Eyelet

Eyelet, known formally as broderie anglaise, is not a true lace but woven cotton punched with small holes whose raw edges are bound with embroidery, the holes arranged into floral and scalloped patterns. It rose in the mid-nineteenth century as an affordable, washable substitute for costly handmade lace, perfect for the white summer cottons of dresses, blouses, pinafores, and christening gowns. Where lace is made of holes, eyelet is cloth made holey, the democratic cousin that put openwork within everyone's reach.