Take a small sketchbook when you visit bakeries and do quick studies of the pastries. A palmier's folded shape can become a beautiful pleated skirt pattern. I once translated the flaky top of a mille-feuille into a layered chiffon collar by playing with different white fabric swatches. It really helps to have those visual notes later when you're at the drafting table.
Wait, isn't a mille-feuille the one with all the cream layers? The flaky top is puff pastry, sure, but the name means a thousand leaves, which is more about the layers inside. Maybe you're thinking of the sugar crust on a creme brulee for a textured collar? That could give a similar crunch effect in fabric.