Lace, a word defining a meaning more than once. It comes from the Latin word laqueus, which means noose. The history of the lace traces back over 600 years to the 1600s. It started back in Europe as a luxury piece for the higher ups. One of the first people who had worn it was Queen Elizabeth I, who reigned as the Queen of England & Ireland for 45 years in the 15th and 16th century. It has always been known as a symbol of high class and luxury. But why is it considered as an expensive luxury item in todays day and age?
Lace is known for its time-consuming operation. Women of before would wait a long time to receive luxury lace pieces which takes us to our second point of why the lace is considered a luxury and expensive piece to own; painstaking. Designers who work with lace know how careful and precise each piece must be aligned with another.
Historically, there are different types of laces. The most common form of lace is the needle lace. It is made with a single thread and needle with tiny stiches creating the final fabric. Another common lace is the knitted lace. This is made by creating a looping pattern between the stiches in an open pattern design. Other forms of lace are Alencon, Bobbin, Chantilly, Torchon, and Valenciennes. It was common in history that the names of the laces were based off the cities that they were first made. Therefore, most of the names are Italian and French as this was the common trend to follow in the 1600s.
Towards the end of the 18th century, hand-made laces were starting to take a decline. By 1870, there had been a machine made by entrepreneurs to match all the capable laces that could’ve been made by hand. So, what is the difference between a machine-made lace and a hand made lace? The hand made lace is known to have uneven spaces between the stiches. Even the best hand made laces usually have a small pattern somewhere of uneven tension somewhere. Usually, any symmetrical perfections on a lace indicates it is machine made. Another point worth mentioning is that machines can’t make a specific sort of silhouette for instance if you wanted to have a horse on the lace, it would have to be handmade as machines don’t have settings that allow you to make any certain shape.
In modern history, many common public figures and celebrities own or have worn a lace piece to show class and their societal pedigree. Dating back to Princess Diana, who wore it casually to dinners to Madonna who during her peak career in the 80s wore a stretchy-lace top in many of her concerts. The impact of both global icons caused a stir and change within the market. Many females went to their local fashion boutiques to buy a lace dress. Madonna encouraged 75-80% of teenage girls to buy the lace dress in the 80s after wearing it to many of her concerts. No matter the person, it started an incredible wave of women who liked the idea of revival of the lace regardless of how expensive it was. Many females followed in the footsteps of these figures and now the possibilities are endless for lace.
At the 2022 Met Gala, a selection of stars put on a lace dress to showcase the fashion trend. The Met Gala was dubbed “An Anthology of Fashion” and the biggest names didn’t disappoint. Vanessa Hudgens, Kaia Gerber, Billie Eilish, and lastly Joe Jonas all put on their lace dress to ensure the continuity of the classic dress. Joe Jonas broke barriers by being one of the few men who have worn it in history along with his full suit made by Louis Vuitton.
Many companies now offer custom laces and for incredibly cheap prices to compare it with back in the days. There is no doubt it is like anything else in the world that has its class written all over it. The quality can always be known, and the quality is what people will remain to go after as it is crucial and important to most.