A History of French Lace
Early Lace
Lace first appeared in the 15th century as the Renaissance started in Italy, though lace’s development began and spread from Northern France and Belgium. The first lace was entirely handmade with needles and bobbins, and each city had its own style of lace. Some prominent lacemaking centers included:
- Bruge, Belgium
- Valenciennes, France
- Chantilly, France
- Alençon, France
- Tulle, France
- Venice, Italy
The great expense of the handmade lace meant it was only available to the wealthy aristocracy, Royalty and Nobility, and of course, the church. Lace was especially loved by notable monarch including Louis XIV, Elizabeth I, and, later, Marie Antoinette.
The Industrial Revolution
As the industrial revolution spread across Europe, the development of factories and mass production, as well as steam powered machinery, lead to bounding advancements in lace production technology.
Starting in Tulle around 1804, with the basic bobbinette construction that we now call by the town’s name, the incorporation of design into machine-made lace came when the technology of the Jacquard loom (developed in 1801) was combined with the tulle-making bobbinette looms to produce the first Leavers Loom in 1820.
The Leavers loom and first Leavers lace was developed in England, and despite tensions between the two, it was spread to France by 1825, coming first to Calais and then to Caudry in Northern France, which was previously known as a #1 producer of linen fibers and textiles. It also spread to Lyon, known for its silk production.
As it is a rural area, Caudry’s lace production was all run by family businesses with small production, and quickly became highly coveted in the American bridal market, which allowed the lace industry to rapidly expand. At the time, it took roughly 6 months to get lace from France to New York.
French Lace Today
Solstiss grew from a small coalition of family businesses into the leader of French lace it is today using many of the same Leavers machines it started with and acquiring more as other companies closed in order to keep the historical production alive, and to experiment with new techniques for truly modern, couture laces. Solstiss has introduced modern materials like silicone and vinyl into new laces, and found new ways to incorporate techniques and finishes like flocking and hand painting as well.
The process of creating Leavers lace is intensive, requiring exceptional attention to detail. It starts with raw materials, woven and twisted into intricate designs on Leavers Looms. The looms weave the lace sideways—that is, from edge to edge across the width—meaning the length of the lace piece is limited by the length of the loom, usually 5 to 6 yards.
Once removed from the loom, the lace is cleaned, bleached and dyed, before being stretched to size. The incorporation of nylon fibers allows for the best stretch to create the clearest, most intricate designs. After drying, the lace is inspected and hand-clipped to remove loose threads and threads connecting separate motifs for a clean finish. It then passes through the first quality control inspection.
If any part of the lace is loose or torn, it is mended by hand by expert craftsmen. Then, the lace is trimmed and scalloped edges are created. A second quality control inspection is completed before the lace is folded and packed to be sent on its way to customers, ensuring only the finest lace reaches its destination.
From the runway to the red carpet to the screen, lace is a luxurious must-have for designers, brides, and home sewists alike—and French Lace is simply the best. Whether you’re searching for Chantilly lace, Alençon lace, Guipure lace, Solstiss’ French Leavers laces come in floral, geometric, and abstract patterns that are perfect for bridal, Haute Couture, lingerie, and everyday styles.
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