A pleated roller shade system allows a thin flexible shade fabric, such as, for example, silk, to be wrapped around a roller tube. The system comprises a pleating bar mounted parallel to the roller tube and having a fabric-receiving opening that defines, for example, a serpentine path. The shade fabric is received through the fabric-receiving opening and is folded by the pleating bar, such that the shade fabric is wrapped around the roller tube in folds as the roller tube rotates. The shade fabric is neatly wrapped around the roller tube (i.e., bunching of the shade fabric is avoided) and is stored out-of-sight when rolled up.