Replies

1. 
   sewchris703 | Jun 14, 2006 04:42am | #1

   Call your local bridal shop and ask about gown preservation.  They will clean, use a non-surgaring agent, and use either acid-free tissue paper or archive, museum quality muslin and pack your gown in an acid-free box.  The company I'm familiar with also includes gloves and handling instructions in the box. 

   Chris

2. 
   mygaley | Jun 14, 2006 05:33am | #2

   When Leeza Gibbons had her daytime tv show, one edition was about wedding gown preservation, and she had several different "Preservers" on describing the process and also explaining that the guarantee often was only good if the preserver opened the package when it was time to access the gown.  One of these businessmen was present when she brought out the box for her own Scaasi gown and he opened the package so the guarantee would be good, and her gown was not in it, only the slip.  She was horrified.  I read not long after that the company still had not located her gown.  This was probably over fifteen years ago. 

   I'm only saying be careful; it sounds as if you want museum quality preservation, and so I'd get lots of references from bridal shops and other people that deal only in fabric preservation.  Galey

1. 
   tennisbum | Jun 14, 2006 11:08pm | #4

   What a horror story!  I wonder whether they ever located Leeza's gown.  I wasn't aware that professional storage could be had, simply planned on packing the gown myself if I could locate appropriate, archival type materials.

   Thanks for your reply :)

1. 
   Teaf5 | Jun 15, 2006 12:15am | #5

   The professional methods are expensive, but probably worth it, as long as you're dealing with a reputable dry-cleaner. An old-fashioned way to preserve a wedding dress is to have it cleaned and then store it in a white cotton case in a cool, dry place. My thirty-year-old white batiste wedding dress is in a white pillowcase stored in a sealed area underneath my son's waterbed, and it's still looking good. The dry, dust-free area is perfect for it. Don't think my only daughter will ever use it, though, because she's four inches taller and shaped very differently from me on my wedding day!

2. 
   sewchris703 | Jun 16, 2006 02:34am | #8

   The gown preservation company that I'm familiar with uses a box that has a window in it so that you can check to make sure that it's your gown.  And the garentee isn't void if the gown is removed or handled with the provided gloves.  But is voided if the gown is worn again.  Then it would need to be re-preserved.

    

   Chris

3. 
   mjorymer | Jun 14, 2006 09:57pm | #3

   Most of the older mthods of preservation involved storing the gown in a sealed box--which is a disaster! Gases build up in the box and can destroy all or part of the garment and the embellishments.  Have it cleaned and treated for sugar stains (whether you can see them or not) and then fold carefully with acid free tissue between all layers and all folds and store in an acid free box.  Take it out every year and re-fold.  Contact me privately at [email protected] and I can provide information on sources so that you don't pay a fortune for what you can do yourself.

   Do not use any plastic or synthetic fiber garment bags.

   Marijo Rymer--VP-- Professional Association of Custom Clothiers

1. 
   tennisbum | Jun 15, 2006 07:35am | #6

   Thank you Marijo for your offer of help;  I did try to email using the link provided but it came back 'undeliverable'.

   Renee

1. 
   mjorymer | Jun 15, 2006 08:52pm | #7

   Try again at [email protected] or [email protected].