Twists fine threads into a net of planned holes, so the pattern is decorative and fragile.
Also called: eyelet, crochet lace
The basics
What to know about lace
Lace is cloth built out of holes. Instead of a solid surface with a pattern printed or woven onto it, the threads themselves twist and knot around empty space. The design lives in the gaps. That construction leaves nothing to absorb a snag. Catch one thread on a ring and the pull travels across the whole repeat rather than staying in one spot.
Types differ far more than the single word suggests. Corded lace runs a heavier thread along the pattern outlines, which adds body and durability. Stretch lace knits elastane into the ground and survives daily wear in underwear. Eyelet, also called broderie anglaise, is not lace in the technical sense at all. It begins as solid cotton, and the holes are cut and stitched around. That makes it the sturdiest of the group and the only one that irons flat without a fight.
Fiber content matters more here than the pattern does. Cotton lace feels dry and matte and takes a hot iron safely. Nylon and polyester dominate lingerie because they hold fine detail at very low weight. Both melt rather than scorch, so a hot iron will glaze or hole them in seconds. Nylon also yellows with age and with chlorine, which is why white bras drift toward cream after a year of hard laundering.
Wash lace in a mesh bag on a gentle cold cycle, or by hand. Fasten every hook first, because open hooks and hook and loop tape destroy more lace inside a drum than wearing it ever does. Skip the dryer, since heat kills the elastane that gives stretch lace its shape. Press at the lowest setting through a cloth, or just steam it. Sharp lace edges scratch, so a lined bodice sits far better against skin than a bare one.
In photos
Lace on real products
See this option on different products. Open a photo for a larger view, or select the name to read its guide.
Hand lace was once twisted and knotted thread by thread on a pillow using dozens of bobbins, and a single collar could take weeks. Machines took that work over in the nineteenth century, and almost all lace today comes off one of three kinds of equipment.
Leavers machines twist fine threads around each other on moving carriages, reproducing the look of hand lace with really twisted structure. Raschel machines knit warp yarns into an openwork ground far faster and more cheaply, and that is what most lingerie lace is. Chemical lace, also called burnt out lace, takes a third route. The pattern is embroidered onto a backing cloth, and the backing is then dissolved away. That leaves the embroidery standing on its own.
Eyelet is made differently again, by embroidering and cutting holes into finished woven cotton, so it keeps the strength of the base cloth underneath.
Best for
When it works well
Bridal and occasion dresses use it because openwork adds pattern and texture without adding weight.
Lingerie relies on the stretch versions, since elastane in the ground lets the net move with the body.
Layering works well, as a lace panel over a solid lining shows the pattern while controlling how much skin appears.
Warm weather events suit it, because air passes straight through the holes instead of being trapped.
Small doses go a long way, so a lace trim or yoke lifts a plain garment for very little money.
