The Duchess of Edinburgh just revived broderie anglaise. Here's how to wear it
Broderie anglaise is aptly named. There is something unmistakably English about the delicate eyelets and starched cotton, which conjure up images of babies getting christened in village churches, little girls tumbling through overgrown gardens and Jane Birkin outdoing the French at the beaches and bars of Saint-Tropez. Romantic yet practical, nostalgic yet modern, it is the fabric of long lazy lunches and sun-dappled weddings.
Of course, it is not a material that fares all that well in winter – but luckily the Duchess of Edinburgh is here to remind us that (no matter the whims of the weather gods) it is now June, and therefore high time to dig out our broderie anglaise tops, skirts and dresses from hibernation.
Pictured this week in a £210 drop-tiered blue dress with three-quarter length sleeves by Aspiga, Sophie Wessex has updated the 1970s broderie anglaise trend in a very 2025 way: then, the fabric was almost exclusively white, now it comes in a multitude of colours from citrussy yellow and orange to navy, sage and black, all of which kill Victorian nightgown associations in their tracks and add some edge to the prettiness.
'I was so thrilled to see Sophie Wessex in our best-selling Victoria dress in this beautiful broderie anglaise,' says Lucy Macnamara, the founder of Aspiga. 'This is one of my favourite fabrics for the summer, which is made from responsibly sourced cotton and has these large cut-out floral motifs that catch the light in the most flattering way.'
Designers have taken note. In Michael Kors' and Ulla Johnson's spring/summer collections, broderie anglais made for a clear highlight. Similarly, Susan Fang leaned into the romance of the material in her catwalk show by sending out a long, white, tiered broderie anglaise gown that, despite having all the trappings of a wedding dress, looked far too cool to be bridal.
The high street has also embraced the broderie renaissance. As well as Aspiga, brands like Boden, Hobbs and Me+Em have released an array of dresses with flattering mid-calf hemlines, waist ties and pretty puff sleeves: the sort of styles that would be your most-worn piece on holiday while being equally useful under a trench coat in sullen-skied Britain.
'It's the perfect material for summer in that it works for so many different occasions,' says Macnamara. 'It is so easy to style up with block heels or espadrilles for all the summer occasions ahead, or to wear in a more casual way in the day with raffia sliders. I like to team broderie anglaise with a blazer for evening or denim jacket for day.'
But if your taste leans more towards the utilitarian than the ultra-feminine, then fear not, broderie anglaise still has a place in your summer wardrobe. Oversized shirts from brands like Marks & Spencer or caftans from Jigsaw make for the perfect beach cover-up: laid-back but with a dash of texture. A crisp blouse – try Boden, Soeur or John Lewis – can be paired with jeans or denim shorts for a look that is more Cafe de Flore pre-tourist invasion than English garden party. Or try a sleeveless top – either from Gap x Doen or Nobody's Child – for a look that manages to be both polished and insouciant.
One of the more unexpected (and jaunty) broderie comebacks has taken place south of the ankle. Penelope Chilvers has colourful Mary-Jane espadrilles in ivory, red and blue with contrast broderie anglaise detailing on the toes. Or there is Bensimon, the quintessential French plimsoll brand, which has released a collection that gives their beloved tennis shoes a soft broderie twist.
Pretty but most definitely practical, these shoes are ideal for wandering down cobbled streets, traipsing across sunny parks or queuing for an ice cream under big blue skies. And really, what could be more summery than that?
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