Eyelet is Summer's Favorite Fabric. Here's How to Wear it

There's nothing new about it: Eyelet originated some 500 years ago in the Czech Republic and was embraced with zeal in Victorian-Era Europe (primarily used in undergarments and trims). But the lightweight cotton fabric is so well-suited for stiflingly hot summer days that it's almost hard to believe that it wasn't created by a Southern woman in the first place. Defined by small, finished holes pierced into a design, eyelet is often associated with girlish frocks and precious blouses (remember Brigitte Bardot's pink gingham-and-eyelet tea-length wedding dress?). But if you think that's all eyelet is good for, think again. As far as we're concerned, choose the right pieces and you'll never outgrow the decorative fabric. Here are five current ways to embrace the old-school classic.