I got married on New Year’s Eve. My gown was as beautiful as the evening was perfect. I know it’s probably too soon to think about doing this, but I’d like to pass my dress down to the daughter I’m hoping I will one day have. My mother didn’t have a big wedding so I want to start the tradition in my family. What should I do to keep the dress in good condition?
–L. Karidis, DesPlaines
The time to preserve your dress is now. We turned to “Caring for Your Family Treasures,” by Jane S. Long and Richard W. Long (Harry N. Abrams, $24.95) for tips on how to keep your dress in mint condition.
You’re already on the right track. “By taking steps to protect it immediately after the wedding, you can ensure it will look better and hold up longer,” the authors write.
Check your local phone directory under “cleaners” for commercial services that will prepare wedding dresses for storage. You also can go to a bridal salon, such as the one where you purchased your dress.
It’s important to clean your dress soon after the wedding. You’ll want to do this even if the dress appears free of smudges and stains. The reason is that there are body oils, perfume and perspiration that you’ll want to remove from the dress before storing.
If your dress fabric needs to be washed, don’t use starch, conditioning agents or finishing chemicals.
To avoid folds and creases when you store it, use natural batting material to fill in the folds. Then cover the dress with unbuffered tissue paper and place it in an acid-free box.
There are kits made for this purpose. Make sure a kit contains acid-free materials. Also, make sure the storage box is large enough to accommodate the dress with a minimum of folds.
If the dress is stored properly, it will not yellow and should look as lovely as the day that it was first worn.