ABSTRACT
Folds can seem complicated, but they are always combinations of simpler parts. A piece of cloth that has been folded once is a simple fold. The size, number and angularity of the folds will vary depending on the type of material used, but the rules governing how folds form are universal. There are standard folds that occur in any material subjected to the same forces. The folds that are related to cylinders are parallel folds, and the folds related to cones are radial folds. In clothing folds usually occur in groups with members of both families interlocking with each other. Parallel folds are created by compression resulting from even pressure. Their shape resembles a cylinder, and they are called parallel folds because the straight lines that run along their length are parallel to each other. Thin materials will form a greater number of folds and they will be smaller than folds in thick materials.
