A closer look at the lace used on Kate's Wedding Dress

There were two types of lace used on Kate's wedding dress. The first was English Cluny Lace and the second was French Chantilly Lace. Below, we will take a closer look.

English Cluny Lace

The Cluny Lace Company located on the border of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire is the only manufacturer left in the UK that makes lace. http://www.clunylace.com/index.htm

The company was established by the Mason family in the 1760s at the start of the Industrial Revolution. It is now owned and managed by the eighth and ninth generations of the Mason family.

On Kate's wedding dress English Cluny Lace was used primarily on the underskirt and on the train. It was also found on the bridesmaids 's underskirts and around their neck and sleeves.

Many of the company's patterns are made nowhere else in the world.

French Chantilly Lace

The rest of the lace on Kate's dress was leavers lace from French lacemaker Sophie Hallette. The company has been in business since 1887 and their lace has accented lavish looks from Dior and Dolce and Gabbana to Valentino and Versace.  http://www.sophiehallette.com/eng/main.html

Sophie Hallete offers over 2,000 lace designs. Kate chose a french chantilly lace with an intricate pattern of shamrocks, roses and lilies that was first created in 1958. The lace was hand-sewn on to the silk tulle which formed the gown’s decollete, sleeves and train.

Update 5/28/11: Clarence House issued a statement that the French lace used on Kate's dress came from the same company that produced the lace for Grace Kelly’s dress. Twenty-five meters (82 feet) of lace was used in the pattern for the gown.