Hands up who wants to wear summer lace
SO, Here we are then. After months of downcast drizzle, brollies at the ready, we can finally celebrate the sun’s reappearance. Hurrah!
except that now, of course, you need to break out your summer wardrobe. Are you ready?
Do you have the perfect dress for that wedding, those impromptu barbecues and the annual company summer bash?
Of course you don’t, because . . . well, we never do. But panic not, for this summer there is an easy solution: lace.
First, banish all thoughts of Miss Havisham. This is not Victorian-bridal-gown lace. And don’t think of Ann Summers, either. The latest incarnations are a million miles from that particular crime against style.
On a recent whizz around the High Street, I was bowled over by how far lace has come. It was once the most difficult fabric to mass produce and, sadly, one of the naffest. But now the likes of Zara and Whistles are chock-full of highend, desirable lace.
AS A confirmed non-lace-wearer, I found myself scooping up Zara’s golden lace blouse (£19.99,
zara.com), and now can’t wait to wear it with crisp white jeans and tan flats.
I also picked up a gorgeous black cutwork lace midi-skirt from Whistles (£175, whistles.
com) that I wore with a simple white shirt and strappy black sandals. It practically received a standing ovation when I arrived at the Grazia office for work.
It is the High Street’s inroads with Guipure lace — which all the designers are using now — that you should look out for. It’s a type of lace that looks a bit thicker, is sturdier and gives a good crisp outline.
Steer clear of any Lurex ( shiny) thread or nasty synthetics — flammable is never a good look.
I would also advise running away from anything tight. Definitely no pencil skirts, unless you are lucky enough to have the flattest of tummies, as unfortunately body-con lace will bend in all the wrong places.
The best dresses I’ve found that skim — rather than grip — the body are by Self- Portrait ( matchesfashion.
com). There is a demure number with sleeves and a high neck in gorgeous thick black lace and hemmed in deep blue for £ 295, which might bust the budget. But if you think of it as an investment piece, it will certainly come into its own. You could wear this dress over and over and it simply won’t date. It is also properly lined all over, as opposed to a spaghettistrapped slip that will, well, slip!
Back in a more comfortable bracket, Marks & Spencer has proved that bright, zingy colours can work with its miracle marigold dress (£89, marksandspencer.com) —a guaranteed hit for that summer wedding.
If you’re not quite brave enough to go for lace all over, then try lace inserts. These pretty panels can run across the shoulder line or down a sleeve. You’ll even find them as a hem on a skirt (Zara again) or a trim on a pair of Uterque jeans (£65, uterque.com).
Convinced? I am. If handled with care, lace could be your answer to this summer’s wardrobe conundrums. Just don’t forget your umbrella.
Rebecca LowthoRpe is fashion director of Grazia Magazine.