As autumn settles in and wardrobes shift toward wool, wax jackets and anything the colour of a good Bordeaux, an unlikely trend is quietly asserting itself in the gaps between sweaters and coat collars: lace. Not the bridal, curtain-like lace of a bygone era, nor the full-throttle lingerie-as-outerwear look that occasionally storms the red carpet, but something far more restrained — a flicker of it, glimpsed at a hemline, peeking from beneath a jumper, or edging the strap of a camisole tucked under a blazer.

It’s a curious idea on paper. Lace has always carried a double identity: the fabric of weddings and the fabric of boudoirs, equally at home on an altar or under a coat you’re not supposed to take off in public. That tension between innocence and intimacy is precisely what makes it such a compelling addition to an autumn look right now. Worn on its own, lace can tip into costume — either too romantic or too racy. But layered, half-hidden, contrasted against something sturdier, it becomes something else entirely: a hint rather than a statement.

This season’s runways have leaned into exactly that kind of restraint. At Miu Miu, gauzy camisoles and scalloped underlayers surfaced beneath tailored coats and prim skirts, turning what could have been overtly sexy into something almost administrative — lace as a secret rather than a declaration. Saint Laurent balanced barely-there lace skirts with dramatically plush faux-fur outerwear, letting texture do the work of taming exposure. Khaite, meanwhile, spliced lace panels into leather jackets and trousers, proving that the fabric reads as fashion rather than underwear the moment it’s paired with something a little tougher.

The common thread across all of these approaches is contrast. Lace next to more lace slides quickly into lingerie territory; lace against leather, wool or fur becomes an outfit with an edge. It’s the difference between an ensemble that looks unfinished and one that looks deliberately, knowingly undone — a few centimetres of delicacy peeking out from beneath armour.

There’s also something to be said for why this particular trick works so well in a professional or social context, not just a romantic one. Lace inevitably conjures skin, softness, vulnerability — qualities that can feel entirely out of place in a boardroom, yet oddly humanising when deployed with subtlety. A lace-trimmed cardigan or a camisole glimpsed beneath a structured jacket doesn’t scream seduction so much as it whispers personality. It suggests there’s a person underneath the professional exterior, which, in an era of increasingly buttoned-up workwear, can feel like a small act of rebellion.

Stylists have long understood this instinctively. Alexa Chung, often cited as a reference point for off-duty polish, has built entire looks around the idea of a cardigan buttoned to the throat with just a whisper of lace sneaking out beneath — proof that the trick isn’t about showing more, but about showing exactly the right amount.

The appeal, too, is seasonal logic. In high summer, when bare skin is already on full display, lace can feel redundant or overly suggestive — there’s nowhere left for the “reveal” to land. But in the shoulder season, when jumpers and jackets are creeping back into rotation, a sliver of lace at the neckline or hem provides exactly the kind of textural surprise that makes an outfit memorable rather than merely warm.

None of this requires an overhaul of the wardrobe. A lace-edged tank worn under a plain sweater. A slip skirt with a scalloped hem beneath a chunky knit. A bra strap that “accidentally” catches the light at a deep V-neck. These are small interventions, not costume changes — proof that a single unexpected texture, deployed sparingly, can do more for an autumn look than another layer of cashmere ever could.

Knitwear will have its turn, as it always does, once the weather turns properly bitter and buttons stay firmly done up. But for the next few weeks — while there’s still a sliver of warmth left in the air and a reason to leave something artfully unbuttoned — lace deserves its moment in the spotlight, however brief and however lightly worn.