diff --git a/tracing-subscriber/src/fmt/fmt_layer.rs b/tracing-subscriber/src/fmt/fmt_layer.rs
index 054ac36aa5..71113dc67a 100644
--- a/tracing-subscriber/src/fmt/fmt_layer.rs
+++ b/tracing-subscriber/src/fmt/fmt_layer.rs
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ use tracing_core::{
 /// use tracing_subscriber::{fmt, registry::Registry};
 /// use tracing_subscriber::prelude::*;
 ///
-/// let subscriber = fmt::Layer::default()
-///     .with_subscriber(Registry::default());
+/// let subscriber = Registry::default()
+///     .with(fmt::Layer::default());
 ///
 /// tracing::subscriber::set_global_default(subscriber).unwrap();
 /// ```
diff --git a/tracing-subscriber/src/fmt/mod.rs b/tracing-subscriber/src/fmt/mod.rs
index f0d7520da0..452a184e01 100644
--- a/tracing-subscriber/src/fmt/mod.rs
+++ b/tracing-subscriber/src/fmt/mod.rs
@@ -101,16 +101,18 @@
 //!
 //! ```rust
 //! use tracing_subscriber::{fmt, Layer, registry::Registry, EnvFilter};
+//! use tracing_subscriber::prelude::*;
 //!
 //! let fmt_layer = fmt::Layer::builder()
 //!     .with_target(false)
 //!     .finish();
-//!
-//! let subscriber = EnvFilter::try_from_default_env()
+//! let filter_layer = EnvFilter::try_from_default_env()
 //!     .or_else(|_| EnvFilter::try_new("info"))
-//!     .unwrap()
-//!     .and_then(fmt_layer)
-//!     .with_subscriber(Registry::default());
+//!     .unwrap();
+//!
+//! let subscriber = Registry::default()
+//!     .with(filter_layer)
+//!     .with(fmt_layer);
 //!
 //! tracing::subscriber::set_global_default(subscriber).unwrap();
 //! ```
diff --git a/tracing-subscriber/src/layer.rs b/tracing-subscriber/src/layer.rs
index 34aa670ec4..8a10e443b1 100644
--- a/tracing-subscriber/src/layer.rs
+++ b/tracing-subscriber/src/layer.rs
@@ -31,6 +31,131 @@ use std::{any::TypeId, marker::PhantomData};
 /// [`Subscriber`] behavior; it can _observe_ events and spans, but does not
 /// assign IDs.
 ///
+/// ## Composing Layers
+///
+/// Since a `Layer` does not implement a complete strategy for collecting
+/// traces, it must be composed with a `Subscriber` in order to be used. The
+/// `Layer` trait is generic over a type parameter (called `S` in the trait
+/// definition), representing the types of `Subscriber` they can be composed
+/// with. Thus, a `Layer` may be implemented that will only compose with a
+/// particular `Subscriber` implementation, or additional trait bounds may be
+/// added to constrain what types implementing `Subscriber` a `Layer` can wrap.
+///
+/// `Layer`s may be added to a `Subscriber` by using the [`SubscriberExt::with`]
+/// method, which is provided by `tracing-subscriber`'s [prelude]. This method
+/// returns a [`Layered`] struct that implements `Subscriber` by composing the
+/// `Layer` with the `Subscriber`.
+///
+/// For example:
+/// ```rust
+/// use tracing_subscriber::Layer;
+/// use tracing_subscriber::prelude::*;
+/// use tracing::Subscriber;
+///
+/// pub struct MyLayer {
+///     // ...
+/// }
+///
+/// impl<S: Subscriber> Layer<S> for MyLayer {
+///     // ...
+/// }
+///
+/// pub struct MySubscriber {
+///     // ...
+/// }
+///
+/// # use tracing_core::{span::{Id, Attributes, Record}, Metadata, Event};
+/// impl Subscriber for MySubscriber {
+///     // ...
+/// #   fn new_span(&self, _: &Attributes) -> Id { Id::from_u64(1) }
+/// #   fn record(&self, _: &Id, _: &Record) {}
+/// #   fn event(&self, _: &Event) {}
+/// #   fn record_follows_from(&self, _: &Id, _: &Id) {}
+/// #   fn enabled(&self, _: &Metadata) -> bool { false }
+/// #   fn enter(&self, _: &Id) {}
+/// #   fn exit(&self, _: &Id) {}
+/// }
+/// # impl MyLayer {
+/// # fn new() -> Self { Self {} }
+/// # }
+/// # impl MySubscriber {
+/// # fn new() -> Self { Self { }}
+/// # }
+///
+/// let subscriber = MySubscriber::new()
+///     .with(MyLayer::new());
+///
+/// tracing::subscriber::set_global_default(subscriber);
+/// ```
+///
+/// Multiple `Layer`s may be composed in the same manner:
+/// ```rust
+/// # use tracing_subscriber::Layer;
+/// # use tracing_subscriber::prelude::*;
+/// # use tracing::Subscriber;
+/// pub struct MyOtherLayer {
+///     // ...
