long day, a second pin from the inside catches the pleats to the petticoat.
One safety pin across the top of the pleats from the inside, and saree pleats tucked in at the navel facing left

Never pin straight down a pleat, through zari, or through embroidery; on a bordered saree, pin the plain ground just inside the border. For how many pins each fabric needs and where the rest go, see our guide on how to pin a saree.

Pallu Pleats

The pallu can be pleated, half pleated or left open. Pleating it is the secure choice for offices, travel, crowds and long days; leaving it open shows a printed or woven pallu at its best for evenings and photos. A half pleated pallu does both: pleated at the shoulder, so it stays put, and open below the elbow, so the print shows.

Back view of pleated, half pleated and open pallu styles falling from the left shoulder, each pinned at the shoulder
Pleating the pallu
1
Set the lengthFor a pleated pallu, about the back of your knee. On chiffon, an open pallu can fall to about mid calf.
2
Start with the borderMake the border edge the first fold, so it runs down the outside of the column.
3
Fold across the widthFold the whole width into four to eight pleats. There is no standard count: more pleats make a narrower column, fewer a broader one. Keep them equal, as with the front.
4
Pin at the shoulderPin from underneath, through the folds, into the blouse shoulder seam, so the pin is hidden.
5
Pin the pallu pleatsA few centimetres below the shoulder pin, pin through the folded edges, never through a single layer.

Fabric changes the choice. Chiffon pallu pleats hold best when pressed the evening before. Broad shoulder pleats or an open pallu suit tissue, whose folds are crisp and whose visible surface shows pin holes. An embroidered or hand painted pallu is usually best left open or loosely pleated, so the work is not folded flat. For a butterfly drape the pallu is pleated very narrow, about an inch per pleat. For more ways to wear it, see our guide to saree pallu styles.

Pre-Pleating, Box Folding and Stitched Pleats

If you are dressing early for a wedding, a puja or a long day, do the pleating the night before. Pre-pleating means draping as far as the pleats in your petticoat and footwear, folding five to seven even pleats, pinning them through the pleats only from the inside, with a second pin lower down through the folds or a clip, folding the pallu pleats and pinning them through the folds only, not into the blouse, then untucking it all with the pins in and hanging the saree on a broad hanger with the pleats falling straight. In the morning you tuck the first round, slip the pleats in at the navel, facing left, place the pallu and take out the lower pleat pin. Our guide on pinning a saree has the full method, step by step.

Pressing the folds makes pre-pleating work even better. On plain mul cotton use a warm iron. On chiffon, clip the pleats top and bottom, press on the reverse, dry and on the lowest heat through a cloth with no steam, and leave them clipped until cool, ideally overnight; a pressed pleat folds itself into place when you tuck.

Pre-pleating a saree: pleats clipped and pinned, hung on a broad hanger overnight, and box folded for travel
Three ways to prepare pleats in advance
MethodWhat it isUse it for
Pre-pleatingPleats and pallu folded and pinned the night before; nothing sewnAny saree, including handwoven, zari, tissue, embroidered and heirloom pieces
Box foldingA pre-pleated saree folded flat into a compact bundleTravel and storage; a fast drape on the day
Stitched pleatsA tailor sews the pleats in placeA light everyday saree only

A tailor can stitch the pleats of a light everyday saree. Handwoven, zari, tissue, embroidered and heirloom sarees should be pre-pleated instead, so the fabric itself is never sewn. In pregnancy, pre-pleating suits a changing waist better than stitching; our guide to a saree for a baby shower and pregnancy has more. To see how a box folded or pre-draped saree goes on, read our pre-draped and ready to wear saree guide.

Stripes, Checks and Borders

Patterned sarees show an uneven pleat at once, which makes them good practice once you are confident. The trick is to fold on a line, not anywhere.

Checked saree pleats folded on a line versus off the line, and hem borders stacked level
Lining up the pattern
Fold on a lineChoose a stripe or a line of the check as the fold edge, and fold every pleat on the same kind of line.
Width in whole repeatsMake each pleat a whole number of pattern repeats. If a check repeats every inch, a 4 inch pleat lands on the line every time.
Stripes along the lengthStripes that run along the saree hang across your body; they line up on their own if the top edges are exactly together.
Polka dotsAvoid folding through a dot; let a row of dots sit just inside each fold.
FloralsFold so a flower sits near the fold of each pleat, so the print reads on every face.
BordersStack the hem borders exactly on one another, and pin the plain ground inside any zari border.

Good sarees to practise on: Saturday, a multicolour striped mul cotton; Harvest Sun, a yellow gingham mul cotton; Corner Office, a multicolour checked handloom linen; Crosswalk, a black and multicolour striped handloom linen; and Sun Shower, a yellow gingham print pure chiffon. For dots, Moonlit Pearl is a white mul modal with hand block printed polka dots. For styling, see how to style a checked saree and our striped saree guide.

