Kate’s McQueen Dress Tough to Knock Off

Friday, 29 April 2011 | by Pat's Picks

Try to knock this one off. Kate Middleton’s dress was finally revealed as she walked down the aisle this morning. And the LA Times says not only does the Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen gown show Kate’s “deep admiration for British heritage,” it would be a doozy to try and replicate. Most of the dress is constructed out of handmade lace: “French Chantilly lace was combined with English Cluny lace to be hand-worked in the Carrickmacross needlework tradition which originated in Ireland in the 1820s. The workers washed their hands every 30 minutes to keep the lace and threads pristine, and the needles were renewed every three hours, to keep them sharp and clean.”

The Mirror, in addition to a stunning amount of detail about the details, says designer Sarah Burton created the dress in the style of the Arts and Crafts movement, which is based on “truth to materials and traditional craftsmanship using simple forms and often Romantic styles of decoration.”