Eyelet: The Small Detail That Makes or Breaks Your Style

There are details in fashion and design that most people never consciously notice — until they’re missing. The eyelet is one of those details. Modest in size, often overlooked, yet quietly essential to the structure, function, and beauty of countless everyday objects. From the boots on your feet to the curtains on your windows, from the corsets of Victorian fashion to the athletic wear you throw on for a morning run, eyelets are everywhere. And the more you learn about them, the more you realize they deserve far more credit than they typically receive.

This post is a deep dive into the world of eyelets — what they are, where they come from, how they’re used across industries, and why choosing the right one genuinely matters.

What Is an Eyelet?

An eyelet is a small hole, typically reinforced with a metal ring, grommet, or stitching, designed to allow a lace, cord, rope, or fastening to pass through without tearing the surrounding material. The word itself comes from the Old French “oeillet,” meaning “little eye,” and that etymology is apt — in a row of eyelets running down a shoe or a garment, each small hole does look rather like a tiny eye staring back at you.

Eyelets can be purely functional, purely decorative, or both simultaneously. They appear in leather goods, fabrics, canvas, paper, and even metal. They are punched, pressed, sewn, or laser-cut depending on the material and the intended use. And while the basic concept is ancient, the eyelet has evolved considerably over the centuries into a nuanced component with its own engineering, aesthetics, and terminology.

A Brief History of the Eyelet

The story of the eyelet is older than most people expect. Early versions appear in medieval European clothing, where holes reinforced with whipped stitching were used to thread laces through doublets and bodices. These hand-sewn eyelets required skill and time, and they were a standard part of a tailor’s repertoire for centuries.

The metal eyelet as we know it today, however, is largely a product of the Industrial Revolution. In 1823, a French inventor named Toussaint Olivier patented a machine for producing metal eyelets at scale. The timing was significant — the 19th century saw an explosion in the mass production of clothing and footwear, and reliable, affordable eyelets became a critical component in both industries.

By the mid-1800s, eyelets were standard features on the increasingly popular lace-up boots that defined Victorian and Edwardian fashion. The corset industry also relied heavily on them, with rows of brass eyelets running down the back of garments to accommodate the tight lacing that was considered the height of elegance. Military suppliers adopted metal eyelets for boots, bags, and equipment, recognizing their durability under harsh conditions.

Throughout the 20th century, eyelets migrated from strictly functional applications into deliberate style statements. Punk fashion in the 1970s embraced heavy metal eyelets on boots and jackets as symbols of toughness and rebellion. Designers in the 1990s began experimenting with oversized eyelets as decorative elements on handbags, belts, and shoes. Today, the eyelet sits comfortably in both heritage craft and high fashion, as likely to appear on a handmade shoe from a bespoke cobbler as on a runway piece from a major fashion house.

Types of Eyelets

Not all eyelets are the same, and understanding the different types helps when you’re shopping for materials, crafting a project, or simply trying to understand why a particular product is built the way it is.

Metal Eyelets and Grommets are the most common type found in footwear, bags, and heavy-duty applications. They are typically made from brass, stainless steel, aluminum, or zinc alloy. The terms “eyelet” and “grommet” are often used interchangeably, though technically a grommet consists of two separate pieces — a ring and a washer — that clamp together around the material, while a simple eyelet is a single flanged ring. Brass eyelets are prized for their corrosion resistance and warm golden color. Stainless steel is favored when longevity and a modern appearance are priorities. Aluminum is lightweight and can be anodized in a range of colors, making it popular for sportswear and outdoor gear.

Sewn or Hand-Stitched Eyelets are created by cutting or punching a hole in fabric and then reinforcing the edges with tight buttonhole stitches, usually in thread that matches or contrasts the garment. This technique is still used in bespoke tailoring and high-end corsetry, where the flexibility and subtlety of a sewn eyelet is preferred over the rigidity of a metal ring. Sewn eyelets sit flatter against the fabric, move more naturally with the garment, and can be repaired more easily than their metal counterparts.

Plastic Eyelets have become more common in budget garments and outdoor products where rust resistance is a priority and weight savings matter. While they lack the premium feel of metal, modern plastic eyelets can be quite durable and are available in a wide variety of colors.

