What Is Lace? The Delicate Fabric

Lace is one of Europe's oldest decorative textiles and today it sits in almost every underwear drawer. Even so, very few people know what is actually behind the fine fabric: how does the openwork pattern come about? What is lace made of today? And does it really scratch? Here you will find the answers, from the definition through production and types of lace to the right care.

What is lace?

Lace is an openwork, ornamental textile. The pattern is not created by printing onto a closed fabric, but by the interplay of dense motifs and open areas. It is exactly these openings that make lace what it is: flowers, tendrils or geometric shapes stand out against a transparent ground. The fabric itself is the pattern.

Historically, lace was pure handwork and a status symbol. From the 16th century onwards, the first great lace centres emerged in Italy and Flanders, whose collars and cuffs were coveted at European courts. A single elaborate piece could mean months of work, and it was traded at a correspondingly high price. With industrialisation in the 19th century, machines took over production, and the luxury good became a fabric that many could afford. Names such as Chantilly, Valenciennes or Plauen lace still recall places that became known through this craft. Today you mostly come across lace in underwear, lingerie and formal clothing, plus in bridal wear and as a detail on tops and dresses.

How is lace made?

For centuries, lace was made by hand: bobbin lace, in which dozens of threads were systematically crossed around each other on a pillow, or needle lace, stitch by stitch on a pre-drawn pattern. Both techniques still exist as crafts today, but they hardly play a role in clothing any more.

Modern lace for underwear comes from a machine, more precisely: from Raschel or Jacquard warp knitting machines. There the lace is knitted, meaning it is formed from interlocking loops, similar to knitting, only with very fine threads and at high speed. Strictly speaking, that makes lace not a woven fabric but a knitted one. The difference is more than hair-splitting: loops make a fabric inherently more mobile than rigidly crossed threads. If elastane is worked in directly during knitting, the result is the stretchy, hugging lace you know from bras, bralettes and briefs.

What types of lace are there?

Bobbin lace and needle lace

The two great historical techniques. Bobbin lace is created by crossing and twisting many individual threads that are wound onto small spools, the bobbins. Needle lace is built up with needle and thread alone and is considered the most elaborate form of all. Today both are found above all in traditional costume, in collectors' pieces and in craft work; for underwear they no longer have any practical relevance.

Elastic Raschel lace

The standard in modern underwear. It is knitted on Raschel warp knitting machines, usually with elastane worked in directly. In this way it combines the ornamental pattern of classic lace with the stretch that underwear needs in everyday life: it adapts to your movements and sits lightly on the skin. Jacquard technology also makes it possible to realise complex motifs, from fine flowers to graphic patterns.

Lace or mesh?

Both fabrics are transparent and light, but they are often confused. The difference lies in the pattern: mesh is an evenly fine net without ornamental motifs, lace lives on precisely those motifs. That makes mesh look plain and smooth, lace playful and textured. What mesh exactly is and how it is made, you can read in our article What is mesh?

What is lace made of today?

In the past, lace was made from linen, silk or fine cotton yarn. Modern lace, by contrast, mostly consists of polyamide, combined with a share of elastane for the stretch. There are practical reasons for this: polyamide can be processed into extremely fine, even threads. For the delicate patterns of a warp knitting machine, that is ideal.

A concrete example: our Iconic Lace collection, for instance, works with 88% polyamide and 12% elastane, the gusset consists of 95% organically grown cotton and 5% elastane. Part of the polyamide comes from Fulgar, and for the elastane Roica™ V550 from Asahi Kasei is used.

How do you recognise good lace? By the handle and the pattern: high-quality lace feels supple, not wiry, the motifs are cleanly and evenly worked out, and the edges do not fray. Recovery counts too: if you stretch the fabric slightly and let go, it should find its way back into shape rather than going baggy.

Lace at erlich textil

Important to know: collection names are not materials. You will always find the exact composition of your style on the relevant product page.

Whether you wear lace, when and how much of it, is up to you. Some wear it as a contrast to everyday life, others simply because they like the pattern, and others not at all. All of that is fine, because underwear is there for you first. If you want to browse: our lace underwear ranges from bras to bralettes and bodies to briefs.

Does lace scratch?

The honest answer: it depends on quality, elastane content and workmanship. Cheap, stiff lace with hard edges can be uncomfortable on the skin, especially in places where the fabric is under tension. Finely knitted, elastic lace with flat seams and soft bands, on the other hand, is something most people barely feel. What you can look out for: flat or neatly finished seams, soft edges at the waistband and leg opening, and an elastane content that makes the fabric supple rather than rigid. And just as honestly: anyone with very sensitive skin may reach for smooth fabrics in everyday life and wear lace when it suits.

How do you care for lace?

Lace is finer than most other underwear fabrics, and the open loops can catch on fastenings or zips. With a few simple steps it still stays beautiful for a long time:

Wash lace at 30 °C on the gentle cycle with a detergent for delicates.
Use a laundry bag so the fine loops do not catch on hooks or fastenings of other items.
Do not put lace in the tumble dryer, the heat takes its toll on the elastane.
Dry it flat.

And when in doubt, check the care label of your specific style, it always has the last word.

Frequently asked questions

Does lace scratch on the skin?

That depends on quality and workmanship. Finely knitted, elastic lace with flat seams and soft bands is something most people barely feel. Stiff lace with hard edges, on the other hand, can be uncomfortable. Anyone with very sensitive skin tends to reach for smooth fabrics in everyday life.

What chemistry is in lace?

Modern lace mostly consists of synthetic fibres such as polyamide and elastane. If you want to know what is in a specific product, you will find the exact material composition on every product page.

What is the difference between lace and mesh?

Lace shows an ornamental pattern of dense motifs and open areas. Mesh is an evenly fine net without a pattern. Both are transparent, but they look very different: lace playful and textured, mesh plain and smooth.

How do you wash lace?

At 30 °C on the gentle cycle, ideally in a laundry bag. Do not put it in the tumble dryer, dry it flat instead. Also check the care label of your style.

Is lace sustainable?

That depends on fibres, production and how long it is used, there is no blanket yes or no. At erlich, the sewing takes place in Hungary, and the gusset is made of organically grown cotton. The longer you wear a piece, the better its balance turns out.