How to Make a Vented Skirt Into a Kick-Pleated Skirt

A kick pleat fills in the vent of a skirt.

If you have ever bought a skirt and realized that a knee-high vent when you're standing becomes a thigh-high vent when you sit down, then you would benefit from knowing how to put a kick pleat in a skirt. Adding a kick pleat to a skirt helps to close up a too-high vent while leaving the skirt loose enough to walk comfortably. With some basic sewing knowledge you can add a kick pleat to a skirt with some extra fabric and a little bit of work.

Things You'll Need

• Hanger
• Fabric matching your skirt
• Straight pins
• Scissors
• Sewing machine and thread

Instructions

1. Hang your skirt on a clip-on hanger so that it hangs freely and does not touch the ground.

2. Hold your additional fabric inside of your skirt in front of the vent that you want to cover. Check that the fabric is right side out and that it covers the entire vented area.

3. Pin the fabric securely to the vented area from the outside of the skirt. Pin close to the edge of the original vent in the skirt. The visible part of the pleat should be a triangular piece of fabric. Make sure the triangle is wide enough at the bottom that you can walk comfortably.

4. Try on your skirt and take several steps. Repin the fabric to widen the bottom of your triangle if the skirt is too narrow.

5. Sew the panel into your skirt using straight stitches. Go up one side of the vent, across and down the other side, backstitching at both ends. Use thread that matches the skirt's original stitching and sew on top of the original seam if there is one.

6. Turn the skirt inside out.

7. Trim any extra fabric from the kick panel with scissors. Leave at least 1 inch of fabric around the edge of the panel.

8. Sew around the edge of the panel using a zigzag stitch or serger to keep the raw edges from fraying.

Tips & Warnings

• This method works best with casual denim or print skirts. For a more formal skirt you can choose to sew an inverted pleat instead.

• Choose fabric that works well with your original skirt. For a denim or khaki skirt, use scrap denim or khaki fabric. For a print or cotton skirt use a matching or contrasting fabric of similar weight.

• Remove all pins before you wear your skirt or you could be in for a painful surprise.

Resources

• The Sewing Divas: Construction of an Inverted Kick Pleat Without Topstitching: 2006