kick pleat

American  

noun

1. an inverted pleat extending upward 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 centimeters) from the hemline at the back of a narrow skirt, to allow freedom in walking.

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kick pleat British  

noun

1. a back pleat at the hem of a straight skirt to allow the wearer greater ease in walking

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Etymology

Origin of kick pleat

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

The dress’s skirt has a kick pleat, and if you glance beneath it, you’ll find five layers of underskirt, three of them meticulously embroidered, just in case the performer lifts her dancing shoe.

From New York Times

She comes with four changes of clothes: a Kelly green ball gown, a teal suit with a calotte hat, a sweater and matching kick pleat skirt and a nightgown with a peignoir.

From New York Times

I have a charcoal-gray pencil skirt that’s hard to walk in despite the kick pleat, and a bat wing sweater, a red one with modulated gray horizontal stripes across it.

From Literature