Save this story Save Story Save this story Lace has rules. So do ruffles. Mostly, they say, wear them under everything or after dark, for events with cocktails and a seating chart. For much of the last century, that rule has held, and the presence of either in daylight has broadly been read as a mistake or a provocation.
This season the rule is off. On the fall 2026 runways , romantic clothes arrived styled like everything else in your closet—a lace skirt with a cotton shirt, a gown with a combat boot, a ruffled collar over plain velvet trousers—and the shift is visible on the street too.
The Silk-and-Lace Blouse Dôen Lucine shirt Jump to review $458 NORDSTROM
The Lace-Trimmed Skirt Reformation Carolina skirt Jump to review $218 NORDSTROM
The Slim Turtleneck J.Crew ribbed turtleneck sweater Jump to review $118 J.CREW
The LBD Ulla Johnson Coco dress Jump to review $990 SAKS FIFTH AVENUE
The Cashmere Crewneck Massimo Dutti crewneck knit sweater Jump to review $110 MASSIMO DUTTI
The Lace Pant Aflalo Corin pants Jump to review $1,100 AFLALO
What changed on the fall runways isn’t the volume of lace and ruffles, which recur every few seasons, but the styling around them. The simplest approach was to pair. In her debut collection for Fendi, Maria Grazia Chiuri showed a black lace midiskirt with a crisp white cotton shirt and black socks worn with pumps—an outfit that could easily pass at the office. At Christian Dior, Jonathan Anderson sent a tier of ivory ruffles spilling out from under the hem of a sharp black jacket and put the whole thing over pale, bleached jeans. Valentino’s Alessandro Michele went furthest, proposing lace trousers outright: a beaded midnight blue flare worn under a camel blouson, styled as if running out for coffee.
The more useful idea was layering. At Chloé, Chemena Kamali put a white ruffled corset blouse over a plain gray turtleneck. At McQueen, Seán McGirr layered a black-and-white floral lace slip over a white openwork knit and sent it out with tall black riding boots. Matthieu Blazy did the same thing in reverse at Chanel, putting a pink lace shirt under a great slouchy tweed coat. And Colleen Allen draped a sheer ivory lace top over a severe black column, the inversion worth noticing: Here, the lace isn’t made wearable by something plain; it makes something plain romantic.
Below are 11 ways to bring romance into daylight—and the pieces to buy to do it.
Photo: Umberto Fratini / Gorunway.com Take a Lace Skirt to the Office With a Crisp White Shirt Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Fendi debut made the season’s clearest case: a black corded-lace midiskirt, a white cotton shirt with cuffs the size of dessert plates, and a black sock with a pump. Nothing in the outfit is trying.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Mansur Gavriel
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Comme Si
Photo: Daniele Oberrauch / Gorunway.com Put a Ruffle Over Your Favorite Jeans Jonathan Anderson sent a tier of ivory ruffles spilling out from under the hem of a sharp black jacket, over pale bleached jeans and brocade pumps. It is the most everyday look of the season and the easiest to copy tomorrow.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Liberowe
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Reformation
Photo: Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com Wear Lace Trousers Like You’d Wear Jeans Alessandro Michele might be the most committed of the season, proposing beaded midnight blue lace pants under a camel blouson with a shearling collar. Semi-casual outerwear is exactly what makes the trousers work.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Valentino
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Massimo Dutti
Photo: Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com Mix Two Laces Instead of Matching Them Anthony Vaccarello contrasted a bronze lace jacket with a burgundy lace pencil skirt and camisole—lace on lace, in one color family, with nothing else competing.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist L'Agence
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Saint Laurent
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Jennifer Behr
Photo: Courtesy of Chloé Layer a Ruffled Blouse Over a Plain Turtleneck Chemena Kamali’s white ruffled corset blouse—with epaulets at the shoulder, frills at the waist, and a black velvet ribbon at the collar—goes over a plain gray turtleneck and slouchy black leather. The slim-fit turtleneck is the whole trick.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Nili Lotan
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Sophie Bille Brahe
Photo: Umberto Fratini / Gorunway.com Put a Lace Slip Over a Long-Sleeve Knit At McQueen, Seán McGirr layered a black-and-white floral lace slip over a white openwork knit and sent it out with tall black riding boots. The knit turns the slip into a dress instead of a nightgown; the boots do the rest.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Ulla Johnson
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Burberry
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Savette
Photo: Courtesy of Colleen Allen Add Lace to the Plainest Dress You Own A sheer ivory lace top draped over a severe black column is the season’s argument running backward. Here, lace isn’t made wearable by something plain; it makes something plain romantic.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Colleen Allen
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Dries Van Noten
Photo: Filippo Fior / Gorunway.com Ground a Floor-Length Gown With Ankle Boots An ivory guipure gown, the kind of dress that would ordinarily arrive with a sandal and a clutch, gets toughened up instead with a flat black boot.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Gabriela Hearst
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Anonymous
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Aesther Ekme
Photo: Isidore Montag / Gorunway.com Contrast Delicate Ruffles With Black Leather Tiers of butter yellow chiffon, about as tender as clothing gets, get a punky edge from black leather accents: gloves, a studded clutch, and tall boots. Joseph Altuzarra described the collection as an attempt to bring drama to the clothes people actually wear—theatrical but grounded.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Lié Studio
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Neil J. Rodgers
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Altuzarra
Photo: Courtesy of Khaite Put a Lace Bra Under a Lace Dress Catherine Holstein layered a black lace bra under a sheer ivory lace slip at Khaite and made no attempt to hide it, finishing with black tights and heeled brown brogues. The bra isn’t peeking out; it’s part of the look—and exactly why it works.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Intimissimi
Photo: Daniele Oberrauch / Gorunway.com Throw a Tweed Coat Over a Lace Shirt and Coordinating Skirt Matthieu Blazy layered a pink lace shirt and a lace-trimmed skirt under an oversized checkered tweed coat, and finished with a quilted flap bag. The coat is slouchy enough that the whole outfit looks thrown on.
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Massimo Dutti
Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Reformation
Falling for It: The Season’s Must-Have Buys
Global Vogue Editors Style Fall’s Runway Heroes for Real Life— Get the Look Now
Vogue Essentials: Shop Wardrobe Staples That Will Never Go Out of Style
What’s Everyone Buying These Days? Shop 60+ It Items That Are Defining Fashion Right Now
Sign Up for Texts From Vogue Editors and Friends for Curated Shopping Edits Delivered Straight to Your Phone
Source: Lifestyle
0 Comments