The best way to keep your elegant dresses looking beautiful is to understand how to store them. This way, you know that then it’s time to pull out a stunning outfit, your favorite gown will be perfectly waiting for you.
Some advice might seem obvious, and others may surprise you.
1. Clean the Dress Before Storage
Even if no damage came to your dress on its last outing, your natural fragrance and movement would cause foreign materials to seep into your wonderful outfit. To make sure that you don’t let a foul smell grow or a missed stain left uncared for, you should take your dress to a dry cleaner to have it professionally seen to.
Correcting these natural blemishes will stop a future problem from stopping your event. There will be no last-minute rush to the dry cleaners, as everything will be perfect for you.
If you don’t plan on using the dress again, then you should still clean it. After you have had it cleaned, you can then donate it to an appropriate charity to lower any fast-fashion ramifications.
You may be tempted to clean the garment yourself. If this is the avenue you want to go down, be sure to talk to the manufacturer or read the label. From the label and the material, you should be able to determine what type of wash will protect and clean the dress. If you are unsure, opt for the gentle wash and natural air drying technique.
2. Use a Hanging Garment Bag
Ideally, you should be avoiding plastics, but hanging garment bags from high-class professionals like Hayden Hill will have the right materials for the bag to keep your dress protected and free from dampness.
You should use these bags to hang your clothes in a closet. This will allow your dress to hang and remove creases while still being protected from the natural elements of decay. To make sure you are using the bags right, you need to let the garment hang straight and not let it touch the ground.
Depending on the bag you’re using, the manufacturer will either have bug-repellent coatings already added to the bag or will suggest which spray to use. Either way, the spray will keep your dresses smelling fresh while repulsing any moths.
3. Cheap But Safe Way To Store Your Dress
If you don’t have a closet to hang your elegant dress, there is another way for you to protect the clothing. This might seem unsafe, but you can store the dress in a cardboard box. Cardboard boxes won’t make your dress sweat, and they hold their shape very well; however, to make sure your dress is genuinely protected, the box needs to be made from acid-free materials. It should then be lined with acid-free tissue paper. This method stops the dress from reacting to the acid and turning yellow.
To ensure the dress doesn’t crease in the box, you should first lay the hem into the container. When it has been laid flat, you can put a layer of tissue paper between the fold. Keep doing this until the whole fabric has settled and is covered.
If you are unsure if the box or tissue paper is acid-free, do not use it. Most cardboards have a high acid content to help them stay strong and reject moisture. Ideally, you should buy special cardboard that explicitly says that the material is acid-free.
4. 3 Month Check-Up
To keep your dress safe and to make sure no dampness, mold, or wear has damaged the garment, you should check on it every 3 months.
In the check, you should look for any evidence of bug degradation or moth bites. If you notice anything, head to a seamstress to repair the garment. At this point, the outfit shouldn’t be badly worn, so the repair should be fine.
Secondly, you should steam clean the outfit to make sure it keeps its shape. If you don’t own your own steam cleaner, you can send it to a dry cleaner and request one.
If you have stored the outfit in a cardboard box, then you should replace the acid-free tissue paper either every time you check it or at least every 2 years.
5. Store in a Cool Dark Place
Even with your garment bag or cardboard box, you need to make sure the final storage place is cool and dark. This is to stop any humidity from getting trapped in the dress and causing water damage.
If the dress is left in direct sunlight, the beautiful colors will start to fade or become dull. They could even break some of the delicate fabrics.