Source: www.textilefabric.com


Whether you are in the deep south of the United States orthe deep south of France, chances are most of the popular styles of weddinggowns will have some type of lace incorporated into the design. Lace, tovarying degrees, is a mainstay in bridal fashions throughout most of the world.


Hand made lace is produced through a highly skilled andtime-consuming process. The majority of lace makers is and have always been women.Intricate fine pieces of lace could take a whole day to produce only a fewcentimeters. Lace is created by looping and twisting threads using a set ofbobbins or a needle. All true lace is done this way. True hand made lace isalso constructed separate from any woven fabric.


True lace appears to have first been made in the latefifteenth or early sixteenth century. The finest laces were made in Italy, France and Belgium. Various qualities of lace were also produced in several parts of Europe, China, India, the Philippines, and South and Central America.


Laces were typically made from flax, silk, metal wrappedsilk and some cotton and wool. However, flax (linen) thread made in Belgium was the fiber of choice.


Types of Lace


Alenon lace has a fine net ground and a raised outer edge (cordonnet).The majority of this type of lace is made by machine today. It commonly used astrimming for wedding gowns.


Chantilly lace is a form of bobbin lace. It was originally made in the town of Chantilly, France. It was very popular during the 17th century. It is characterized by afine net ground and delicate flowers, scrolls and branches. The pattern iscommonly outlined with heavy silk thread. This lace is expensive ($95.00 peryard or more) and is commonly used in wedding gowns.


Battenberg lace, also known as Renaissance lace, and is created by usingloops of woven tape secured together by yarn brides to form patterns. ProducingBattenburg lace was a popular hobby in the United States in the early 1900s.It is also now produced by machine and commonly used for tablecloths and inbridal gowns.


Venetian Lace is made in Venice, Italy. It is a heavy lace with floral, sprays, foliage or geometrical designs. In the 17th century this lace was considered morevaluable and held in higher esteem than jewels. Women of this era pinned uptheir skirts on the sides so the various layers of their lace petticoats wouldbe visible. This lace adorned kings as they were crowned and the garments ofthe wealthy were abundantly covered with it. This lace is still used today,especially in wedding gowns.


Machine made lace


Machines were developed in the early 1800's to produce lace. John Leavers developed a machine in 1813 that produced patterns and backgrounds atthe same time. The Leavers machine introduced the production of intricate lacepatterns similar to those created by hand. Lace made on the Leavers machine iscalled Leavers Lace. These laces are usually expensive.


Raschel lace is made on a Raschel warp knitting machine.This type of machine can produce laces similar to those made on the Leaversmachine but at higher speeds and at less expense.


Much of the manufactured lace on the market today is made onRaschel knitting machines. Laces that are intricate, light and delicate aremade inexpensively and quickly on these machines. Mass produced wedding gownswill contain lace that is produced by machines. Designer wedding gowns willmore likely contain portions of lace that are hand made.


Princess Lace This type of lace is used mainly for weddingveils and other ceremonial occasions. The net is produced by machine and theflowers are applied with a needle by hand.


 

The current trend in wedding gowns is focusing more on detail. Plain simple designs have been popular in recent years. The focus is now shifting to adding a small amount of detail. This detail typically involves some type of lace appliqu. There is also a trend towards historical gowns. The 18th century gowns (Martha Washington type) are popular today. These gowns include more lace than some of the gowns from other historical periods.


From traditional satin gowns to the not so traditional leather or vinyl gothic gowns, lace is typically a necessary component of the gown and/or the headpiece worn with the gown. There are many types of lace to choose from for wedding gowns. Lace can be added to virtually any part of the gown to create a more sophisticated elegant gown. Many fashions are just cyclic fads but lace, in all of its beauty and elegance, is a constant component of wedding attire.


Sources


  1. Harris, Jennifer. Textiles 5,000 Years: An International History and Illustrated Survey; Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers.
  2. Kadolph, Sara and Langford, Anna. Textiles, 8th Edition, Prentice-Hall Publishing Company, Upper Saddle River, NJ.
  3. Humphries, Mary. Fabric Handbook Reference, 2nd Edition, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada, 1992
  4. Wingate, Isabel. Fairchilds Dictionary of Textiles, 6th Edition, Fairchild Books a division of Fairchild Publications, New York, New York.
  5. www.weddings.about.com
  6. www.legacyoflace.com
  7. www.trabel.com



About the Author:


The author is the Vice President for Marketing and Sales in Textile Fabric Consultants, Inc.


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