Laser-Cut Eyelets represent a more recent innovation, particularly in leather goods and high-fashion applications. Rather than punching a hole and inserting a reinforcing ring, laser cutting creates precise, clean-edged holes in leather or synthetic materials that hold their shape without additional reinforcement. This technique allows for extremely intricate eyelet patterns and is frequently used in decorative applications.

Embroidered Eyelets are small circular holes in fabric surrounded by dense embroidery stitching. They are characteristic of broderie anglaise, a form of whitework embroidery that became fashionable in the 19th century and has never really gone away. You’ll find embroidered eyelet fabric used in blouses, dresses, skirts, and children’s clothing, particularly in spring and summer collections.

Eyelets in Footwear

This is probably where most people encounter eyelets most regularly, even if they’ve never stopped to think about it. The standard running shoe or sneaker has anywhere from six to twelve eyelets per side. A pair of classic leather dress shoes typically has five. Work boots can have a dozen or more, often combining traditional eyelets at the lower sections with speed hooks — open D-ring or J-hook metal fittings — toward the upper shaft for faster lacing.

The placement and size of eyelets in footwear is not arbitrary. Cobblers and shoe designers think carefully about eyelet positioning because it directly affects how a lace distributes tension across the foot. Eyelets spaced too far apart allow too much movement; too close together and the lace creates uncomfortable pressure points. The angle of the eyelet relative to the shoe’s last influences how the shoe closes and whether the lace sits flat or twists.

For anyone interested in shoe construction — whether as a consumer, a leatherworker, or simply a curious person — paying attention to eyelet quality is a worthwhile exercise. On a well-made shoe, the eyelets are set cleanly, lie flush with the leather, and show no signs of tearing or metal fatigue even after years of use. On a poorly made shoe, the eyelets are often the first thing to go — they tear through the upper, loosen, or corrode, and when they fail the shoe becomes difficult or impossible to wear.

Eyelets in Fashion and Clothing

Beyond footwear, eyelets have a significant presence across clothing and accessories. In belts, they serve the obvious purpose of accepting the belt prong, but the spacing, material, and finish of belt eyelets say a great deal about the quality of the belt overall. A cheap belt might have only five pre-punched holes with thin, loosely set eyelets. A well-made leather belt might have closely spaced holes with solidly set brass eyelets, or even hand-punched holes without metal reinforcement at all, relying on the thickness and quality of the leather to hold its shape.

In contemporary fashion, the eyelet has taken on strong decorative roles. Oversized grommets became a signature element of 2000s Y2K style and have cycled back into trend repeatedly since. Eyelet embroidery — that delicate broderie anglaise tradition — has remained a consistent presence in feminine dressing, enjoying major revivals in 2016, 2019, and again in the early 2020s. The appeal of eyelet embroidery lies in its combination of texture, openwork, and lightness: the small perforated holes allow air circulation while the surrounding embroidery creates intricate visual patterns that catch the light.

Corsets and corsetry-inspired fashion continue to rely on eyelets for both structure and aesthetics. When a fashion designer uses lacing as a design element — whether on a bodice, the back of a dress, or along the side seam of a pair of trousers — the eyelets through which that lacing passes are as much a visual feature as a functional one. The scale, finish, and spacing of those eyelets become deliberate design choices.

Eyelets in Home Décor and Soft Furnishings

Step away from clothing and footwear and you’ll find eyelets doing equally important work in the home. Eyelet curtains — also called grommet curtains or ring-top curtains — are one of the most popular curtain styles on the market. Large metal rings, typically between 35mm and 60mm in internal diameter, are set into the top of the curtain panel at regular intervals, allowing a curtain rod to pass directly through them. The result is a uniform, structured wave of fabric that hangs beautifully and slides easily along the rod.

The appeal of eyelet curtains is partly aesthetic — they give a clean, contemporary look that suits modern interiors — and partly practical. Because the curtain hangs directly from the rod rather than from hooks or rings attached to a header tape, there are fewer components to buy, assemble, and maintain. The fabric falls in consistent, well-defined folds that don’t shift or bunch unevenly over time.

Choosing the right eyelet curtain involves paying attention to the internal diameter of the eyelets relative to your curtain rod diameter, the finish of the metal (brushed nickel, antique brass, chrome, and matte black are common options), and how the spacing of the eyelets affects the overall drape. Eyelets spaced too far apart produce fewer, wider folds; more closely spaced eyelets produce more folds with a fuller appearance.

