There are some stunning black lace dresses out there. In keeping with the season, this look is definitely a winner. Mainstream designers having tried every look, grunge to punk, street to smart. They are back to what works best for most women — a clean, classic, elegant look. A look which gives a woman a sense of freedom to feel
comfortable in girlie clothing. Which allows her to surrender to the female instinct to feel...well, feminine. And there can be nothing more womanly than lace.
We have all seen images of aristocratic ladies in Victorian times in voluminous lace gowns. Then the 20th century designers such as Chanel came along and discarded the fuss of lace for straight lines in plain black with no corsets and restrictive lace tie-backs. And now we have the contemporary designers who have combined this simplicity in cut and line with the most glamorous fabric — lace. This combination works.
Valentino has made lace in any colour look sexy for decades. Dolce and Gabbana has always done clothing with a sprinkling of lace. This season they have gone all out and done a full transparent dress in black lace, which of course can be worn the way it is, only by a model on the catwalk. For lesser mortals like us, it needs to be worn either with a black slip or a natural skin one. The effect is still dramatic.
Christopher Kane has done a full collection in black lace and broken its monotony in places with floral embroidery. These pieces have a sense of surprise because of the sudden appearance of colour in an otherwise monochromatic scheme. Tibi has done a minimalist lace top which works with a skirt, trousers, jeans, leggings, tights. Anything really. And that I feel is a true winner. A garment needs to be versatile to be able to stand the test of time in the wardrobe.
The one most stunning piece however has been done by Antonio Berardi. It is a long evening gown in black lace with a blush crepe lining and a black sash around the waist and a very deep neck at the back.
For lace to look sophisticated, it needs to be expensive lace. French lace ideally. Polyester lace made in China, which is in abundance in the high street, just does not look right.
The writer owns a fashion brand based in Europe. She can be reached on info@amishi.