Garment storage and preservation

[tonyb]

Yesterday, as I was doing some closet organizing, my wife asked me to retrieve her wedding dress, which hasn't seen the light of day in the eight years since it was last (and first) worn.

It had been in a long plastic garment bag. It appears little the worse for having been kept that way, but we want that dress to be as well-stored and preserved as we reasonably can.

Having some vague sense that drycleaners offer wedding gown preservation services (the signs made their impression, I suppose), I dropped by one with the dress. I almost gasped when the young man behind the counter told me the price -- $129, plus tax. For that kind of money, they clean the dress and wrap and box it in acid-free paper. The price seems more than a bit excessive to me. I'm guessing they figure they can charge that much because people are willing to pay that much. For some folks, their wedding dresses border on the sacred.

Anyone care to disabuse me of this thinking? Is that price justifiable for any other reason(s)?

I did a bit of noodling around on the Web, checking into this very matter. It appears that my local cleaner's rate is competitive. I also read that storing the dress in a plastic garment bag isn't such a swell idea. Nor is storing it folded.

So, what to do? I'm looking into alternatives, not just for this wedding dress, either, but for all the attire I aim to keep in as good a condition as I can. Within reason, of course.

I'm all ears.

 

[Josephine]

My mom arranged to have my dress cleaned and packed away for me. I had a crinoline/petticoat with it that I thought I might try adapting to some of my 50's dresses, but when I lugged out the box, apparently I had to call the company up in NY to come retrieve it (included in the cost my mom paid), where they would open it up and safely remove the chemicals they had impregnated the dress with to preserve it, then send it back!

This probably doesn't help you much, but I thought it might make the $129 a little more palatable.

 

[Rachael]

The good news is, the dress hasn't been gathering dust. When we dug out my mother's dress for their recent 50th anniversary party, the lace was an awful dingy gray-brown and could not be cleaned. She has had it on a wire hanger since 1958!

I have heard many versions of whether one should pay for professional storage of a gown. To the best of my recollection, the cons lay on the side of making sure the work paid for is actually done; it is impossible to tell until the dress has been stored a while. Personally I did not have my dress preserved, but it outlasted the relationship, so here's to polyester!

Breathable storage is good, cleaning before storage is better. A plastic tote is as bad as a plastic bag. Folding can lead to creases/breakage depending on fiber content. If you do store it flat, be sure to do so in a box or trunk with plenty of room to lessen the folding. Acid-free paper is widely available thanks to the current popularity of scrapbooking, and I would imagine one could purchase a roll of it. If a dress is hung for storage, make sure that it is a kind hanger, not one that will slowly slice into the fibers of the dress. If there is a train, you can hang it by the loopy thing inside the dress to relieve the weight from the shoulders of the dress.

Of course, in storing wool make sure that you have some kind of moth repellant to prevent chewing. In general, avoid direct sunlight at all costs since that will break down almost anything and cause awful fading. Be sure the room is relatively temperature controlled, since radical variations can be unkind to natural fibers. Also avoid smelly things like chimneys, litter boxes, and kitchens (grease, onions, bad).

 

[tonyb]

Thanks, Josephine and Rachel.

Josephine, it sounds like the service your mother bought for your dress differs from what I was offered at the cleaners, which seems to be nothing more that a cleaning and a fancy acid-free paper box, which they hand to the customer to do with what she or he will.

I stopped by my favorite vintage clothier this afternoon to ask her opinion. She said to do with it what you would with any garment you valued highly -- keep it away from direct sunlight, moisture and insects. Hang it by a padded, cloth-covered hanger and put it in a muslin bag. Take it out every now and then to make sure bugs haven't taken up residence.

I think I'll do just that and save, oh, a hundred bucks or so, unless I hear a good reason why I shouldn't.

 

[Josephine]

Thanks, Josephine and Rachel.

I think I'll do just that and save, oh, a hundred bucks or so, unless I hear a good reason why I shouldn't.

You're welcome.

I would have it cleaned if it hadn't been after the wedding before you do what the vintage lady says.