Kate Middleton is lovely in lace

If there’s one lady that can bring a trend back from the brink, it’s the nations sweetheart and style icon, the beautiful Kate Middleton. And the trend we’re seeing and loving (again), is lace.

While lace is a fabric that many associate with sweet, girly dresses, the style that Kate has brought to our attention is sophisticated yet slightly sexy, elegant yet bold, and the more lace involved, the better. We loved the navy dress by Erdem which she wore on a visit to Canada last year, with the three quarter sleeves, knee length hem and minimal accessories, it really was the perfect outfit for the occasion.

Clearly not scared to rock the same trend twice, she wowed again last week at the premiere of Steven Spielberg’s War Horse, in a stunning black lace full length dress by Alice Temperley, again sticking to simple accessories to let the dress do all the talking.

There’s something about a lace dress that screams class, whether it’s the vintage vibe we get from full lace fabric dresses, or sheer lace sleeves which show off just a hint of flesh under a delicate pattern. This is exactly what the lace bodycon dress from Drama Queens does, and the high neckline and full length sleeves perfectly balance the short hemline and sexy sweetheart shape at the bust.

One of our favourite looks has to be the Fearne Cotton lace dress, which uses the all over lace fabric but brings it right up to date with the fiesty shade of red. This is  a bold look but would look fabulous with any skin tone or hair colour, and the tulip shape is a real figure flatterer! If we were looking for a statement dress this would undoubtedly be top of the list.

If you’re a lace learner and don’t quite feel up to going the whole hog with an all over pattern, why not start out with a lace feature that will cover the trend but keep you feeling comfortable in a style you’re used to. This Teatro pencil dress is a perfect example, with the lace insert down the front to streamline the figure, and the bold monochrome shades contrasting nicely with the feminine lace design.

So if you’re channeling Miss Middleton and want to emulate her style, the first item on your to-buy list for 2012 should definitely be a chic, sophisticated, lovely lace dress.