+/// }
+///
+/// impl<S: Subscriber> Layer<S> for MyOtherLayer {
+///     // ...
+/// }
+///
+/// pub struct MyThirdLayer {
+///     // ...
+/// }
+///
+/// impl<S: Subscriber> Layer<S> for MyThirdLayer {
+///     // ...
+/// }
+/// # pub struct MyLayer {}
+/// # impl<S: Subscriber> Layer<S> for MyLayer {}
+/// # pub struct MySubscriber { }
+/// # use tracing_core::{span::{Id, Attributes, Record}, Metadata, Event};
+/// # impl Subscriber for MySubscriber {
+/// #   fn new_span(&self, _: &Attributes) -> Id { Id::from_u64(1) }
+/// #   fn record(&self, _: &Id, _: &Record) {}
+/// #   fn event(&self, _: &Event) {}
+/// #   fn record_follows_from(&self, _: &Id, _: &Id) {}
+/// #   fn enabled(&self, _: &Metadata) -> bool { false }
+/// #   fn enter(&self, _: &Id) {}
+/// #   fn exit(&self, _: &Id) {}
+/// }
+/// # impl MyLayer {
+/// # fn new() -> Self { Self {} }
+/// # }
+/// # impl MyOtherLayer {
+/// # fn new() -> Self { Self {} }
+/// # }
+/// # impl MyThirdLayer {
+/// # fn new() -> Self { Self {} }
+/// # }
+/// # impl MySubscriber {
+/// # fn new() -> Self { Self { }}
+/// # }
+///
+/// let subscriber = MySubscriber::new()
+///     .with(MyLayer::new())
+///     .with(MyOtherLayer::new())
+///     .with(MyThirdLayer::new());
+///
+/// tracing::subscriber::set_global_default(subscriber);
+/// ```
+///
+/// The [`Layer::with_subscriber` method][with-sub] constructs the `Layered`
+/// type from a `Layer` and `Subscriber`, and is called by
+/// [`SubscriberExt::with`]. In general, it is more idiomatic to use
+/// `SubscriberExt::with`, and treat `Layer::with_subscriber` as an
+/// implementation detail, as `with_subscriber` calls must be nested, leading to
+/// less clear code for the reader. However, `Layer`s which wish to perform
+/// additional behavior when composed with a subscriber may provide their own
+/// implementations of `SubscriberExt::with`.
+///
+/// [`SubscriberExt::with`]: trait.SubscriberExt.html#method.with
+/// [`Layered`]: struct.Layered.html
+/// [prelude]: ../prelude/index.html
+/// [with-sub]: #method.with_subscriber
+///
 /// ## Recording Traces
 ///
 /// The `Layer` trait defines a set of methods for consuming notifications from
@@ -371,11 +496,7 @@ pub trait SubscriberExt: Subscriber + crate::sealed::Sealed {
         L: Layer<Self>,
         Self: Sized,
     {
-        Layered {
-            layer,
-            inner: self,
-            _s: PhantomData,
-        }
+        layer.with_subscriber(self)
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/tracing-subscriber/src/registry/mod.rs b/tracing-subscriber/src/registry/mod.rs
index e58804892d..f8671437a7 100644
--- a/tracing-subscriber/src/registry/mod.rs
+++ b/tracing-subscriber/src/registry/mod.rs
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 //!
 //! For example, we might create a `Registry` and add multiple `Layer`s like so:
 //! ```rust
-//! use tracing_subscriber::{registry::Registry, Layer};
+//! use tracing_subscriber::{registry::Registry, Layer, prelude::*};
 //! # use tracing_core::Subscriber;
 //! # pub struct FooLayer {}
 //! # pub struct BarLayer {}
@@ -23,12 +23,12 @@
 //! # fn new() -> Self { Self {} }
 //! # }
 //! # impl BarLayer {
-//! # fn new() -> Self { Self { }}
+//! # fn new() -> Self { Self {} }
 //! # }
 //!
-//! let subscriber = FooLayer::new()
-//!     .and_then(BarLayer::new())
-//!     .with_subscriber(Registry::default());
+//! let subscriber = Registry::default()
+//!     .with(FooLayer::new())
+//!     .with(BarLayer::new());
 //! ```
 //!
 //! If a type implementing `Layer` depends on the functionality of a `Registry`