By Sandra Joseph
ChrisBrennanPhoto.com
How do you preserve your beautiful wedding gown and keep it in good enough shape to hand down to your daughter or daughter-in-law one day? How do you keep it from yellowing with age and deteriorating? Here’s a look at what the professionals can do for your dress.
Act quickly. Get the dress to a professional as soon after your wedding as possible, certainly no more than six months. Your best course of action is to rely on a friend or family member to take the gown for cleaning while you’re on your honeymoon. Stains can “set in” given time, and fabric can oxidize, causing yellowing or browning. If you wait too long, there may be limits to what a professional can do about stains and damage.
Open the preservation box at least yearly. The storage box is usually waterproof, but interestingly, it’s not airtight, because the fabric will need to breathe. The box should be opened at least once a year and the dress examined for any damage, deterioration or staining. The earlier you catch problems, the better.
Handle with kid gloves. Literally. You shouldn’t touch your preserved gown with your bare hands. Oils from your skin will discolor the fabric. Use white cotton gloves (most professional preservers will give you a pair to take home with you).
Store it properly. Keep the box upright and store it in a cool, dark and dry environment, out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources.
Closet shelves and under beds are ideal spots. Avoid storing your dress in an attic or basement — the temperature usually fluctuates more in these areas than in others in the home, and changing temps can cause condensation.
You want to store the gown in an area that’s kept at a stable temperature and where the humidity is controlled, as well.
And remember that strong odors can be absorbed into the fabric — don’t store your gown near the kitchen or smoking areas in your home.
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