victorian/Edwardian Dress, Hats Gloves and Bag...

[cooljjay]

Ok well I am not sure where to find the info, but I figure that the fellow hat gurus. Could shine some light on my worries. First where did I get them you ask? Well I went to an estate sale, there was a communications receiver from WWII that I went after, first thing I saw when I entered the garage was a huge horn. As I dug I found more, in the back of an empty cabinet lay wrapped in victorian gown a victor talking machine. So now that I found this complete outfit I want to preserve it, display it and protect it. Right now its hanging on hangers out of direct light. The hats need to be reformed and the gown is very wrinkled. My idea was to try steam to remove the wrinkles and soften the straw in the hats and display the gown on a dress form. Here are photos. Any info on the gown is also helpful. If I am in the wrong area of the forums feel free to move.

This is what it was protecting

 

[Gracie Lee]

Hi! Congrats on a wonderful find! Isn't it rewarding when the digging pays off?

Any idea what kind of material the dress is? If it's cotton or linen, you can actually wash it GENTLY with Biz, which will help remove some of the age yellowing, freshen it, and perhaps rehydrate the fibers a bit. Steaming should be fine, provided none of your fabrics are woolens, but it looks like you have some velvet or furs mixed in. Skip the steaming on velvet - antique velvets are often of indeterminate fiber content and are easily ruined by steam, water, and general rough handling. If you feel the furs need cleaning (if there are any, it's hard to tell), you can either take them to a furrier, which I only recommend in the case of antiques if you find one that's genuinely knowledgable regarding their care, or try this trick my Nan taught me: Warm coarse corn meal in the oven, sprinkle liberally over the fur, riffle the fur so it reaches down to the pelt, bundle it up, take it outside, and shake it vigorously. I haven't tried it myself, and it sounds like it would make a horrid mess and you would have to work in sections, but it's supposed to clean and freshen your furs. NEVER brush fur! It sounds counterintuitive, I know, but brushing a fur can ruin it.

For display, the dress form sounds like a good plan, but I highly recommend storing the dress folded in a drawer or chest, protected by tissue paper ideally, until such time as you put it on the form. Antique fibers are often very fragile, and just the weight of the dress itself can cause irreparable damage along the shoulders when placed on a hanger. When you do get it displayed the way you wish it, make sure you protect it from even the tiniest bit of sunlight. Antique fabrics were not chemically treated and the dyes not as stable, fading can happen very quickly.

It looks like you've got a chemise (the white garment), but I can't tell what all is on the other hanger, the black garment. Can you get some better pics, with more detail and contrast? I'd love to get a better look!