Preserving the Party Dress
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of donning your favorite “special occasion” gown and twirling around in front of a mirror. These dresses demand special respect. After all, there’s a reason why velvet, chiffon, organza and taffeta aren’t “everyday” fabrics!
These special occasion fabrics can be a wonderful investment if you take care of them. Treat your ball gowns and party dresses with the delicacy and respect they deserve, and they’ll look as fabulous the fourth or fifth time you wear them as they did during their debut.
Velvet
The most glaring problem with velvet is that it is very water sensitive.
Consider moisture of any kind—rain, perspiration, drink spills—to
be an enemy. Moisture can “crush” the pile fabric, and more
often than not, the nap cannot be lifted evenly and restored to the
same sheen.
Sometimes a dry cleaner can lift the velvet pile by steaming and brushing.
It is imperative that you do not try to save it yourself.
Velvet requires delicate care and should be finished very carefully and gently to preserve fabric. While some velvets are denser and more luxurious than others. All velvet is delicate when it comes to wear and care. Velvets usually require dry cleaning. Because of the deep colors, all matching items should be brought in at the same time. Store velvet on hangers rather than folded, with space around the garment to protect the "pile".
Chiffon
Spills and food stains are reasonably manageable, but silk chiffon
snags and tears easily.
If the hem is torn, and depending on the location and size of the tear,
it is often best to consider shortening the hem to hide it rather than
repairing it.
As with any silk, chiffon tends to become distorted more easily when
wet. Do not wipe stains with a towel or napkin when chiffon is wet.
The yarns can separate, and there is no remedy for yarn slippage.
Organza
This is a very brittle fabric with a sheen as perfect as glass.
Because the fiber has no stretch or give, it is imperative that it fit
properly. If it’s too tight, the seams may pull and separate.
Be aware also, that when organza is altered, especially if it is “let
out,” the stitch holes will show quite clearly.
Never rub the material or attempt stain removal yourself. The surface
sheen can change with the slightest abrasion, and yarn separation is
always possible.
If you’re wearing a gown that restricts movement, it’s easy
to break the fibers if you stretch or bend. This causes yarn separation,
which is most evident under the arms, at the waist, and along the hip
area.
When organza becomes “bent” or creased, often a white line
appears where the crease is. Ironing the fabric will not remove such
a white line. Try to think of these “breaks” as character
traits.
Taffeta
Remind your dry cleaner to be aware of the seams and double-thick areas.
If these areas are not “steamed out” during pressing, there
will be deep impressions and pock marks on the surface of the fabric.
Creases and hard wrinkles that occur from wear, especially at the waist,
can usually be improved in pressing. The “white lines” so
prominent with organza are not as severe as with taffeta.
When you perspire, the acid turns alkaline and can cause a color change
after the fabric dries. If you perspire, take your dress to the dry
cleaners the next day, tell them the what and where, and ask them to
spot with steam in these areas.
Silk
Never try to rub a stain
out of silk.
Even gently rubbing can cause breakage of silk fibers. Use tie spray.
Expensive silk ties are almost impossible to clean without spotting,
unless they have been sprayed with a food and drink repellent. A spray-protected
tie will wipe clean, eliminating the need for dry cleaning or replacing
it.
Dry cleaning silk garments is still the safest method to prevent color
loss, textural changes and fabric damage.
Be extremely careful if attempting any home stain removal of silk garments.
Never rub silk while wet. Gently blot the affected area and take the
garment to your dry cleaner for further remedy. To help extend your
garments life avoid contact with sprays and solutions containing alcohol
when dressing.
