Bought a dress, now how do I keep it in good condition?

Question

So I went out with my FSIL(my brother's fiance) to various consignment shops clothes shopping. We are both planning our weddings so when we saw wedding dresses we though it would be fun to try them on. I had no intentions of buying but when I put on this one dress, it fit me perfectly, looked wonderful, and basically just seemed to be made for me. I was so happy and then when I found out it was only $60 I nearly dropped my jaw to the floor. I looked up the dress, it started out at nearly $700 new, so even with alternations, cleaning, and preservation, it is still less than the new dress. Now comes my question. The dress needs to be cleaned, so I plan to have that done professionally. After that, seeing as my wedding won't be for a year and a half at the most, should I have the dress preserved until my wedding? I've heard just hanging it is bad on the seams and makes the dress sag. Your thoughts?

Answer 1

I bought my dress off the rack at David's bridal.  They will not hold a dress for a bride, so once it's bought you have to take it home.  We were told to wrap it in a clean white sheet and lay it flat.  I used 2 sheets to make sure it was completely covered and then put it under the bed.  You could do this after you clean it.  Having it preserved in a box (what i did after the wedding) costs a lot of money!  Congrats on the great find....

Answer 2

Introduction

Storing your wedding dress, your great-grandmother's handmade quilt, or a valuable old tapestry in one of those cardboard boxes with a cellophane window could be a costly mistake!

No fabric should remain folded in a sealed box for years, and cellophane windows can trap damaging moisture. Storing fine textiles is not difficult: Do the job correctly and preserve your precious garments for decades.

Wedding Dress Storage Steps

Step One

Have the dress professionally cleaned as soon as possible. Some stains, such as sweat, perfume and alcohol, may be invisible at first but will darken with time if not removed.

Step Two

Choose between box and hanger storage. Keeping the dress in a box may prove to be more practical, but hanging the garment in a closet is the best way to prevent difficult-to-remove creases. Purchase plenty of acid-free tissue paper. You'll need it whether you fold or hang the dress.

Step Three

Line an acid-free cardboard box with acid-free tissue paper if you are storing the garment in a box. Lay the hem in the box first and then fold the dress accordion-style, placing crumpled tissue paper between each fold. Stuff the inside of the bodice and sleeves with crumpled tissue. Layer more tissue on top and cover with the box lid.

Step Four

Wrap a wide hanger with cotton batting if you are hanging the garment, then cover it with muslin. Hang the dress and stuff the bodice, sleeves and any deep folds in the fabric with acid-free tissue. Cover the dress with a muslin garment bag and hang it in a cool, dry closet. Take care not to crush it with other clothing.

Step Five

Check the dress's condition each year. If boxed, repack so the folds are in different places; if hung, wash the muslin cover.

Answer 3

Have it cleaned and preserved, your still saving a bundle, and when it is time for wedding, if you need any alterations do it and have it pressed. You did  good!  And I wouldn't look at anymore dresses , if this is the one, you'll get confused and second guess yourself.  

Answer 4

I hadn't heard that before, I just helped my sister plan her wedding, and her dress was on the hanger from the time we picked it up at the store until her wedding day, and I'm sure it came to the store on a hanger. I would suggest if your worried about it to call an alterations shop and ask them. They would be able to tell you the best thing to do.  

Answer 5

just whatever you do don't wear it in the rain

don't spill things on it

and don't play in it!

Answer 6

I would just have it cleaned and then have it pressed just before the wedding.  My dress stayed on the hanger at the dress shop for 6 months before our wedding and it never looked saggy.  I just had my dress preserved and it was 250 dollars.  I wouldn't want to have to do this twice so I would just get it cleaned for now.  Just make sure you store it in a cool, dry, and dark place.  It should be just fine.

Answer 7

Make sure moths don't get to it.