My article on the evolution of fashionable chemical lace accessories at the turn of the twentieth century has been published in Waffen- und Kostümkunde.
Bibliographical Details: Louisa Gienger, „A Revivalist Fashion Statement: The Evolution of the Fin de Siècle Chemical Lace Collar,“ in: Waffen- und Kostümkunde 68, Issue 1 (2026), pp. 71–110 (published by Gesellschaft für Historische Waffen- und Kostümkunde / Verlag Louis Hofmann).
Abstract: The present paper traces the development of revival-inspired chemical lace accessories following the invention of chemical lace, a particular type of mechanical lace, in the 1880s. It details their growing circulation in the 1890s, their peak in popularity during the 1900s, and their decline before and during the First World War. Chemical lace was created in response to the increasing preference for heavy antique or antique-style guipure laces (i.e. substantial, three-dimensional laces with motifs connected by bars rather than net) in the late nineteenth century. It played a key role in the widespread interest in lace around 1900, and was a major fashion phenomenon across the social strata. In time, this also led to an economic boom in its two main production centres, St. Gallen, Switzerland, and Plauen, Germany. Chemical lace accessories consisted mainly of neckwear items such as collars in all conceivable shapes and sizes. They reflected the latest fashion trends, and can therefore often be dated very closely. As the first of its kind, this study introduces and dates some of the more distinct or widespread neckwear styles, thereby offering a timeline of chemical lace accessories as a basis for further study.
If you would like a digital copy of the full article for research or personal reference, please feel free to contact me directly to request the PDF.
