When brides ask what makes a Lace & Love gown different, the honest answer starts with the fabric — and specifically with the difference between woven French lace and stretch lace.
It matters more than most brides expect, and unlike almost every other decision you will make about a dress, you will see it in every close-up photograph for the rest of your life.
What French lace actually is
Woven lace, made on a loom, thread by thread, with the pattern built into the structure rather than applied to the surface. It has weight. You can feel the pattern with your fingertips.
Under light — natural outdoor light especially, and candlelight — the raised threads throw small shadows. That is what people mean when they say lace looks alive in photographs. It is not a metaphor; it is the shadow.
The great Leavers-lace mills sit in Calais and Caudry in northern France, and that is where the tradition comes from. You can see the effect across our vintage lace gowns.
What stretch lace is, and why we do not use it
Stretch lace is knitted with elastane, and printed lace has the pattern applied to a flat base fabric. Both are cheap, easy to sew, forgiving of a bad fit, and extremely common in mass-market bridal.
In one photograph under even lighting, either can pass for the real thing. Hold them side by side and it collapses:
- Stretch and printed lace have a flat, faintly shiny surface. Woven lace has depth.
- The pattern has no relief, so it photographs as a drawing rather than as fabric.
- It creases differently and loses its structure after a few wears — which matters less for a dress worn once, and a great deal for a dress you keep.
We have never used it, and we are not going to start.
The differences, condensed
- Construction. French lace is woven thread by thread. Stretch lace is knitted; printed lace is stamped.
- Texture. Dimensional and tactile, against flat and smooth.
- In photographs. Depth and shadow, against a flat surface.
- Over a long day. Woven lace holds its shape. Stretch sags where it is pulled.
Why it matters on the day
Your photographs are permanent, and the lace shows up in every close-up: the sleeve, the bodice as you walk, the way light moves across it during the first dance. Woven lace rewards a camera close up. Stretch lace does not survive the crop.
Beyond photography, woven lace holds its shape across a twelve-hour day. It does not stretch out or sag in heat and humidity, which is worth knowing whether you are marrying at a beach or a destination or in a candlelit hall.
What we use
Every gown is made from woven French lace, bought from premium European suppliers. Each length is checked before it is cut, and that is not a corner we cut.
The gown is then sewn to your measurements by Shany Sasson and her atelier. See the fabric across the lace and chiffon gowns and the boho collection.
Questions
How do I tell them apart?
Touch it, then look at it closely. French lace has a raised, tactile pattern and a matte depth. Stretch lace is flat, smooth and slightly shiny. Side by side, or in a close-up photograph, it is obvious.
Is woven lace harder to fit, or less comfortable?
No, because the gown is cut to your measurements rather than relying on stretch to close the gap. That is exactly the trade: stretch fabric forgives a bad pattern, and a good pattern does not need forgiving. A minor local adjustment may still be worth making when it arrives.
Can I request particular lace, or change the placement?
Yes. We can move lace placement, combine a bodice from one gown with a skirt from another, and adjust the design. Message Shany about the fabric before you order.
How long does it take?
Five to six weeks to sew, then three to seven business days by DHL or UPS Express. Duties and taxes are prepaid where they are shown at checkout.
