From Prada to The Row—Designers Are Leaning Into Doily Dressing

If Prairie Core was the 2010s version of the feminine-meets-flowerchild aesthetic, doily dressing is today’s iteration. You may recall the height of cream-puff sleeves and lace-trimmed dresses — brands like Batsheva, Ganni, and Dôen, pioneered (no pun intended) the return and rise of cottage core between 2012 and 2019. Although the style has remained relevant since then (Google trends show steady growth of “cottage core” as a search term into the 2020s), designers have continued to evolve and even reinvent the genre. Rodarte’s spring 2021 collection showed doily-print dresses, Tory Burch’s spring 2020 collection opened with a handkerchief dress, and Christian Dior’s fall 2022 collection included white cotton dresses embroidered with vintage-inspired lace. In other words, this season’s interpretation of cottage core is defined by vintage textiles and, yes, doilies.

From Prada’s white doily-embellished skirts of their fall 2023 collection to Diotima’s pre-fall 2023 collection of crochet separates, a slew of styles sewn with linen, lace, and crochet versions of doilies mark a new era for fashion’s prairie subculture. Cecilie Bahnsen, Sea, and The Row are just a few of the handful of designers who integrated doily-inspired knits into their fall 2023 collections. So grab your handkerchief, find your crochet frock, and identify the nearest lace-embroidered skirt, because if there’s one trend to adopt in between seasons, it’s doily dressing.

Below, shop our favorite doily-adorned pieces.

Dresses

Perhaps the easiest point of entry, the doily dress is a one-and-done way to master this trend. Alessandra Rich’s cable-knit dress with a cotton collar is an autumnal iteration of the style, while Oscar de la Renta, Chloe LoveShackFancy, and Simkhai each offer more classic lace takes on the style. And as always, Zara’s version of doily-inspired textiles is a low-stakes way to take on the trend.

Tops

Microdose doilies into your wardrobe by starting with a top. The Row’s crochet top from their fall 2023 collection is perhaps the most beloved (and widely-circulated) piece among this season’s doilies. J. Crew, Sea, and Dôen each offer long-sleeve tops—a cardigan and a blouse—that sufficiently give doily, while Burberry and Cos each make a case for the classic, crisp white button-up version of the trend.

Skirts

Make the doily a moment by completing the look with a skirt. Diotima, a New York-based brand known for their Jamaican-made crochet pieces, sets the gold standard for doilies — their crocheted cotton maxi skirt is what this trend is all about. Because great minds think alike, Prada and Zimmermann also each presented straight, white doily-embroidered midi skirts this season. Sea and Tory Burch each presented a-line versions of the white, vintage lace-inspired midi skirt. And finally, Zara once again gave this trend a more accessible iteration with an asymmetrical midi skirt.

Pants

Akoia Swim, a crochet-focused swimwear brand, produces a majority of their pieces by hand in Bali. Their pant set, which includes a pair of cream, wide-leg crochet trousers, gives this bohemian trend a structured silhouette. Adine, a Los Angeles-based loungewear brand, takes the trend a step further with a pair of doily-adorned white pants (which are similar to Zimmerman’s more tailored version). Leset offers an all-knitted iteration of the pants, while Mango’s Guipure suit pants from their capsule collection give this style a sheer look.

Accessories

If you’re not quite ready to integrate doilies into your clothing, this is the section for you. Take on the trend by way of fancy footwear with CO’s white crochet heels or a pair of hand-knitted flats from Hvoya, a small footwear and accessories brand based in Ukraine. Carry the trend by hand with a silk bag from Copenhagen-based designer Cecilie Bahnsen, a rose bag from Magda Butrym or a shoulder bag from Recto. Top it off with one quintessential, cottage-meets-doily piece: a crochet collar from Bode.