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A Dress for Life Preserving your gown keeps the memories, spirit of the big day alive for years to come 
Your wedding dress is something you are only going to wear once. However, you don’t have to discard your dress, or post it on an Internet auction site once the event is over. Saving your dress may be as sentimentally valuable as filling your scrapbook with photos of the wedding. “A wedding gown is a tangible reminder of the ceremony and gives context to one’s family history,” says Jonathan Scheer, president of J.Scheer & Co., a New York City company that conserves and cleans dresses and fabrics. The cost of the dress shouldn’t be a factor if you’re deciding whether to save it. History is the right reason,” Scheer says. “I work with clients who are sensitive to the dress’ iconic value.” However, once you do decide to make your dress a permanent part of your belongings you’ll want to conserve it properly. Ideally you should find an appropriate cleaning service before the wedding. The service should specialize in gowns – some dry cleaners do not – and provide packaging for long-term storage. Prices begin at $395 for such services, but you’ll find a wide range of fees, depending on where you live and what you want done. The sooner you get your dress cleaned, the easier it is for a professional to remove the stains. You’re probably safe if you get the dress treated within a month or two of wearing it. But, if you’ve stained or soiled the dress at the wedding, don’t attempt to clean it yourself, Scheer says. “All bets are off if stains, spillage or soil are treated by the bride or someone at the celebration. My advice is to never try to remove a stain with water or an emergency stain-removal kit. You can do more damage than good. “I suggest the bride carry white talc or cornstarch to match the color of the dress. She can apply the powder to any area of liquid spillage and the powder will draw the liquid away from the fabric. Then, lightly brush the powder off,” Scheer says. Once your dress is clean, store it in a cool, dry area of your home at a temperature range of 65 to 75 degrees, and preferably not the attic or basement, Scheer says. “If the environment is comfortable for you, it’s good for the garment,” he says. Natural fabrics such as silk and synthetic polyester textiles can both be cleaned and saved. Polyester has some advantages, however. “It’s much more durable and accepts cleaning much more easily,” Scheer says, who also gives polyester points because it lasts for years. But don’t choose your dress fabric based on its storage potential, Scheer says. Select the fabric that gives you the most pleasure. |
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