Fixing Common Pleat Problems

Most pleat problems come from uneven pleats, an unpinned stack or a shallow tuck. Match the shape you see to its cause.

Six common saree pleat problems: fanning hem, uneven hem, bulk at the waist, pulling out, billowing and limp pleats
Problem, cause, fix
ProblemUsual causeFix
Pleats fan open at the hemUneven widths, or no pleat pinRefold to equal widths, line up the edges and pin through the pleats
Uneven hemHems not levelled before tucking, or an uneven first wrapLevel the bottom edges first, then square the top; check the first wrap is level all round
Bulk at the waistToo many or too wide pleats in a thick fabricMake fewer, flatter pleats and tuck the top edge in neatly
Pleats pull out when you sitA shallow tuck or a loose petticoatRetie the petticoat snugly, tuck 2 to 3 inches deep, and add a pin catching the pleats to the petticoat
Pleats billow when you walkPleats too wide for a light fabric, or not pressedNarrower pleats, pressed beforehand; on crisp tissue, a few broader pleats rather than many tight ones
Limp, pinched chiffonPleated under tensionFold without pulling, and press the night before
Pleats slip in a smooth fabricNo crease to hold the foldsPress a crease into the folds and add a hidden pin

If the pleats have shifted by midday, untuck, straighten and re-tuck them in a washroom mirror. Some people find that lifting the pleats slightly at the knees as they sit, and avoiding deep sofas, keeps the folds from creasing.

Pleats in Other Drapes

The same folding skill carries over to other drapes; only the count and the position change.

Pleats beyond the nivi
GujaratiPleat and tuck exactly as for the nivi, facing left. Only the pallu changes, coming over the right shoulder.
BengaliFew or no front pleats; two or three wide, loose folds, with long pleats in the pallu.
ButterflyFront pleats folded as for the nivi but tucked a little lower, just below the navel, with a very narrow pleated pallu, about an inch per pleat.
CoorgAbout six pleats tucked in at the centre back, then fanned out.
Lehenga styleSmall pleats tucked in all round the waist, using about three metres.
MumtazNo front pleats at all; the saree wraps closely round the hips.

Step-by-step instructions for each are in our guide to saree draping styles.

Sarees That Pleat Well

Plain mul cotton and mul modal to learn on, chiffon for narrow pressed pleats, linen and tissue for broader ones, and stripes, checks and dots for practising alignment.

Shop sarees in this guide

For fine, gentle folds between woven motifs, try Lilac Bloom, a lavender and purple floral Dhakai jamdani. Browse mulmul cotton sarees, chiffon sarees, linen sarees, striped sarees and checked sarees, or see all sarees. For the full drape, read how to drape a mul cotton saree and how to drape a chiffon saree.

Questions People Ask

How many pleats should a saree have?

Five to seven front pleats. Crisp or heavier fabrics such as linen, tissue, starched cotton and heavier silks take slightly broader pleats, so you land at five or six.

How wide should saree pleats be?

About 4 to 5 inches in mul cotton and mul modal, and 3 to 4 inches in chiffon. Crisp fabrics take slightly broader pleats; if you are petite, go to the narrower end.

Which side should saree pleats face?

Left. The folded edges face your left when you tuck the pleats in at the navel.

Where do you tuck saree pleats?

In at the navel, facing left, a good 2 to 3 inches deep, so the pleat pin sits hidden inside the waistband.

How do I keep my saree pleats from opening?

Fold equal widths, slip one pin through the pleats only from the inside, tuck deep and tie a cotton petticoat snugly. For a long day, add a second pin from the inside that catches the pleats to the petticoat.

How do you make pallu pleats?

Set the pallu length, fold four to eight equal pleats across its width with the border as the first fold, and pin through the folds into the blouse shoulder seam from underneath. Pin the pallu pleats again a little lower.

Should saree pleats be ironed?

Yes, if you want them crisp. Press the saree before you drape, and for sharper pleats press the folds themselves: on plain mul cotton with a warm iron, and on chiffon clipped, dry, on the lowest heat through a cloth, with no steam, left clipped until cool.

How do you pre-pleat a saree the night before?

Drape as far as the pleats, fold and pin them through the pleats only from the inside, pin the pallu pleats through the folds, then untuck and hang the saree on a broad hanger. In the morning, tuck the first round and slip the pleats in at the navel.

What is saree box folding?

A pre-pleated saree folded flat into a compact bundle for travel or storage, so it drapes quickly on the day. Nothing is sewn.

Can I get saree pleats stitched?

A tailor can stitch the pleats of a light everyday saree. Handwoven, zari, tissue, embroidered and heirloom sarees should be pre-pleated instead.

Which saree is easiest to pleat for a beginner?

A plain mul modal or plain mul cotton. Both grip a cotton petticoat, and with no border or print to line up you can focus on equal widths.

Do pleat clips work?

Yes, for holding the stack while you check it and for pre-pleating. Most people take the clip out once the pleat pin is in, because it is bulky inside the tuck.

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