Well Hello Lace, It's Your Time to Shine!

Lace. Also known as doily fabric. But we don't want to look like a doily or a table cloth. Nope. We are aiming for something far more chic here.

If you happened to be following celeb news over the last week or so, you will have noticed a huge red carpet trend that has a feminine side, and that's the return of lace. It's a fabric I have had a marmite relationship with. In theory, it's pretty, it evokes summertime perfectly and it has this inherent girly-ness that fits in well at a garden party (if you are inclined to have garden parties).

But I am in fear of lace. It can be a little bulky, for all it's prettiness. Thick lace tops are a high street favourite, and honestly I wonder how long they will remain. Lace dresses are also a Kay-Mid favourite, and I will say they suit her. So, I've been thinking, how can we make this super feminine fabric work everyday for summer that's practical (washable!) and not too like a table cloth? I'm featuring a lot of lace on Xposé in the next week, so this research is incredibly topical as it is informative, ok? 

This last week has seen a surge in the love for lace on in celeb land. Selma rocked a fuller dress adorned with detail in London. Meanwhile, our fav fashion maven, Fearne Cotton opted for dusky yellow lace which certainly went for the "more is more" approach to styling.

My personal favourite, actress Emilia Fox went for demure black lace with that peplum we ladies love. Keeley Hawes just added a hint of the texture to her gown at the Royal Television Awards (it doesn't have to be an all over look). So, where do we mere mortals look to for our lace looks? 

One thing about this season's lace is the array of colours. It's a rainbow! If you have an occasion approaching, i.e. wedding season, lace is a comfortable fabric to wear thanks to it's flexibility. White, navy and monochrome are popular on the high street, but do watch out for dark lace styles that have a coloured lining; Phase Eight are great for this.

Then you can match shoes to the lining as opposed to the primary fabric. Try a skirt with a cotton t-shirt and sandals for your summer holliers too; Monsoon's red mini skirt is gorgeous; the shade of red is sweet and with a contrasting fabric it makes the lace more practical.

Next, Penneys and Debenhams have a huge selection of lace tops to style with jeans and tapered trousers for a casual look, as lace doesn't always have to be associated with something dressy. 

But we want to know what you think! Is lace a formal fabric or something more casual. How will you style yours?