Types of Lace: Guipure, Chantilly, Galloon and Eyelash Lace

Lace falls into two main groups: lace with a ground, where the motifs sit on a net base, and lace without a ground, where the motifs are joined by fine bridges. Chantilly and eyelash lace have a ground; guipure does not. Galloon is not a type but lace in ribbon form. In nightwear, lace is used most on the neckline, bust, straps and hem.

What lace is and how it is made

Lace is an openwork decorative fabric made by linking threads while leaving open spaces between them. The pattern comes from the balance between where there is thread and where there is none. It can be a garment on its own, but more often it is a detail added to another fabric. Lace was once made by hand, with a needle or with bobbins (bobbin lace); most lace used today is made by machine.

Three routes are common in machine lace. Leavers machines are slow but produce finely worked lace; good Chantilly and eyelash lace are usually made this way. Raschel knitting machines are faster and more economical, and stretch lace with elastane can be made on them too. Guipure is mostly made by embroidering onto a soluble base and then dissolving the base; this is why it is also called chemical lace.

With and without a ground

The easiest way to tell laces apart is to look at the ground. If there is a fine net with hexagonal holes behind the motifs, it is lace with a ground; if the motifs float, holding on to each other only by small bridges, it is lace without a ground. Lace with a ground is lighter and more sheer, and blends softly into the fabric. Lace without a ground is more textured and substantial, and holds its own shape.

What lace is made of

The fibre of the lace can differ from the fibre of the fabric. Most lace used today is polyamide (nylon), cotton, viscose or polyester; elastane may be added for stretch. Silk lace exists, but it is rare and expensive. This is why the lace on a silk nightdress is usually a separate material and does not count as silk. The label may list the main fabric and the lace separately; when looking for silk, check the fibre of the main fabric.

A small note: on the traditional anniversary list, the 13th year is lace and the 12th is silk. Gift ideas that bring the two together are in our 12th anniversary guide.

Guipure lace

Guipure is the best-known lace without a ground. The motifs are worked in thick thread, raised and dense; the space between them is filled not by net but by fine connecting bars. Its edge is not a straight band but follows the outline of the motifs, so it can be cut out and appliquéd onto fabric.

In nightwear, guipure gives a more structured, dramatic effect: it holds its own form, and on a fine fabric it becomes a neckline or bust panel. It is heavy; a wide guipure panel on a very fine fabric can pull the fabric down. Its surface is also firmer; where it touches the skin constantly, lining it or placing it over the fabric makes it more comfortable. The guipure nightdress and feather-trim robe set is one example of this texture in nightwear; this set is not silk.

Chantilly lace

Chantilly is one of the most delicate laces with a ground. Flower, leaf and scroll motifs sit on a light net ground with hexagonal holes. The edges of the motifs are outlined with a thicker thread; this is what makes the pattern stand out like a drawn line. It takes its name from the town where it was traditionally made; today most of it is made by machine.

Because it is light and soft, it is one of the most used laces in lingerie and nightwear. At the bust, the neckline edge and the hem, it almost merges with the fabric. Used in one colour, tone on tone with the fabric, it is at its calmest. It is delicate and needs care against pulling and snagging.

Eyelash lace

Eyelash lace has fine thread fringes along its edges and around its motifs. The fringes form when the threads floating between motifs on the machine are cut after production, and from a distance they look like eyelashes. It is usually made on a fine Chantilly-type net ground; the edge finish gives it a soft, romantic look.

In nightwear, it is often seen on the bust edge of strappy nightdresses, on short hems and on skirt hems. The lashes can catch and break over time; always wash in a mesh bag and never with zipped or hooked pieces.

Galloon lace

Galloon is lace produced as a ribbon. It is usually a few centimetres wide, with both edges finished as scallops or motifs, so it can be sewn on top of the fabric, through its middle or along its edge. Ribbon lace with one motif edge and one straight edge is called edging lace.

In nightwear, galloon is used most around the neckline, at cuffs and leg openings, along the waistline and down the straps. Chantilly, eyelash or guipure: every lace type can come as a galloon ribbon. The fine lace you see on a pyjama collar or a robe cuff is usually sewn on as a ribbon, that is, as galloon or edging lace.

Other lace types

• Corded lace: a thick cord is worked along the edges of the motifs afterwards, so the pattern looks raised and defined. Often used in wedding dresses.
• Embroidered tulle: a pattern machine-embroidered onto plain tulle. It looks like lace, but its ground is entirely tulle.
• Stretch lace: lace containing elastane, so it stretches. Common in lingerie; sensitive to heat.
• Broderie anglaise: embroidery made by cutting holes into a cotton fabric. Seen on summer nightdresses and pyjamas; strictly speaking it is embroidery, not lace.
• Oya: an edging made with a needle, crochet hook or shuttle, alive in Anatolian tradition. It resembles lace but is a separate handcraft.

Lace in nightwear: where and how much

In nightwear, lace does two jobs: it finishes an edge and it draws the eye to one point. How much is used and where sets the language of the piece:

• Tone on tone: the lace is in the same colour family as the fabric. The calmest use; the lace at the bust of the Long Lace Nightdress is like this.
• A single small detail: one point of lace, as on the Lace Nightdress and the Long Slip Dress. Less detail, the right cut.
• Edging lace: on cami and shorts sets the lace finishes the edge, on pyjamas it frames the collar, on a robe the cuffs.
• All-over lace: designs where lace is the character of the piece. On the Lace-Sleeve Robe, the sleeves are lace from top to bottom; this robe is not silk.

There are two ways to go on colour. Tone-on-tone lace reads calm and lasting. Contrast lace, such as dark lace on a light fabric, feels more playful; if you use contrast, the lace should be small and single. We explain how lace placement affects choosing a nightdress in our how to choose a silk nightdress guide. Lace-detailed pieces are in the nightdresses and robes collections.

Quality and care

How to tell good-quality lace

• Do the motifs match at the seam, or does the pattern look cut off halfway?
• Is the edge clean, or do threads run where it was cut?
• Is the side against the skin harsh? Good lace feels soft, supple and light in the hand.
• Does the colour work with the fabric? Tone-on-tone lace should not look like a different colour from the fabric in the light.
• Does the lace stitching follow the line of the motif? In good workmanship, the stitching disappears.

Caring for lace pieces

Lace is the most delicate part of a piece; it sets the care rule. If the piece is silk, silk rules apply: the label comes first; wash inside out, at 30°C, by hand or in a mesh bag on a delicate cycle, with a mild detergent. No bleach or fabric softener, no rubbing, no wringing.

• Do not put a lace piece in the same mesh bag as hooked bras or zipped or Velcro pieces.
• Roll it in a towel to remove water. Do not tug at the lace edge; dry on a hanger or flat, in the shade.
• Iron on the reverse at low heat; do not press directly on the lace, and place a thin cloth between if needed.
• When storing, do not put heavy pieces on top of the lace; keep it in a dust bag, loosely folded or on a hanger.

For more detail, see our how to wash silk guide and the care page.