You won't catch too many men — outside the entertainment field, anyway — strutting about in lace today. The very idea is enough to induce snickering.

But the material associated with femininity today was the manliest of public expression 400 years ago, associated with status and power.

An exhibit opening at the Honolulu Academy of Arts today showcases pieces from the museum's collection while telling the story of how it came to represent the ultimate status symbol in Europe.

The intricacy and time involved in creating the handmade textile made it a valuable commodity.

“;Just one square inch of lace can include more than 2,000 stitches,”; said Sara Oka, collection manager of textiles at the academy. “;The intricacy of this textile is astounding. You can see why lace was such a sought-after commodity — governments imposed sumptuary edicts, importation duties and restrictions which prompted the illegal smuggling of lace on dogs, hollowed-out loaves of bread, and in coffins.”;

Men, as the holders of power and wealth, were consummate lace connoisseurs who drove the continent-wide industry. At one point, there was a domestic-help shortage because so many people were pressed into the demanding job of lacemaking. It could take up to 10 months to make one cuff.

Italy and Flanders were the major centers for the early development of lace. In France, the elite spent such vast amounts of money on Italian lace that Jean-Baptiste Colbert, the finance minister under Louis XIV, forbade its use. Consequently, Colbert induced Venetian and Flemish lacemakers to establish lace schools near Alencon in 1665. The textile was the perfect style accent during this period of frivolous, rich and refined living. Lace could be found in men's collars, cuffs, ruffs, bibs, cravats, bootlaces and garters.

“;Men in Lace”; tells the fascinating story through intricate lace fragments, which are put into historical and cultural context through the showcasing of paintings, drawings, prints and costumes.

Some works include a fragment of “;Point de France”; needle lace with delicate representations of trophies and exotic motifs, and a late-18th-century formal suit for court wear, comprising a patterned silk velvet coat and breeches with a contrasting waistcoat, all luxuriously embroidered and finished with lace shirt ruffles and cuffs.

An interactive component of the exhibit will include a costume station where visitors can try on ruffs, collars and cuffs. It will be open 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays and 1 to 3 p.m. Sundays.