Lace is a delicate fabric that designers have utilized with power. For a modest style, lace can be used as an overlay, while more risque looks will leave the slip dresses behind. Lace can even feature patterns to add a pop to your garment. Let’s take a look at how lace is being used on the runway.

Embroidered

Embroidered lace is elegant and intricate, with a lovely, textured hand. Josie Natori featured a leisurely pair of pants and a matching blouse made of embroidered lace, and Naeem Khan shows an abstract floral design embroidered into a mesh overlay. Oscar de la Renta and Zuhair Murad utilize embroidered for stunning evening gowns, while Red Valentino focuses on a more casual, but no less beautiful, design.

Show off your style with these fabrics:

Floral

Floral lace is the most popular, as the delicate constitution of lace is paired with the beauty of nature. Calvin Luo uses a lovely floral lace as a tank top paired with a ruched skirt, while Carolina Herrera uses a stiffer lace for a stunning trumpet dress that has me drooling. Erdem fashions a 40’s style dress of lace, although the women of the ’40s might have put on a slip, and Giambattista Valli created a beautiful high low dress. Greta Constantine pairs a beautiful floral lace pair of tights with a metallic jacket and sash and a lovely black bodysuit, perfect for an evening of rooftop parties.

Feel floral and fancy with these fabrics:

Guipure

Guipure lace is slightly thicker than usual lace and is connected by plaits instead of mesh. Alexander McQueen uses guipure lace expertly to create an asymmetrical hem, while Chloe’s simple beach cover of guipure allows the bathing suit to shine through. Lela Rose’s beautiful pastel blue summer dress looks quite at home on a yacht, and Rosie Assoulin’s yellow dress looks like it would fit in just fine, too. Valentino’s rich red guipure dress features flowers that pop, almost growing off the dress.

Give it up for Guipure:

Overlay

Lace overlays are the perfect way to add elegance and grace to any ensemble. Alessandra Rich displays this beautifully with a trumpet dress and matching gloves that’s got me shook, I’m obsessed! Diane von Furstenberg’s lovely lace dress with a yellow lining looks carefree and fancy, while Huishan Zhang’s jumpsuit is ready for some serious business. Oscar de la Renta’s lace overlay features the perfect leg slit, and Rebecca de Ravenel’s white dress and sunhat are giving me the summer witch vibes I have aspired to my whole life.

Lay this lace:

Will you be utilizing lace this season? I’m definitely a fan of the lace overlay. Let me know in the comments!