Eyelet Dresses: What Eyelet Is and How to Wear It

An eyelet dress is a dress with small, finished holes worked into the fabric in a pattern, traditionally cut and stitched into white cotton as broderie anglaise, and now also knitted straight into the cloth. The newest take on it at Coveti comes from the Ulla Johnson Pre-Spring 2027 collection, where eyelets run in geometric columns through garnet and champagne knits; find them among our designer dresses and read the wider Pre-Spring 2027 guide for the full drop.

Key facts

• Eyelet is openwork made of small holes finished around the edge so the fabric does not fray.
• Broderie anglaise is the classic eyelet: holes cut into woven cotton and oversewn, usually white on white.
• Knitted eyelet forms the holes during knitting, so nothing is cut afterwards.
• The Ulla Johnson Pre-Spring 2027 eyelet pieces are the Maribel and Audrey dresses, the Avelina cape top and the Lilah skirt.

What is eyelet?

Eyelet is openwork: a pattern of small holes, each one finished around its edge so the fabric does not fray. In the classic version, broderie anglaise, the holes are punched and cut into a woven cotton and then oversewn by hand and later by machine with satin stitch, usually in white thread on white cotton. The holes are grouped into flowers, leaves and scallops, and the edge of the fabric is often finished with a scalloped border.

There is a second kind, and it is the one in this edit. In knitted eyelet, the holes are made during knitting by moving stitches so that a gap forms, which means nothing is cut afterwards. The result is cleaner and more graphic, and because the openings are part of the knit structure they hold their shape well. The Ulla Johnson pieces use this technique for opaque geometric motifs and columns instead of flowers.

Eyelet against lace and crochet

People often confuse the three. Lace is an openwork fabric in its own right, made with bobbins, needles and machines on a net ground; our guide to Chantilly lace explains the finest kind. Crochet is made with a hook, loop by loop, and tends to be heavier. Eyelet starts with a solid fabric and adds holes into it, so it keeps more coverage than either and reads as daywear.

How to choose an eyelet dress

• Check the coverage: hold the dress to the light. Small, spaced eyelets need no slip; large, dense ones often do.
• Look at the edges: on cotton broderie anglaise the stitching around each hole should be tight and even, with no loose threads.
• Pick your weight: cotton eyelet is for heat, knitted eyelet in viscose and nylon suits cooler months and air-conditioned rooms.
• Think about placement: eyelets running in vertical columns lengthen the body, while a band of eyelet at the hem draws the eye down.
• Keep the colour simple: eyelet is detail enough, so a single colour lets the pattern show.

The best eyelet pieces: Pre-Spring 2027 picks

1. Maribel Knit Dress in Garnet

The headline eyelet dress: garnet red knit with opaque geometric eyelet motifs, a textured horizontal band at the bodice and a drop waist into a gently flared midi skirt. Long sleeves and a crew neck keep it polished.

2. Audrey Cami Knit Dress in Champagne

Champagne cream knit with black eyelets, the contrast making every opening visible. A V-neck, slim straps, columns of eyelets meeting below the bust and soft pleats in the skirt.

3. Avelina Knit Cape Top in Garnet

A short-sleeved knit cape top in garnet, with columns of geometric eyelets shaping the sleeves, the pleated bodice and the hem, plus a textured yoke and a keyhole opening.

4. Avelina Knit Cape Top in Champagne

The same cape top in champagne with black eyelets, the easier colour to wear with denim and black trousers.

5. Lilah Midi Knit Skirt in Garnet

A high-waisted garnet knit midi skirt with gentle pleats and vertical columns of graphic eyelet motifs. Worn with the Avelina top in garnet it reads as a dress.

6. Corinthia Knit Dress in Noir

For a related openwork look, this black compact knit carries lace-like floral jacquard motifs and scalloped sleeves and hem.

7. Tahlia Knit Mini Dress in Noir

Floral jacquard motifs across the shoulders and pleated skirt, with small scallops at the short sleeves and hem.

8. Vara Knit Top in Cowrie

A cowrie ivory knit top with sculptural flutter sleeves, lace-like floral motifs across the jacquard yoke and scalloped edges. The nearest thing here to the white-on-white look of broderie anglaise.

9. Ingrid Knit Tank Top in Noir

A black scoop-neck tank that moves from opaque knit into sheer jacquard netting between the bust and the waist, with scalloped armholes and neckline.

How to wear an eyelet dress

Treat eyelet as texture and keep everything else quiet. With the garnet knit dress, a slim black boot and a plain coat are all you need in autumn; in spring the same dress works with a flat leather sandal. The champagne dress is the one for a daytime wedding and a garden lunch, with a small bag and a fine gold chain. Separates make the eyelet go further: the Avelina top over the Ulla Johnson denim is a weekend outfit, and tucked into the Lilah skirt it becomes a matching set. Our garden party dresses edit and spring wedding guest dresses guide show how the lighter colours work for events.

Sizing

Ulla Johnson cuts in US sizes and Coveti lists the UK equivalent: a US 0 is a UK 4, a US 4 is a UK 8 and a US 6 is a UK 10. Knitwear runs P to XL, with P listed as XS. The brand gives no advice to size up on any piece in this drop, so take your usual size. The full charts are in our Ulla Johnson size guide. The eyelet dresses are structured at the bodice and relaxed in the skirt, so fit them to your bust and shoulders.

Care

All the knitted eyelet pieces in this edit are labelled dry clean only. Keep them folded so the openwork does not drop out of shape on a hanger, and lay them flat after wearing. Classic cotton broderie anglaise is often washable, but follow the label on each piece, since a lining can change the rules.

Where else to look

For more openwork and romantic daywear, browse Zimmermann, Needle and Thread and Self-Portrait. Our brands like Ulla Johnson guide covers the wider group.

Frequently asked questions

What is an eyelet dress?

An eyelet dress has small, finished holes worked into the fabric in a pattern. The classic version is broderie anglaise on white cotton, and knitted eyelet makes the holes during knitting.

What is the difference between eyelet and broderie anglaise?

Broderie anglaise is a type of eyelet: holes cut into woven cotton and oversewn, usually white on white. Eyelet is the wider term and also covers knitted openwork.

Do you need a slip under an eyelet dress?

Small, spaced eyelets on an opaque ground need no slip. Large, dense openwork usually does, so hold the dress to the light before you decide.

Can you wear an eyelet dress in winter?

Yes, in a knitted eyelet with long sleeves, such as a viscose and nylon knit, worn with boots and a coat.

Is an eyelet dress appropriate for a wedding?

A daytime and garden wedding suits eyelet well. Choose a midi length and a lighter colour, and avoid all-white so you do not echo the bride.

Read next: How to wear a knit dress, What is Chantilly lace?, Ulla Johnson knitwear.

By Gemma Deeks, Coveti Fashion Editor. Updated 21 October 2026.