Wednesday, March 2, 2011

How To Wear Lace With Grace


Lace, lace, lace! Everywhere I go, I'm seeing lace. Little girls, middle-aged women, and of course teenage girls are in love with lace cutouts, embellishments and even sheer tops. I am not immune to the ladylike loveliness of lace--however, I am very particular about which lace I choose to buy and wear-- and you should be too!

I think there are two types of lace in particular to steer clear of: cheap machine lace, and your grandmother's lace. I've seen both types in excess this season, and though both are painful to observe, cheap machine lace is the greater of the two evils.

When you find something you like that has lace, look at it from many different angles, as lighting can be very revealing as to the quality. If the lace is "shiny" or gleams from any direction or distance, no matter how in love you are with the piece... move on. It's tacky to wear something shiny, dull, or wrinkled if it isn’t supposed to be. Wearing shiny lace should be just as avoided as wearing wrinkled slacks or dull pearls. One of the quickest ways to identify if you are, indeed, looking at cheap lace, is to look at the fiber content. If the lace is made from nylon, acrylic, polyester, or a blend of the aforementioned it is probably not one that you should be looking at. If the material looks cheap, the thread is unraveling anywhere, or the lace makes the garment look as inexpensive as it most likely is, don't waste your time on it.

There is no excuse for grandma lace, either, though. When it looks like Charlotte the spider got crafty on the back of your top, you should fling it from thy presence! Don't get me wrong- old-fashioned lace can be very pretty. But when the lace crosses the line from frilly to frumpy, it should be passed over in the store. There's a fine line between sweet and sour, but with a trained eye, you'll be spotting and wearing the best lace around!

Now that the wrong types of lace have been identified, let's talk about the right lace! Lace is a great way to make a more severe ensemble soft, or to add sweet, feminine detail to a simple outfit.

Find a lace top, dress or skirt that is as lovely as you are. Remember, what you wear says something about who you are. Wear a garment worthy of yourself, one that says that you are not cheap, not tacky and not dated. You are a classic, fashion-conscious woman with taste, and when you dress like it, people will notice how put together you are!

Love,
Eleanor

P.S. Though there is some debate about this amongst the Touche de Mode girls, in my opinion lace tights are almost always a no-no!!! Case in point. They almost never look good on anyone. Take even more careful precautions when selecting lace tights. http://www.express.com/lace-full-tights-350-39.pro

Here are a couple of lace pieces for your perusal that have made the cut as good lace!



Here is a glaring lace “don’t”!!!

http://www.target.com/Xhilaration-Juniors-Lace-Cardigan-Sweater/dp/B003V8WLEG

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