How to treat a wrinkled dress, Part I
Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, wrinkles happen. It’s not a big deal if its your work suit…you pull out the iron and get them out. But what happens if it’s your wedding day? How do you treat your wedding dress so that the wrinkles are gone, but you don’t damage it?
To answer this for you, I called in the best, Sally Lorensen Conant. Sally, who owns the larges gown preservation service in New England and is a textile consultant to museums and historical societies, is an expert in how to treat a wedding dress.
What advice do you give to your brides if their dress is wrinkled on the wedding day before they put it on?
I hope they have looked at their dresses before the day of the wedding as that is a little late to solve the wrinkle problem without making themselves completely crazy! If there is time, a bride can always try hanging the dress in the bathroom, turning the shower to hot, closing the door, and letting the room fill with steam. Using a clothes steamer is quicker and more reliable, but she should be careful to cover the head of the steamer with a towel or a SteamerSock to absorb any splatters that might make spots on water-sensitive fabrics such as silk or rayon. Still another option is professional pressing. There are cleaners who specialize in gowns, and many will deliver the gown the day of the wedding.
How do you prevent the wrinkles in the first place?
Most bridal shops stuff the gown with tissue to minimize wrinkling before it goes into the garment bag—the larger the bag the better. For really large gowns, two fitted double-bed-size sheets are useful because they can be pinned together to make a very loose cover that will not wrinkle the gown. If a bride is traveling with a gown, it may have to be put into a box, and tissue should be used to buffer every fold. Again, the more tissue the better.
Thanks so much Sally! We appreciate your great tips that will help our brides stay wrinkle-free and calm on their wedding day!
For more information, please visit Sally’s website at www.gownrestoration.com
Do you have a specific question on how to care for your dress? I want to hear from you!
Best,
Julie
