What Is Chantilly Lace? How to Recognise It, Wear It and Care for It

Chantilly lace is a fine bobbin lace named after the town of Chantilly in northern France, made on a delicate hexagonal net ground with floral motifs outlined in a heavier thread and finished with soft, scalloped eyelash edges. You will find it trimming slips, lace tops and evening dresses, and the Ulla Johnson Pre-Spring 2027 collection uses it on six silk pieces this season. If you already own a lace skirt, our guide on how to wear a lace skirt pairs well with what follows.

Key facts

• Chantilly lace is a bobbin lace named after the town of Chantilly in northern France.
• It is recognised by a fine hexagonal net ground, floral motifs outlined in a heavier cordonnet thread and scalloped eyelash edges.
• Traditional Chantilly was silk in black and white; most modern Chantilly lace is machine-made on Leavers looms.
• Ulla Johnson Pre-Spring 2027 uses Chantilly lace trim on six silk pieces, including the Selene top and the Ethel, Imogen and Farenne dresses.

Where Chantilly lace comes from

Lace makers around Chantilly worked in bobbin lace, where many threads wound on small bobbins are twisted and crossed over a pattern pinned to a pillow. The town gave its name to a particular style: a very fine, open net with flowers, leaves and ribbons drawn on top. Traditional Chantilly was made in silk, in black and in white, and black silk Chantilly became the version people picture when they hear the name, used for shawls, veils and mantillas.

Handmade bobbin lace is slow and costly, so almost all Chantilly lace sold today is made by machine. The finest machine versions come from Leavers looms, the tall machines that the French lace towns of Calais and Caudry are known for. Leavers lace copies the net, the outlines and the eyelash edge closely, which is why the name has carried over to modern fashion lace.

How do you recognise Chantilly lace?

Look closely and four details give it away.

• The ground. A fine, regular hexagonal net, so open you can see skin through it.
• The motifs. Flowers, vines and scrolls worked in a denser fill that looks almost shaded.
• The cordonnet. A thicker outline thread traced around each motif, which makes the pattern read like a pen drawing.
• The edge. A scalloped border with fine loose threads left at the edge, known as eyelash lace.

Compare that with guipure, which has no net at all and joins heavy motifs with bars, and with Alençon, which looks similar but has a raised, corded outline that stands proud of the surface. Chantilly is the flattest and lightest of the three, which is why it suits a trim on a sheer blouse.

How to wear Chantilly lace

Because it is so fine, Chantilly works best in small amounts, at a neckline, a cuff, a hem and the edge of a slip. Here is how to handle it:

• Let lace trim sit against plain silk. A lace-edged slip under chiffon gives depth without looking fussy.
• Choose one lace piece per outfit. A lace-trimmed top with a plain skirt reads better than lace head to toe.
• Keep jewellery smooth. Prong-set rings and textured chains catch on the net.
• Black Chantilly is the evening classic; pale blue and ballet pink feel lighter for day.
• Wear a nude slip under sheer lace for daytime, then skip it for evening if the piece allows.

Chantilly lace at Ulla Johnson: the picks

In this drop the lace appears as a trim on silk pieces that pair airy chiffon with satin-faced georgette, and the slip-style pieces are the best introduction.

1. Selene Puff Sleeve Top in Noir

The Selene Puff Sleeve Top in black silk has a V-neckline, short puffed sleeves, a draped bow and Chantilly lace trim. Black on black is the most traditional way to wear this lace.

2. Selene Puff Sleeve Top in Hydrangea

The same Selene top in pale hydrangea blue, a softer daytime version of the lace trim with the same bow detail.

3. Farenne Mini Dress in Hydrangea

The Farenne in hydrangea blue is a shirting-inspired silk piece with a ruffled V-neckline, long sleeves and a satin-faced georgette slip edged in Chantilly lace.

4. Ethel Dress in Ballet

The Ethel Dress in ballet pink has a collar, long sleeves and a separate georgette slip trimmed with Chantilly lace, so the lace shows through the chiffon as you move.

5. Imogen Dress in Noir

The Imogen Dress is a sleeveless black silk midi with a V-neckline, a pleated skirt and Chantilly lace trim at the neckline, with a contrasting hem.

6. Delphina Lace Skirt in Hydrangea

The Delphina Lace Skirt layers sheer silk chiffon over a mini silk slip trimmed with Chantilly lace, finished with a bow and a satin border.

Lace-like, but not lace

Two knits in the drop borrow the look of lace through jacquard rather than being lace themselves, and they are worth knowing if you like the pattern but want something sturdier.

7. Ingrid Knit Tank Top in Noir

The Ingrid Knit Tank Top moves from opaque compact knit into sheer jacquard netting from under the bust to the waist, with scalloping at the armholes and neckline.

8. Tahlia Knit Mini Dress in Noir

The Tahlia Knit Mini Dress in black has lace-like floral jacquard motifs across the shoulders and pleated skirt, with small scalloped edges at the short sleeves and hem.

For more of the collection, read our Pre-Spring 2027 guide and the silk blouses edit.

How to care for Chantilly lace

Always follow the care label. Every lace-trimmed Ulla Johnson piece in this drop is marked dry clean only, and that is sensible for silk and fine net together. At home, a few habits keep lace in good shape:

• Store it flat, folded in acid-free tissue, away from bright light.
• Hang slip dresses on padded hangers so the straps do not stretch.
• Fasten clasps and remove rings before you dress, because one snag pulls a run through the net.
• Steam from a distance on a low setting, never with an iron pressed on the lace.

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. Slip-lined pieces have two layers, so check the fit through the shoulders rather than the hem.

Where else to find fine lace

For further browsing, Erdem, Self-Portrait and Zimmermann are three labels where lace turns up season after season. Our brands like Ulla Johnson guide compares the wider group, and Ulla Johnson tops covers the rest of the blouses.

Frequently asked questions

What is Chantilly lace?

Chantilly lace is a fine bobbin lace named after Chantilly in France. It has a hexagonal net ground, floral motifs outlined in a heavier thread and scalloped eyelash edges.

Is Chantilly lace handmade?

Traditional Chantilly was handmade bobbin lace, but almost all Chantilly lace sold today is made by machine, the finest of it on Leavers looms.

What is the difference between Chantilly and Alencon lace?

Both have a net ground and floral motifs, but Alencon has a raised corded outline while Chantilly is flatter, lighter and finer.

What colour is Chantilly lace?

It was traditionally made in black and white silk, with black the best known. Modern versions come in many colours, including pale blue and pink.

How do you wash Chantilly lace?

Follow the label. Silk pieces with Chantilly trim are usually dry clean only, and lace should be stored flat in tissue.

What is eyelash lace?

Eyelash lace is lace finished with a scalloped edge of fine loose threads, a signature of Chantilly lace.

Read next: What is crinkle chiffon?, How to wear a lace skirt, Ruffle blouses.

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