Beyond curtains, eyelets appear throughout soft furnishing — in awnings, outdoor furniture covers, shade sails, and canvas storage products. Here the demands are more strictly functional, and the emphasis falls on corrosion-resistant materials, secure setting, and the ability to withstand tension and outdoor exposure without failing.

Eyelets in Craft and DIY Projects

For makers, crafters, and leatherworkers, eyelets are a regular and beloved tool. Setting eyelets is a satisfying skill to learn — it requires a hole punch, a setting tool or setter die, and a hammer or mallet, and with a little practice you can produce clean, professional results on leather, canvas, denim, and other heavy materials.

Eyelets are used in handmade bags, wallets, journal covers, keychains, belts, and garments. They add structural reinforcement to areas that will take repeated stress — the corners of a tote bag, the top of a rucksack, the closure of a leather notebook. They also add a crafted, intentional quality that elevates a handmade piece from simple to polished.

Craft-supply eyelets come in a remarkable range of sizes, from tiny 3mm eyelets used in paper crafting and scrapbooking to large 20mm grommets used in heavy canvas work. Metal colors include antique brass, shiny gold, silver, gunmetal, copper, and matte black, among others. For paper crafters, small aluminum eyelets punched and set through layers of cardstock create visual interest and can be used to attach tags, ribbons, and charms.

If you’re new to setting eyelets, it’s worth practicing on scrap material before working on your actual project. The key variables are hole size (which should match the eyelet’s shaft diameter closely — too large a hole and the eyelet won’t grip properly), setting pressure (which should be firm and even), and the quality of the setter. A good-quality setter leaves a clean, smooth flare on the back of the eyelet; a cheap or poorly matched setter can leave uneven, sharp edges that look unprofessional and can scratch or cut whatever the finished piece comes into contact with.

How to Choose the Right Eyelet for Your Project

Whether you’re making a pair of shoes, sewing a garment, hanging curtains, or working on a leather craft project, choosing the appropriate eyelet comes down to a few key considerations.

Material matters enormously. For anything that will be exposed to moisture, humidity, or the outdoors, brass and stainless steel are your best options because they resist corrosion. For indoor applications where cost is a priority, zinc alloy eyelets perform well and are widely available. Aluminum is a good choice when you need color variety or want to minimize weight.

Size is equally important. The internal diameter of the eyelet must be appropriate for whatever will pass through it — a lace, a cord, a curtain rod, or just air. The flange diameter (the outer rim that sits on the face of the material) should be proportionate to the material thickness and the visual effect you want. A large flange on thin fabric can look clunky; a small flange on thick leather may not grip securely.

Finish and color should coordinate with the rest of your project. This might seem like a superficial concern, but mismatched hardware finishes are one of the most common ways that otherwise well-made items look slightly off. If your zipper pulls are antique brass, your rivets should be antique brass, and your eyelets should be antique brass too.

Finally, consider the setting method. Some eyelets require specialized tools; others can be set with basic equipment available in any craft store. If you’re doing production work or setting large numbers of eyelets, investing in a bench press or eyelet-setting machine will save time and produce more consistent results than hand-setting each one individually.

The Eyelet’s Enduring Appeal

It would be easy to dismiss the eyelet as too small and too utilitarian to merit serious attention. But that would miss the point. The details that hold things together — literally and figuratively — are often the ones that matter most. A shoe that laces beautifully, a curtain that hangs in perfect folds, a bag whose construction will outlast the trend it was made for: these things depend on humble components like the eyelet being chosen thoughtfully and executed well.

There’s also something aesthetically compelling about the eyelet that transcends its function. That repeating row of small circles has a rhythm to it — geometric, orderly, and quietly pleasing. Embroidered eyelets catch the light and create texture. Metal grommets suggest permanence and craft. Even the basic curtain eyelet has a sculptural quality when it gathers fabric into those characteristic soft waves.

Fashion cycles endlessly, but the eyelet has persisted through every era, adapting its appearance to the tastes of each generation while maintaining its essential nature. It was present in the courts of medieval Europe, in the factories of Victorian England, in the punk clubs of 1970s London, and on the runways of contemporary fashion weeks. It will almost certainly be present in whatever comes next.

Small, functional, beautiful, and enduring — the eyelet is exactly the kind of detail worth paying attention to.