Art Institute of Chicago

Lace Flounce

Flanders, Brussels (present day Belgium)

Date

1701-25

Medium

Linen, bobbin part lace

Culture

Flanders

Department

Textiles

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

The lace decorations that ornamented women’s dresses were separate from the dresses themselves. They required many yards of lace and, since fine lace was expensive, people sought substitutes that mimicked the light, translucent nature of the fabric. Here, the sleeve ruffles are made of a woven linen that has been skillfully embroidered to look like lace.

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