Trends on Campus: "Lace"-ed with style, rain or shine

By Brittney Xu     11/15/11 6:00pm

There was a time when lace was confined to doilies, wedding dresses and the trimmings of robes. Now it can be found on and off campus, as the textile industry spins lace faster than consumers can snatch it up.

The many types of lace available make it a very versatile fabric for many occasions. If it's tradition you're looking for, fine needle lace is for you. It is handmade and considered an achievement of pure art. Lace can also be made using the opposite approach, the cutwork method, which does not weave strands together but rather removes threads from a prewoven background.

The ancient pharaohs of Egypt were the first to weave flax into geometric designs, but the birthplace of what we call lace is Flanders, a region in northern Belgium. The art of lace-making was considered important enough to be taught in Belgian schools at one point, and lace design books were in circulation in as early as 1540. Nowadays, lace is mainly made of cotton or polyester fibers for fast-fashion consumption, but it is still common for silk and gold lace to be used in formal gowns.

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For a more practical approach to wearing lace, Baker freshman Charli Holloway shows us how to rock the trend well into the last weeks of November. She pairs her white lace tank top with a matching headband, earrings and sandals. However, it is her contrasting pink tank underneath that really brings out the pattern on the lace top.  Holloway keeps the bottom of the outfit relatively simple, with a pair of skinny jeans that are dark blue, a shade that flatters most figures. Lastly, she tops off her look with a silver owl necklace that shows off her Rice University spirit. To get Holloway's look, layer your bright colored tanks underneath a lace top for a dramatic color contrast, one that will bring out the detail on the lace. Finish off the look by stocking up on accessories like bangles, bracelets and earrings, as Holloway has illustrated.

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