The first time I went to the Antiquities Brocante at the Bastille, I remember being awestruck by this wonderful 1920s lace cloth of the most delicious shade of yellow. It was a remarkable piece. I remember too stroking it for the longest time to the bemusement of the lady seller. Unfortunately I left the brocante without it as due to its great age, it had not survived unscathed. A slight tear towards the bottom marred its perfection. The seller was willing to give me a discounted price due to the tear and my inner voice told me to buy it right then and there but the cold voice of reason won out. What, it asked me, would I do with such a fragile piece of cloth? And it was torn to boot. I’ve regretted it ever since. Its funny how loss can make one realize just how much one wants what is gone. I suppose this is true for a lot more things than a piece of cloth from a bygone era. But as I write this, I realize that I love lace. There’s something so elegant, so refined and old world about it. If the wear and tear of daily life would just permit it, I would swan about dressed always in the delicate weaves of a lace pattern. When I do indulge myself, I find myself gliding, rather than striding about, holding myself erect rather than hunched over and weighed down by my everyday things.
Imagine then my happiness when I discovered a darling little store just full of the most beautiful lace dresses and linens. Perhaps I'll find the twin of my lost lace cloth or perhaps I'll find something else equally precious. Au fil d’Elise with its inventory of over 1000 pieces, ranging from the 1800s to the 1950s, is the kind of place you can spend hours in, just browsing and marveling at the treasures contained within its walls. It helps greatly that the owner is patient and nice enough to answer all your questions. The store itself is luminous and full of charming and whimsical decorative touches.
